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In life, what do we do when we want something? We usually just go and get it. What do we do if we want to recall some important piece of knowledge or information? We simply think back and remember what it was.
But what if the ‘thing’ that we want – and need – more than anything else in the world cannot be “gotten”? And what if, no matter how hard we try, we simply cannot remember exactly what it was, even though we know that we desperately need it and want it. Even though we know it is the most important thing that we ever learned, we cannot mentally grasp exactly what it was and bring it back into our consciousness. We try and try, but it is completely illusive, like trying to grasp a fish in a pond with our hand.
What can we do?
The answer is that we can ‘do’ absolutely nothing. Because the answer does not lie in ‘doing’ ; it lies in your being. What if you just allowed yourself to become very still and very quiet, with your hands and your heart, open and receptive; not grasping, not reaching out – just open and receptive?
That elusive fish in the pond will feel your stillness and your peace. It will be drawn to it. It will come and rest in the warmth of your hand, which you hold
peacefully and non-expectantly in the water.
And so, this is what we must ‘do’. It is non-doing. It is allowing the peacefulness of your being to bring you to a point where you actually ‘want’ nothing. There is no desire for anything, not even to mentally recall something that you knew was important. Because in experiencing the peacefulness of being quiet and still, something beautiful arises within you. Something deeply fulfilling.
Must we give this something a name? What happens if we do? Well, because of how our mind works, this experience becomes something that we store in our memory like everything else, with the name as the trigger for experiencing it again. Then, when we feel we want to experience it again, we just remember the name. Easy right? In theory. But we need more than just a mental remembering. Our body needs to remember the state of stillness and receptiveness, so that Peace can come to it.
We spend so much of our time in states which are far removed from Peace. States of stress, hurry, distraction, tension, anxiety. All states in which we cannot be conscious of Peace. Whilst in the midst of such states – or perhaps after such states have completely exhausted us – we become aware that we need something totally different. Something that nourishes us. Something that renews our spirit, refreshes our mind, revitalises our body. We need Peace.
So we must remember with our body how peace comes to us. We cannot grasp it, this we know. We cannot simply remember the word ‘peace’ in our mind. The mind wants to be in the drivers seat, and what our body, heart, soul and our entire being need gets forgotten. So we must remember, experientially. We relax and become aware of our body and how it feels. We become aware of our breathing, letting it become calm and gentle. We allow our body to become still and calm, like a beautiful lake that receives the soft, gentle reflection of the moon. We go deeper into stillness, so that we may receive and feel the soft, gentle energy of Peace deep within our being.
Many of us dream about living on a planet full of peace, co-operation, and collective happiness, and no matter what we may think, this is not such a distant dream. Each one of us is capable of creating an energy field of Peace, which is transmitted to the world around us in a very simple and practical way.
We begin with our self, with how we feel, with an awareness of our mental attitude and emotional activity. As we observe what is going on within our body and mind, we can see the degree to which Peace is present and we can ask the question, “could I allow there to be more Peace within me in this moment?” The answer is usually yes.
How do we do this? Everyone knows how. We slow down. We slow down our thinking, slow down our breathing, slow down our actions, slow down our communications. As we do this, more calm is created and more space is created. And where there is more space, there is more awareness, more consciousness.
We all rush along at such a pace nowadays that we always seem to have no time, yet we are being ruled by time. We seem to be striving for greater robot-like efficiency, at the cost of our natural human tendency for kindness and warmth. How can this be? Because we are not operating from a peaceful energy field. We are operating from a place of stress and anxiety, even if it is unconscious
When we relax and slow down, we become aware of the degree to which we were caught up in an energy field of stress. We can then become more conscious of bringing a slower, steadier and more grounded energy into our being, and then operating from this place. Our words and actions become more careful, considerate and conscious. We are bringing more Peace into the world, because we are coming from a place of greater Peace. It really is that simple. The more calm we feel, the more our actions and words are enriched with a peaceful consciousness, and people can feel this, simple by being around us, and engaging in communication with us. We are transmitting Peace.
So the only question you need ask yourself in any moment is “how much Peace is present within me right now?” You can then choose whether to increase the degree of Peace which you feel, or not. This is your freedom, but remember one thing: your choice matters to all of us.
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The brightest light conquers the deepest darkness 