Pristine Palace of Peace

As happiness peace lies within. When we train ourselves to give more than receive, to love and forgive; we take a step towards inner freedom- freedom from any negative feelings, towards happiness.

Pristine Palace of Peace

The world is increasingly getting aggressive. Despite millennia of religion, civilization and culture, peace among people and nations remains elusive. But for the future of humanity, peace deserves a chance.

All the nations proclaim that peace is the final frontier for them. Wars causing irreparable damage have been waged, often quoting peace as the reason. We must realise that in doing so the more we try to seek peace the more it eludes us. The reason is very simple; instead of trying to attain an inner harmony we attempt to enforce peace on others and that can never work. Happiness lies within and so does peace.

Now, when we say inner peace or peace of mind what do we exactly mean? Is it the zero thought zone that comes with incessant religious meditation, or it’s a state when the never ending requirement list of a man comes to a rest? Some people feel that peace of mind is just a catch phrase used by some companies to sell their product; e.g. a real estate firm with a promotion tagline “a true abode of peace”, or a spa with caption “experience the peace never felt before.” Undoubtedly, there a bit of truth in that, but still the idea can’t be shunned as a myth as Peace of mind is ultimately the most sought after abstract reality.

We must accept that most of us are in a state of perpetual restlessness. The noisy bundle of nerves keep on wrecking the brain and the mind continues to spin in thoughtless circles, in a path that seems impossible to be traced. Peace of mind is a state of inner calmness and tranquility, together with a sense of freedom, when thoughts and worries cease, and there is no stress, strain or fear. However, the biggest challenge lies in realising the thoughts that pass, cross, run, shove and jostle their way through our brain. Once a person starts to closely scrutinize his stream of thoughts he can safely embark on the journey to Serenity.

A careful analysis of one’s thoughts can bring shocking revelations. Mostly our minds fret over worries which are repetitive and insignificant. Either we are busy brooding over the negative memories from the past, or we are apprehensive about the things in future that might not happen at all, or we are concerned about the problems of the present that are beyond our control like getting stuck in traffic. In each of these cases mind is constantly occupied as a battle ground by thoughts and ideas that rigorously work to impinge on the stability of mind.

A panacea to the mental upheavals that frays our nerves lies in its diagnosis. Moreover it’s a question of will rather than choice; of choosing to love and forgive rather than to hate; of choosing to be thankful rather than being resentful; of choosing to understand rather than judge. A strong determination to guard our thoughts accompanied with exercises like mediation helps the mind to gain stillness. We need not essentially retreat to the Himalayas to attain this liberation of thought. Spending some quiet moments of solitude interacting with one self, pondering deeply about the purposefulness of our activities can also serve the purpose.

“You cannot buy peace; you must know how to manufacture it within, in the stillness of your daily practices in meditation.”

- ParamahansaYogananda [2]

When our mind becomes the pristine palace of peace it radiates the whole environment with its light of love, making it more congenial and humane. When one harbours peace within, it’s manifested outside. The world that we see then rings with the note of humanity; because what we see is with the eyes that truly see.

Author's Note

I would love to know your thoughts on the topic.