A Piece about Peace

If we want peace, happiness and prosperity at home, then we must establish them abroad. No wonder when billions are spent in aid poured into various under-developed or developing countries, also supplemented by generous donations from large corporate or private sources, only part of this money has actually been used for the avowed aim of helping the recipients to help themselves, as huge amounts have ended up in pockets for which they were not intended or misdirected in other ways. Peace cannot be established by wishful thinking, at least not until everyone in the world agrees on a common set of values and beliefs. And finally, even within a family, hard words or hard blows can be exchanged even without the involvement of the neighbours, for no one is born with perfect self-control. The discipline or art of self-limitation is considered in the era of self-realisation as a means of repression, which should be rejected. And whether the wiser man should always yield, is a debatable contention. The most convincing way to experience in peace is hardly experienced here but the peaceful coexistence as a normal state remains a dream despite a wealth of instructively painful experiences. We could continue chasing a dream that unfolds a time when the power of love will replace the love of power and then our world will know the blessings of peace. Where there is hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. Banishing avarice, ambition, anger, envy and pride can simply lead us to everlasting peace, within and without. Indeed these efforts may not be easy but that is no reason why we as individuals cannot start immediately with ourselves and with our neighbours to practice peace in freedom and tranquility.

Some seekers of peace desire to create a new universe as they believe that the society in which they live is not compatible with their thinking, it is not comfortable being in it. But a new universe and society can be formed only when a new mind and new peace is formed. Psychologists say our mind is conditioned on the basis of some established beliefs and set convictions - unless these are shattered, the construction of a new society is not possible. The human mind becomes fully developed, usually at the age of 15, when the power of lust is controllable. We need to revamp and revolutionise the whole system. Today, that part of the mind which is called the animal or primitive mind, is active. The animal mind produces greed, it is selfish. In turn, selfishness creates cruelty which generates criminal tendency. Finally, the criminal inclination gives birth to addiction - a criminal takes to intoxication so that he may forget his inner Self and experience momentary peace.

In this world, there is only one fundamental deterrent to peace and that is greed. The rest are just its extensions. Our mind has actually been conditioned by greed. The whole thinking process hovers around that. Every man thinks of his self-interest only and therefore this thought prevents rationality hence truthful relationships. Relationships are either subjective or objective. In subjective relations, reality is either totally absent or it is negligible. It is only a reformed mind that will have relations based on peaceful reality, therefore, in order to purify and reform the mind, we take refuge in meditation. When we actually start knowing, perceiving within, then the ingrained beliefs are reformed. Those beliefs - the basis of life - start reforming. So the important thing for achieving a state of peace is to reform belief or to destroy it. The burden of beliefs carried by man is even more than the burden carried by a donkey. The process of reforming life is meditation. It reforms the basic beliefs and the mind too will be reformed. A reformed mind t r a n s f o r m s personality which in turn reforms society, logically leading to all abounding and all prevailing peace enveloping us and so it does for the entire world around us.

We see so many congregations of people praying and meditating for peace. The spiritual search for peace leads to various methods, for, if one believes in the existence of a Superior Force, a God, then taking the next step to believing that there is a Cosmic Design, that the Stars and Planets are messengers of this God who is the Celestial Architect, is a simple and uncluttered step. To try and find understanding and peace, there are so many ways to find patterns that make sense of our lives and give us the fortitude to face our fears and insecurities. 

Om SHANTI SHANTI SHANTI

Source: Milchar