As two men were arguing about the flag flapping in the wind, one said it was the wind that was moving. The other contended that it was the flag that was moving. Then came the Zen master who was the Sixth Patriarch Huineng, who said with assertiveness that it was the mind that moved. The monks were left dumbfounded.
With the way that we are wired, humans have a natural tendency to be captivated by the outside world. It is easy to understand conceptually the saying: "As within so without, as above so below." But we are still easily trapped by what our senses are telling us. The origin of this saying goes back to ancient times with reference to the Hermetic principals and it will always remain a universal truth. Simply put, our inner thoughts and feelings create what we see, hear and experience. The circumstances of our lives are like mirror images of what is within and above us. Precisely because we all possess such power of the mind, we are all co-creators whether we are consciously creating or not. Look back, look now and look ahead, not even one single individual or collective human experience can deviate from this rule. Only when we become aware of this inner power and use it for the betterment for ourselves can we start to talk about the true meaning of world peace.