By Yoga Pratama (Bhre), CCP Training Participant at March, 4 – 6 2022 (edited and translated by Tito and Rhaka)
Bhre after CCP Training on March 6 2022 at Peace Place in Pati, Indonesia
Peace Place Pati is a place for creating a culture of peace as well as being committed to breaking the chain of violence and the cycle of intergenerational oppression. It is located about two hours east of Semarang, the provincial capital of Central Java.
When you arrive, you are welcomed by buildings that represent the Javanese culture. It looks simple, and that’s what makes it comfortable–the simplicity. We learn that deep comfort and happiness do not come from extravagance. And the people look friendly. The founders, Petrus and Nanik, teachers, friends, and interns practice communicating and interacting well, even with strangers. That makes others feel comfortable. We have a new experience. We feel like we truly do not live alone. Although we may be sad because many people close to us have passed away, we learn to celebrate life and the people we are just getting to know.
Making peace with yourself means not hurting yourself. It means learning the tools for treatment and healing so you can accept whatever has happened before. For the sake of peace, we do not reinforce traits that damage our mental health. But this is not the only thing. It turns out that even the food is considered. At Peace Place, you will never feel hungry, because there are many fruits that you can pick and eat. Because they are grown without chemicals, the food is healthy..
The thing I recalled the most at the Peace Place Pati is the activity of good listeners. Most of the time I talk a lot and listen less. I realized this makes me prejudiced. It makes me feel like the most unlucky human being on earth. In this activity, however, I listened to so many different kinds of people and realized that every human being has their own problems, which we don’t see on the surface. I also listened to the perspective of many people and realized that I am not the most right or smart, but many people have many ideas.
In the end, we must be able to hear, even complaints or advice. Complaints can lead to learning. Advice can be medicine. Still, we are on our own, captains of our own lives. Whether we are happy or sad, we are the ones who decide.