The Peace Abbey May 31, 2010

This past weekend’s trip from central New Jersey to The Peace Abbey on the outskirts of Boston was anything but peaceful. What should have been a 5-hour ride ballooned into a nearly 7-hour test of patience. At times the traffic in front of us crawled along slower than 10 mph (Thank you, Connecticut Turnpike!) and as we got to within a few minutes of our destination we found the road before us closed for emergency construction – leaving us a little bewildered, slightly lost, and tenuously peaceful at best.

Once we finally arrived at the front gate and pulled into a spot near the Peace Abbey guest house it became almost immediately clear that we were in a most unique place. The quiet was deafening. We were just maybe fifty yards from Main Street in the little hamlet of Sherborn, MA but on the grounds of the abbey you felt like you’d stepped into a place far form the world we’re used to inhabiting. The first thing that struck me was that all of the doors to the various buildings (the guest house, a gift shop, and a museum) were unlocked, yet not a single human being was in sight. Our hosts were trusting indeed! As we entered the guest house where we’d be staying for the next 48 hours, we were greeted only by the scent of incense hovering in the air and an eclectic mix of religious relics and peace activism artifacts. A “Stop the War in Afghanistan” sign rests gently against one wall, the kind you’d see in an old filmstrip about the Vietnam War. It’s not far from where a giant John Lennon & Yoko Ono poster overlooks the breakfast nook. To the right is the interfaith chapel which is also open and includes a mini-altar carved with the names of all of the world’s major religions. In the far corner a candle burns above a small sign that reads, “A single candle burns in memory of all the animals harmed or killed by acts of man.” We pick up our key and a visitor’s guide. The cover reads, “It’s been said time and again that there is no place anywhere like The Peace Abbey. We trust that your visit will confirm this.” My visit was just a few minutes old and I could have already assured you that I’d never been anywhere like this before!

We planned that evening to attend a kirtan in a nearby town featuring Snatam Kaur and Guruganesh Singh. Before we left we explored the grounds a bit more to see if perhaps we’d missed a person or two somewhere in our midst. The only other beings on the property were two goats and a sheep resting in the paddock, a small white horse that looked like the kind to give pony rides at a child’s party, a family of groundhogs romping in a giant den, a brown and white bull reclining nearby beneath a tree, and a dozen or so white doves roosting on the roof of the barn. We made our acquaintances with our gracious hosts before making the short drive to Arlington for the kirtan.

After an amazing evening of chanting at the kirtan and a restful sleep we awoke to find the abbey was still still. We spent the entire day exploring the grounds and taking in all of the unique treasures they held. Our day started with yoga practice on the back deck as the doves from the barn circled overhead. It gave us a new inspiration to work on Pigeon Pose! We admired the thoughtful peace memorial that includes an 8 foot tall statue of Gandhi surrounded by dozens of plaques emblazoned with quotes from peacemakers throughout the ages including Dr. Martin Luther King and Mother Theresa. Later we found our way to the Peace Abbey’s museum that included artifacts from the peace movement and even housed the registry of Conscientious Objectors to war for the state of Massachusetts. In the basement of the museum was a touching memorial to the soldiers who have been killed in action since the beginning of the Iraq war. Nearly one entire wall was covered with wristbands each listing the name of one soldier killed in action. The enormity of the installation made it impossible to ignore the real human impact of war.

Before departing from the abbey I spent about 20 minutes in the interfaith chapel meditating. I do not often “pray” in conventional terms but I was inspired by a large banner that had been a backdrop of the Snatam Kaur concert the night before that read “PEACE – in your heart, in your home, in the world.” I prayed that while visitors to this wondrous place may be few and far between that I may carry its message in my heart and bring its work with me wherever I go.

See the slideshow below for just some of the images from our memorable, unique trip!

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