Living in an imperfect world, we are witness to many imperfections within ourselves and others. The sad truth is we fail to identify our imperfections and quickly point out imperfections of others. Or we identify our own imperfections by projecting them onto others, continuing to judge others for something that we ourselves have done.

We now return to Ani Po to get a Warrior’s perspective…

Ani Po was at her local gym, when a gentleman approached her and asked her opinion on Capitol punishment.She, having no opinion on this matter, answered “I do not believe in these laws that have been established by your people.”

Gent: “What do you mean, my people? Are they not your people too?”

Ani Po: “No. Where I come from we do not hate any one person or judge them for human experiences, instead we leave this up to our Father.”

Gent: “Where do you come from Mars? How can you not want to punish a murderer or a rapist? And why is your father involved?”

Ani Po: “My Father, is the Father of all fathers. He is the only person worthy of judgment. Our job is to learn lessons of Love. It is not their fault they murdered someone, it is your fault.”

Gent: “How are the actions of another my fault?”

Ani Po: “You follow the rules of the majority right? Then you and the majority are guilty of this. It is your fault for not helping a Brother in need, instead letting him wonder aimlessly through the countryside. Your prisons hold many lost souls, but they only want what you want…happiness. Locking them up, we only deprive them of the opportunity.”

It takes a whole village to raise a child.

~African Proverb

Ani Po: “In older times we understood what it took to raise a child, but somewhere through the ages we lost our way.Back then, the village was responsible for the raising of a child, nurturing and Loving the child as their own. Now-a-days we are ‘too busy’ for our own offspring. Their lack of Love in their lives, only develops attention seeking pilgrims who eventually challenge laws established by local government.”

Gent: “So are you saying that a whole community should take time out of their busy days to raise a lost child?”

Ani Po: “What I suggest is the community accept only Love in themselves, which invariably projects out into the community. We naturally desire Peace within, but fail to find it in our own community…thereby remaining lost. Accepting Love as the answer for all things, we instinctively return inward to find what had been there all along.”

Gent: “Ok, you still haven’t answered my question.”

Ani Po: “One day they will have to answer to God, they do not have to answer to me. As for myself, I am to learn forgiveness while I am on this planet.”

Gent: “How can you forgive a murderer? They deserve to be punished!”

Ani Po: “Maybe so, but I will leave that up to my Father. Under Babylonian and Hebrew Law, it was legal for one person to take equal or lesser action against any person who brought harm to them, still permitting a community to stone an person to death…justified under Hebrew Law. Nowadays we just lock them up…it is just the same as stoning them, as they die a slow painful death.”

An eye for an eye, leaves two people blind.

~Mahatma Gandhi

Gent: “Then what do you suggest?”

Ani Po: “I suggest everyone take time for self-reflection. In the words of Christ, Let he who is without sin, cast the first stone.We are all sinners. Here is another suggestion from Muhammad, Our Lord! we have indeed believed: forgive us then our sins and save us from the agony of the fire.”

Gent: “So are you saying we should stone those guilty of sin?”

Ani Po: “Again I say to you…no. What i suggest is we All Get Stoned.”

At this time during the conversation, a fellow Warrior approaches Ani Po, “Yeah Man! I am in for getting stoned.”

They all part with laughter infused into their day, but the lesson remains to ponder. What do we do to the sinners of the world? Ani Po suggests we look only within ourselves and follow guidance of spirit. Spirit will lead us Home every time. When an individual asks for forgiveness, they must be willing to give up their old ways. If not, they remain in sin and shall be judged when the time comes. Wipe the slate clean, returning to Love and their shall be room for nothing else.

While the Pilgrim follows rules of the flesh, he invariably shall be judged himself by his own flesh. Returning to Spirit the Warrior relies on guidance from Holy Spirit, allowing freedom to be restored and Paradise to be revealed, her judgment shall be her reward.

Stepping into the Canvas putting down stones of judgment, we enter a new era…an era of Love and forgiveness. If we all put down the weapons of judgment, allowing peace to be restored throughout the land, we shall no longer fight. From this day forward we shall see our Brothers and Sisters in Light.