Peace Begins in the Mind — 80 Years of the United Nations

Eighty years on, the insight that gave birth to UNESCO remains as timeless and relevant as the Dhamma itself: peace must first be constructed in the mind before it can take root in the world.

- BY DON DE SILVA

The Buddha declared in the opening verse of the Dhammapada: “Manopubbangam dhamm, manosetth manomay.”

“Mind precedes experience; mind is their chief; their nature is shaped by mind.”

The UNESCO Constitution echoed this truth:

"Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed."

The connection is profound — the world we build outside is but a reflection of the world we nurture within. When the mind is clouded by greed, hatred, and delusion, suffering follows. When guided by wisdom, restraint, and compassion, peace becomes possible within individuals, within societies, and among nations.

As the United Nations marks eight decades of existence, new storms gather: the worsening climate crisis, widening inequalities, persistent wars, and a headlong rush of unregulated technologies that often outpace human ethics.

Echoing the Secretary-General's call for A New Agenda for Peace, it is evident that more than institutional reform is needed. The UN must rediscover its moral compass — and the stillness from which clear, ethical action arises. Endless resolutions and declarations cannot substitute for a transformation in the quality of consciousness that guides them.

The organization can take inspiration from one of its own — a Dhammic statesman who quietly embodied the balance of inner calm and outer action.

U Thant: The Quiet Power of Inner Peace