the peaceful mind

being in a peaceful state is a state of mind. a mind void of agitation, being calm, tranquil and still is considered being peaceful. i would think being joyful is being peaceful too.

how many of us can actually boast of having this peaceful state within us? the world spins at top speed making all of us mere mortals to spin with it and dance to all its tunes and fancies. from dawn to dusk man is working to make a living. we get caught up in this web called life; studying to achieve good grades first, and then going on to secure a good job in the quest to earn a good salary, and then do the 'done' thing like find a mate , get married, have children and then work even harder now to feed more mouths and educate the kids. and this entire web continues.

i have often wondered...why do we need to do this and need to do that...why do we constantly have to worry about whether the money we make this month will fulfill all our needs, or whether the children will finally get their hi-end mobile phones, or whether the house will now get the much needed paint job, or whether the trusty car will cave in sick this time... why is there a need to be responsible and do the right thing? why is there a moral responsibility to stop developers from raping the hills or why is there an emotional responsibility to take care of the old and the aged? why should there be a responsibility to declare your assets and pay your taxes? why/ why?

the other day i thought out aloud...why shouldnt i just do something rash? why shouldnt i just bang my car against the wall or just walk away from my home and kids and just sit at some place till the wee hours of the morning and not to have to worry about whether they have eaten or whether they have done their home work or whether they are warm and well...

i realised quickly enough though that i would never be able to do something like that, never been able to before and never going to be able to in the future too! simply becoz i value my peace and quiet too much i suppose. everyone yearns for a peaceful life and i am no exception. i, to a large extent, seem to equate peaceful with being joyful. all i want at the end of the day is to be able to say to myself i have used this day to the best of my capacity and that i have no regrets whatsoever as to what i have done and that i am at peace with myself and the people around me. being responsible gives me that peace of mind and that happiness.

being able to laugh at myself and all that happens around me wholeheartedly and wholesomely gives me immense peace and joy and knowing i have touched someone's heart in some way or the other gives me peace beyond explanation. being able to be of service to mankind in some small or big way is another thing that gives me so much of peace within myself.

people who experience inner peace say that the feeling is not dependent on time, people, place, or any external object or situation, asserting that an individual may experience inner peace even in the midst of war.One of the oldest writings on this subject is the Bhagavad Gita itself. My Swamiji too always tells us, the mind can be totally at peace with EVERYTHING, and yet it can be at peace with NOTHING too!

peace means different things to different people. to my mum in law, peace means being able to pray, pray and pray. my friend ambi finds peace in being able to find the best butter at the best price. letz finds his ultimate peace when he beats me 21-0 in a badminton match. joey gets her peace when she is able to walk into her class and find that all her students are paying attention to what she says and not how she looks. hmmm... molu gets her peace when she can sleep all day long!

whatever it means to anyone, it is ultimately what everyone craves for. may we all find our peace in some way or the other. Mother Theresa said, peace begins with a smile.