Jet Li -www.jetli.com

I am not Christian, Muslim or Jewish so I don't know enough about those religions to make a reasonable comment. It seems that all major religions have similar inspiration -- to love all people, to spread peace and to help your fellow human being. Do I think that an understanding by all people that there is one divine creative source for all religious truths would bring about a global end to conflict? No, I don't. It is impossible. If there was absolutely no conflict then this universe would no longer exist as we know it. The universe is dependent upon conflict -- it requires it -- on every level from the sub-atomic to the social or psychological to the forces that maintain balance in each galaxy and beyond. Absolute neutrality, or "wu ji" does not exist in this universe. We have the division and separation known as "tai ji" and this makes opposition inevitable. There is yin and yang in all things and as a result, conflict in all things, people, viewpoints and ideas. At some times the balance between one side and the other might be less, which can give the outward appearance that there is a general peace or neutrality, but there can not be 100% consensus of opinion on any one topic. There are only variations in the percentage of pros and cons. A dream while you sleep lasts only one night, and the experiences you had -- happiness or sadness -- weren't true. To Buddhists life is a dream of sorts. As we understand it, the human lifespan is typically under 100 years. This is a much longer period than one night, but if you think of 100 years as compared to the time-frame of the galaxy or the universe, then 100 years is like a single night. In the present moment, when you look back at the experiences of your life, how is the image in your head different than the images you remember from your dreams? It's just a memory -- just a dream. For myself, in the past 38 years, I've had happy times, and times when I've suffered -- a lot of emotions have occurred in the past 38 years -- but they are in my past. While I am awake in the current moment those emotions and experiences are nothing that I can hold in my hands. Just like a dream. It is the transitory nature of life. At the end of this "dream of life" you won't be able to hold it, and just like a sleeping dream all the experiences, riches, emotions, possessions -- they're all gone. There is no container for them except for your memories and imagination. When you learn to control your dreams your focus is on how to learn from the dream. It's not just an experience for the sake of having an experience. Everything in the dream isn't real so you learn not to hold on too tightly to what happens. Likewise, in this life, the emotions of the past only exist in your memory so you try not to hold on to them too tightly as well. When you're upset what comes next? Less upset .. then maybe a bit happy. It's all a cycle that repeats itself over time. When you understand the nature of life and see that all things are part of this cycle, you learn to detach yourself from the storms of life. That's why you learn to try and control your dreams. It gives you more control over understanding the process of the dream of life. For myself, attachment to the emotions of the past or future aren't as important as experiencing the life of the present. I don't want to live in the past -- it is a dream that has finished. I don't want to live in the future -- it is a dream that has not yet happened. I want to enjoy this moment right now. To live in the present, and try my best, and feel comfortable with the results that my best effort brings about. This is one of the reasons to train to understand your dreams.