Peace is a state of balance, which also might construe that it is to strike an equation with two items. When we talk of peace of mind, it is a constant struggle between calm and the storm. As goes a saying in English ‘the calm before the storm’, where the calm and the storm are a part and parcel of one concept; that is, they share a cause and effect relationship. So how do we explain this contradiction in terms of human mind?
Let’s delve a bit deeper into the layers of the conscious human mind. Calm and storm are two things of contrasting nature, one leads to another as is the law of Nature. The same is the case of human behaviour. As John Dryden has aptly remarked, “Beware the fury of a patient man!” Hence, to be at peace the human mind has to have a balanced amount of calm. Otherwise, when supplied to the mind in huge quantities, it can lead to a storm!
Let’s delve a bit deeper into the layers of the conscious human mind. Calm and storm are two things of contrasting nature, one leads to another as is the law of Nature. The same is the case of human behaviour. As John Dryden has aptly remarked, “Beware the fury of a patient man!” Hence, to be at peace the human mind has to have a balanced amount of calm. Otherwise, when supplied to the mind in huge quantities, it can lead to a storm!
Coming on to the lexical meaning of the word ‘peace’ we have the Oxford dictionary saying first of all that peace is ‘freedom from disturbance or tranquility; second it is a ‘state or period in which there is no war or a war has ended’. Out of these two whatever meaning we consider, we will have to discuss it on two different levels – the internal and the external. We might have a disturbance within ourselves too or for that matter at times we are at war with our own self. Hence, the disturbance or being at war is not just confined to the out of human body existence, they both might very well reside inside the mortal frame.
Talkng to the tranquilizing of the disturbing factors, first of all, we need to understand that the external disturbance can be controlled in a much easier manner than the internal one. On focusing to resolve the internally sourced disturbance, we must begin by understanding our own inner realities – ‘What is it that we don’t want? What is it we would like to add to our life?’ It is our having or not having something that is most likely to be the cause of our disequilibrium. Limiting our wants and expectations will come in handy even here too as in many cases that will solve most of our problems. Apart from that we must also specify to ourselves the goals of life as clarity of mind will help you to move forward with courage and confidence without wasting your time in confusion. Once we have done that we would no longer be at war with our own self. Peace would dawn upon us and there would be light!