How to Sustain Peace?

Quiet and disquiet:

Many times we don’t want to be in peace. People are afraid to be peaceful. Even when peace comes by itself, we don’t want to sit quiet, and do something, which disquiets the quiet. Many times we don’t know what to do, and end up in watching some television series, or open the internet and watch some news and videos, or tune up the radio and listen to music, or simply eat something. We simply lost the capacity to be in peace or lost the capacity to meditate.

Peace and death:

Now the question arises, what is wrong with doing all these things? Why should we be in peace at all? The reason is there is death when you open your senses, and there is immortality when you close your senses. Peace lies when you close your senses.

Beware of Sense organs

 The sensory systems are akin to a fire or a concentrated acid ready to react to the sensory objects. When the sensory system reacts with the sense objects, death is the residue. First the sensory system creates a bondage towards the sense objects, being attracted its beauty and permanence. Next comes the creation of an individual self or a false identity with respect to the objects. Next, when the object recedes, there is a loss of an individual self. People suffer when they lose their individual self. They lose the power of concentration to focus on the real self. They simply lack the strength and resolve to focus on the real self. 

Peace - Its benefits:

Therefore, it is very important in our lives to guard our senses against sense objects, it is very important in our lives to be in peace and meditate, even for a short duration of time. It is very important to exercise restraint and say ‘no’ to every sensory corruption.

When we refrain from sensory corruption, we feel the following development in ourselves.

1.    We feel healthy. We become less prone to diseases.

2.    We feel our hot temperament is lost and become cool.

3.    We develop a genuine love and concern for others.

4.   We take up only useful activity rather than the activity which leads to sensory enjoyment.

5.   We feel positive and find our goals.

6.   We, at last, meditate and open up the higher realms of life and triumph over death.

How to Sustain Peace?

                So the obvious question is how to sustain peace? How to keep up peace? To keep peace one must prevent the mind from fragmentation. Too much of sense-impressions or too much of fretting of mind in external objects can result in mind fragmentation. The mind is a very delicate thing and is devised for a concentrated single stream of thought. When mind fragments, it loses the power of concentration and as a result, the mind and bodily energies are lost or go in vain. One example of mind fragmentation is too much surfing of internet and too much reading of news articles in a paper. The mind cannot follow all currents of thought and, as a result, fragments. So the first thing would be to stop the mind from fragmentation. This point is even discussed in Bhagavad Gita. (Vyavasayatmika Buddhi ekehe Kurunandana; Bahusaka hyanantaksha Buddhayo Avvyasayinaam Ch 2.41).

Mind fragmentation

                The next step would be to say ‘no’ to our past habits. Past habits related to sensory system keeps rising and it is our exercise to say ‘no’ to that. By this process, old habits are completely erased and mind is free from all sensory pulling towards objects. By cutting down the individual self, man broadens proportionally in universal self. By saying ‘no,’ our real character is formed. 

                After stopping the mind from fragmentation and after saying ‘no’ to our past habits, the next step would be to sit down and meditate. While meditating choose a place which is free from noise and keep the place clean. The other important point in meditation is the proximity of sense objects. Always keep yourself away from sense objects, when you are in meditation. This is the key to sustaining peace.

                Again, I would like to repeat these words, ’There is death when you open your senses, and there is immortality when you close your senses’.

Thank You.

               

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