By: B.K. Geeta
Source: The Daily Guardian https://epaper.thedailyguardian.com/view/1714/the-daily-guardian/14
Dated: November 30, 2024
If I am somewhere between Delhi and Mumbai and I want to go to India’s capital city, will I reach there if I drive towards Mumbai? Consider another situation: I am preparing a dessert at home, and I throw generous amounts of chilli pepper and salt into it. Will I get to savour a sweet dish? What these two examples aim to illustrate is that we may desire one thing, but if we act in ways that yield the opposite results, we will not get what we want. This is similar to what happens when it comes to experiencing peace. People complain that there is no peace in their life, they yearn for a few moments of peace in a day, yet it eludes them. Why?
The first lesson of spirituality is that we are souls, not bodies. The soul is the sentient being which functions through the physical medium of the body. The soul creates thoughts, sees with the eyes, hears with the ears, expresses itself and performs various bodily functions as needed or desired. Peace is an innate quality of the soul, as are purity, love, and truth. That is why we all want peace. We may seek different kinds of distractions and excitement for momentary thrills, but in the end, it is in peace that the soul finds repose. Even the most boisterous child, or an avid fan of ear-splitting music, cannot do without sleep – it is not just the body, but the soul too needs silence and rest. Peace, which is our natural state of being, relaxes, heals, and rejuvenates the soul.
If peace is our natural state, why do we not experience it all the time, one might ask. That is because we do not allow the soul to remain in its natural state, and keep disturbing it by engaging in thoughts and actions that deplete peace. Consider this: water is naturally cool, and even if it is heated, it returns to its cool state after it is removed from the source of heat. But if we repeatedly heat the water, never allowing it to return to its natural state, it will not be cool.
Similarly, the mind is naturally peaceful, but do we let it remain in its natural state? We want peace of mind, but we do not create peaceful thoughts that will bring that experience. If I spend my days fuming about the noisy neighbours, fretting over the work I have to do, and squabbling with my spouse, how can I have any peace? ‘It is not my fault, my circumstances are such that I cannot be peaceful’, one can argue. When we think about it a little, we recognise that is not the case.
We may be in places that have scorching summers or freezing winters, but do we complain that we cannot live comfortably in such an environment? No. We build homes that shield us from the elements and provide a pleasant space to live in. In the same manner, we can build a sanctuary of peace in our mind by consciously creating peaceful thoughts. My neighbours, children, and spouse may be annoying, but do I really have to think about them all the time? Regardless of what my situation is like, I can choose to step back from it and take my mind to the tranquil core of my being, the soul. ‘I am a soul, a point of light… silent… still… and eternal… shining in the centre of the forehead, the seat of the soul. I am peace….’ This is not fanciful thinking or escapism – it is a simple and practical way to empower the soul, which will help it deal better with whatever challenges it is facing.
When I am determined to experience peace, and consciously make the effort to focus my mind on peaceful thoughts, I tap into the reservoir of peace within the soul. With regular practice, the soul fills with the experience of peace, and I realise that I need not seek peace outside; it does not depend on how other people behave or what my situation is like. I can not only experience peace at will, I can also use that experience, the peaceful perspective it fosters, to make enlightened choices about how I relate to the world around me. Once I start doing that, I am no longer a peace seeker: I become an agent of peace.
B.K. Geeta is a Rajyoga teacher
at the Brahma Kumari's headquarters in Abu Road, Rajasthan.
