Peace that is beyond understanding!

A dream must end when you wake up. How long you are going to dream? Wake up! Oh vary traveler. Swami Vivekananda has cautioned humanity with the poignant command, “Arise, Awake, Stop not till the goal is reached!

Now let us examine our position in the world. We are drifting in the gales of cause and effect. None is aware what his aim in this illusory world is. It is an endless cycle of coming and going. The existence is really miserable. Can anyone assert that he is in seventh heaven permanently? Yes, like the waves of the sea, we too are raising and falling for ever unable to escape from the ocean of life. Watch the Ocean. The surface is restless and constantly in agitation. It is dashing against the shore often. We are all the waves and the deep underlying base is the ocean. The agitations of the waves are only on the surface. Otherwise, the depth is perfectly calm. What causes the drifting waves? It is the wind acting on the surface of the ocean which causes waves after waves raising and falling.

How the fishermen negotiate such onslaughts? The boat helps them to cross the waves into the deep sea where there are fewer disturbances.

Desires acts as winds on the calm surface of our conscious mind. Hence the sages and saints caution us to abandon desires forever. Desires will plunge into the whirlpool. What you get from the surface of the sea. They are empty shells. If you want to gather pearls, you have to dive deep to the ocean bed. Hence if we want to gather valuable things, we have to dive deep. Likewise, if we want ‘peace’ which is the most precious possession in life, we have to dive deep into the Self or Atma. The self is eternal and it is independent and free. We, as individuals depend upon the external world, our senses and mind and hence we are not free. When something causes despair, we should detach ourselves from that thing. The mind causes anxiety and grief due to the association with the senses and sense organs. Detach yourself from the mind and you will be rid of despair forever. Mind is nothing but thoughts. All thoughts are distractions and they spoil the inner peace. Hence try to get rid of thoughts. How is it possible?

Watch the thoughts as they arise! Simply watch them as a mute witness. Do not react and entangle yourself in the thought process. Observe the thoughts from outside, ie. Standing aside from the process. This requires constant practice. When you associate yourself to the thoughts, you are drawn into it. When you just witness the thoughts, you won’t be affected! This is the secret of gaining peace. Live moment to moment in water tight compartments and do not worry about the future. Just one task at a time, with no other thoughts is the secret of work.