IF OUR SUPREME AIM were in truth to solve finally the prob-
lems of atomic weapons, of war and politics, to bring into the world
a universal and permanent peace, then the way through which that
aim might be fulfilled would not be obscure. The way, the only
way, has been known for a long time. It has been repeatedly told to
us in all the thousands of variations on the winged words that we
link to the names of Christ and Buddha and Confucius and St.
Francis and Lao-tse.

We may have peace, permanent peace, when, and only when, we
are ready to renounce power, to renounce it totally, absolutely. This
is the way, and there is no other way.

With the renunciation of power, the problems of politics, politics
itself and war which is part of politics, cease even to exist, since
politics is nothing but the struggle for power. But this can be only
when the renunciation is total. So long as there is any impurity in
our aim, so long as there is anything other than peace itself that we
will not sacrifice, then the time will come when our wants will clash
with the wants of others. We will be step by step driven to a judg-
ment by force.

If I seek for nothing, I cannot lose in my search. If in my own
soul there is no sense of material possession, then who can rob me?
If liberty and family and life itself are as nothing to me beside the
absolute sin of power, then who can enslave or oppress me?
Through the renunciation of power, I become immune to power.
Through absolute renunciation, I become absolutely free, because my
freedom is of another kingdom, not of this world.

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