By: BK Deepa
Source: The Daily Guardian https://epaper.thedailyguardian.com/view/2615/the-daily-guardian/15
Dated: June 21st, 2025
Come summer and urbanites head to beaches, mountains, and forests to get away from it all. Retreating into nature helps us experience peace, for some time. But for how long are we able to sustain that peace in the midst of everyday life? Is it possible to develop a mind that is always at peace?
The mind is constantly active — chasing pleasure, avoiding discomfort, judging, analysing, remembering, and imagining. These fluctuations are the main sources of inner disturbance. A peaceful mind is not a mind that never thinks — it is a mind that sees clearly, accepts what is, and is not thrown off balance by every external event or internal thought.
Meditation is one of the most effective tools to cultivate such a mind. Meditation trains us to notice our thoughts and emotions without being pulled into them. This awareness provides us the space to respond instead of reacting. Over time, we build a capacity to remain centred in the face of both joy and sorrow. This does not mean becoming indifferent, but becoming balanced.
Much of our suffering is linked to dwelling on the past or worrying about the future. Meditation roots us in the present moment — where peace naturally resides. This mindfulness helps us nurture peace throughout the day. When we become more mindful and approach daily activities such as walking, eating, and working with attention and care, it builds a peaceful attitude.
But the most powerful foundation for building a peaceful life is spiritual knowledge, the first lesson of which is that I am an eternal, indestructible soul, not a perishable body. Peace is my natural state of being, not something I need to acquire from outside.
When we recognise this spiritual truth, accept it, and regularly remind ourselves of it, our state of mind and outlook change. Knowing that the soul is eternal, while the body and material world are temporary, reduces the fear of death and loss, and minimises anxiety related to material success or failure. But most of all, it is when we tap into the reservoir of peace within the soul that our life begins to be imbued with peace. Having a peaceful self-image inclines us to respond to people and situations with peace, because how we see ourselves influences how we perceive others. A peaceful attitude makes us more patient and tolerant in our interactions, rather than being critical or judgmental.
When I begin to see myself as a being of peace, this self-image shapes my outlook and behaviour. It acts as a lens through which I experience life. A peaceful self-image leads to more peaceful thoughts, choices, and relationships. I realise that the peace I was looking for is not something to be created or discovered. It is already there, beneath the noise of thought and reactivity. Meditation helps me uncover it, moment by moment.
Once I start to experience myself as a peaceful being, I can go a step further and supercharge myself by connecting to the ocean of peace, the Almighty, or God. He is the one the whole world prays to for peace, because He is eternally and infinitely peaceful. But I need not pray. He, the Supreme Soul, is my Father, and His resources are mine to claim. When I remember God as my Father and connect to Him as a child, this mental and emotional link becomes a conduit through which His powers and virtues flow into me, the soul. Regular practice of such remembrance transforms the soul. My inner stock of peace increases, and old feelings of impatience, insecurity, and anger gradually disappear. My thoughts, words, and behaviour now reflect the peace within. From a seeker of peace, I become an embodiment of it.
BK Deepa is a Rajyoga teacher based in Mumbai.
