Peace & Fulfillment

For peace in the world, there must be peace in our minds.

In the context of meditation, the word peace means much more than the absence of conflict and turmoil. It represents the highest possible human achievement. Baba has said, “Supreme Peace is beyond bliss”. It is something that has to be experienced to be understood. Prior to the mind becoming completely still, a nearly unimaginable feeling of Bliss and Freedom may be experienced, but Supreme Peace is beyond that.

Meditation has many benefits, but perhaps the greatest is its ability to create peace within ourselves and fulfillment in life. We obtain peace when our mind is quiet. Peace and well-being are the ultimate goals of life, knowledge, wealth, and power. For peace to be permanent, it must be based on something that does not change; for this, Self-Realization is necessary.

Baba has said, “This world will not let anyone remain at peace for long.” Everything that is acquired or experienced is finite and impermanent by nature, including our own bodies. So how can the mind find lasting peace and happiness in the world.

Discovering that we are the perceiving Consciousness, rather than our thoughts, is life-transforming. In order for the mind to remain at peace, it must realize this truth through direct experience, which is the essential purpose of meditation and the goal of spirituality. With dedication, discipline, and patience, meditation can lead to Self-discovery, which results in the mind being content and at peace at all times. Self-Realization takes time and earnestness, but the benefits of calming the mind begin on the first day of a regular meditation practice. It is not humanly possible to control all events in life, but it is possible to bring the mind under control and find peace within ourselves.

A busy mind that refuses to settle down is not a new problem; however, it is certainly exacerbated by modern living. In today’s world, regular meditation practice is essential for a happy, stress-free life. We can make the body sit, but making the mind come to rest is a different story. Even when thinking is not required, the mind continues to run, playing memories of the past and imagining the future. Seldom is our mind at peace in the present moment. Chronic habitual thinking is unproductive, saps our energy, and leads to stress and anxiety. Meditation is an ancient technology for quieting the mind and living peacefully in the moment.

How to Obtain Peace and Happiness

How do get happiness and peace? The mind does not want to cooperate with becoming silent. It seems to always want to be active.

Baba: 
We must understand that the object we are pursuing will never give us real happiness or permanent peace. It is an illusion because the things we are trying to pursue are all impermanent. They are going to go away and may go at any time. It is only when the mind stops that we experience real happiness. We misunderstand; it is not the object that is giving us happiness, an object does not have any ability to give you happiness at all. Only when your mind accepts the object as your own and stops thinking do you feel happiness. You misunderstand, believing happiness has come from the object. Even if the object is not there, simply if your mind can become quiet you are going to have peace and happiness. So, without obtaining objects or wasting energy, if you just make your mind quiet you will get real peace and happiness.

Baba: 
The mind is actually seeking the same peace and happiness it enjoyed by remaining quiet in the Self. But it has lost the path. The trouble is before desiring peace and happiness, the mind imagines in what way the happiness must come and how it will happen. Then it starts looking for that. That is the wrong path; it is going into an impermanent world, so peace and happiness won’t come. The mind doesn’t stop spinning even after it has obtained something in this world. You give it a palace, you give it Emperorship of the whole world, still, it will have some brooding or anxiousness. It won’t be enjoying supreme peace or happiness; it is impermanent so anxiousness occurs. The mind imagines, “What if this is gone, What if this Emperorship is taken away”, and your peace is lost.

Baba: 
Yes, you don’t need oxygen or anything for your existence, your happiness, your peace – it is there. You have simply lost that peace because you have been pursuing things that do not give you happiness at all. You have the illusion—an ignorance or misunderstanding that objects can give you happiness. Nothing can give you lasting happiness except you your Self.  Abiding there you are contented because you do not need anything.

Baba: 
Ignorance of our Self; unawareness of our real Self is the basic reason. We have ignored our Self and instead have been focused on the mind’s thoughts, desires, concepts, imaginations, and visions.  You need to have a firm conviction that you are not these things or even the body.

Baba: 
They may have some doubts. They don’t have total faith and understanding that it is the thing that will give them happiness. Only then will they be able to dedicate themselves.

Baba: 

  1. When the results of your efforts come, whether they are to your liking or not, accept them graciously, in a polished way; that way, your mind will recede – that is karma yoga.  When results come, remain at peace – have a no-problem attitude. Karma yoga will happen if you practice acceptance every day.
  2. The idea of destiny, considering something was destined to happen, helps the mind accept the situation and remain quiet without losing hope. These two things are very important, otherwise, when things don’t go as expected the mind can become unhappy. This is karma yoga in a simple way, it is a formula to help you live in peace.

Baba: 
Yes. We keep chasing after things of the world expecting them to bring us peace, contentment, and security but it never happens.

Everybody keeps talking of peace but nobody works for it. That is why there is no peace in the world.