Pope Benedict XVI, while on his trip to Australia, told a crowd of 200,000 people that the world’s natural resources are being squandered in the pursuit of "insatiable consumption." He urged everyone in attendance to care more for the environment and reconnect with the principle of peace.

He also addressed types of "poison" which are afflicting the world’s social environment such as substance abuse, the exaltation of violence, and sexual degradation. He has been applauded as being the "green pope" due to his environmental concerns, and he has spoken openly and critically of the influence of television and the Internet on today’s young people.

The most striking thing about these statements is that they are focused totally on the corporeal. What he sees in the environment is pollution, deforestation, global warming, and the squandering of resources. In humanity he sees violence in all its forms, drug use and other social ills.

What he doesn’t see, or at least does not bring to his followers, is the underlying cause of these perceived problems. They are told to "reconnect with the principle of peace," but what does that mean, and how is it to be done? What does pollution and humanity’s social ills have to do with peace? Isn’t peace about not being at war with anyone? Does a reconnection with peace show us the way to transcend all these problems?

If we look to the wisdom of Kabbalah for answers, we find that peace means more than a condition of not being at war. Peace comes only when we achieve our purpose in life. Kabbalists tell us that the reason for our existence on this planet is to come close to the Creator, to change our qualities to be similar to the infinite love that He bestows on us. Everything around us was created solely for this purpose.

But man lost sight of this purpose thousands of years ago, when he chose instead to pursue power and personal gain. This is the antithesis of the love the Creator gives to His creation. Man is not at peace with himself or others because he uses others to fulfill his desires and needs. It seems that enough is never enough, and thus the world is plunged into an ongoing struggle which leads to a state of strife and disharmony—a disruption of peace between ourselves and with nature.

How is this manifested? The imbalance comes from our not realizing the reason for our existence on this planet, so we try and make up for the lack by getting, using, and squandering more and more resources. This results in the very ills that the Pope mentioned in his address—we see the environment being destroyed and humanity struggling to cope. All of it is a result of humanity wanting more and more, all the while using others and the world’s resources to fulfill a need that is never satisfied.

So, how can we correct our opposition to the Creator and restore peace? Kabbalah shows us how to find the answers to this question. The Pope has told his followers to "reconnect with the principle of peace," but this cannot be done unless mankind is shown what this peace really means and how it can be achieved.

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