A Peace Lesson From Christ (Actually, Three Christs!)

We've all heard of the crazy types who think they are Jesus Christ, or Napoleon, or some other famous person. What if you actually brought a few of these people into the same room and introduced them to each other?! Well, that is exactly what Milton Rokeach did at Michigan's Ypsilanti State Hospital in 1959-60. Over this period Rokeach held regular group meetings with three male psychiatric patients, each of whom believed he was Jesus Christ. Interestingly, no one was cured, and he did not succeed in lessening any of the patients' delusions. What resulted was a series of arguments, power games and denials of each other's existence.
In his book Not-Two Is Peace Adi Da draws an instructive, and archetypally significant analogy between this group of schizophrenics, and the current situation of the leadership of humankind. At the United Nations, and in other fora, the representatives of countries, or religions, or groups act the same way as the three Christs when discussing global peace, and other important matters of cooperation. They act as if they are absolute, completely unique and separate entities, each wanting to dominate in some way. The wholeness of humankind, the singleness of the planetary environment, never emerges as the prior reality - it is always us, and them.
Who speaks from the point of view of the observer of the three Christs in the world forum? Adi Da speaks from this perspective in Not-Two Is Peace. He says "Separateness cannot manifest wholeness. Only prior unity can manifest wholeness." Prior Unity is not about "three Christs" in the same room - or separate bodies of people arguing, playing power games, or denying each other's existence, or perhaps their right to exist. Prior unity is inherent - it's already there. It just has to be acknowledged, and respected.
The peace lesson of the three Christs is that unless we act from the knowledge of prior unity, we all seem to act as if we are a bit mad.


Gloria Applbaum is a Canadian living abroad who has studied Global Peace for years. She sees this as the turning point in all of human history where economic, environmental, security, and other global crises will lead us to the point of radical change, or catastroph. Please read Not-Two IS Peace a book by world friend Adi da to bring peace for the world.