लोकः समस्ताः सुखिनो भवन्तुः May the whole world be happy
Table of Contents
Meditation is the way to peace
Meditation is the key to a peaceful and happy life. It is said that happiness is not possible without peace. This makes it clear that peace is essential for happiness. Happiness is joy, and there is no other joy equal to peace. Every living being in the world is in search of happiness. Today’s human beings are making many efforts to achieve happiness. However, as a result, they are being forced and constrained to become slaves of suffering and are becoming oriented towards destruction.
The relation between meditation and peace
However, people do not want to understand and adopt the path to achieving peace. This is a thoughtful and sensitive issue. If there is no experience of peace in the mind, life cannot be lived happily, even if money, favorite things, favorite friends, and other material goods are abundant. Peace and meditation are complementary to each other. Only by sitting in a peaceful environment and meditating with a calm and patient mind can one attain lasting peace.
Peace through meditation
Meditation is the main source of peace in the world for living. In ancient times, the world was not as materially rich and comfortable as it is today, but why were the people of that era more peaceful and happy than now? They found Peace through meditation. The life of our ancestors was pleasant and quiet. However, even in today’s developed state, life has become restless and miserable due to the lack of ability to analyze the products and discoveries of our own brains in the search for happiness.
Meditation is the main source of peace
It is clear that the root cause and secret of this is the lack of spirituality and religion. Unless a person adopts spirituality and religion, no matter how materially prosperous he is, he cannot achieve mental peace, nor can he imagine eternal happiness and joy. Here, we discuss the ways to achieve mental peace as mentioned in ethical maxims. Studying and being guided in our sadhana shastras are essential resources.
Studying and meditation
A study is not only a source of knowledge and education but also a powerful means of achieving mental peace. It is necessary to study life and the world in a deep way. By studying any subject, our mind concentrates and gains knowledge and understanding of it. By understanding the truth, we experience mental peace and satisfaction. In religious philosophy, study of scripture is indicated as the path of religion.
The goal of the study is to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills for living. For this, it is necessary to study the material things necessary in life as well as the spiritual content of other subjects. Through the study of spiritual subjects, one attains Brahman knowledge and eternal peace and attains salvation. In the present era, we can see that humans are blindly trying to obtain complete material facilities. But for a happy & peaceful life, spirituality and material are essential..
Since many sorrows are born in a restless and unbalanced mind, it is essential to keep our mind calm and clean for happiness. For which study and practice are required? Daily self-study plays an important role in spiritual practice. Therefore, to gain practical knowledge and happiness and peace, one should regularly study and meditate on religious scriptures, ideal and useful books, and newspapers. This achieves a state of awakening.
It has been said that peace is not obtained from external objects. For real peace, one must go within oneself and study one’s own self. Therefore, meditation is mandatory to awaken and calm the mind, which increases the effect of spiritual contemplation, and one can succeed in living a happy life.
Meditation and Penance
Penance (Tapasya तपस्या) is the act of doing good deeds to atone for past mistakes. Sweeping your neighbor’s sidewalk all winter could be your penance for not helping him rake the leaves that fell from his tree in the fall. Like sacrifice and charity, tapasya is also a popular and well-known ritual in the religious field. Tapasya means penance. To devote oneself to the contemplation of the Supreme Soul (to perform renunciation). It is said that renunciation is also penance. Our country, Nepal, is considered the holy penance land of ancient sages.
Tapasya is very necessary for peace and order in life. Through the meaningful practice of tapasya, one achieves success and prosperity. Through tapasya, one achieves the best knowledge and perfection in life. Regular meditation ends all mental disorders in the mind of a person, and eternal peace is achieved.
In the scriptures, worship of gods, Brahmins, gurus, scholars (respect, hospitality), purity, simplicity, celibacy and non-violence are called penance done with the body, not to make the mind angry, speaking true, beloved and beneficial words, self-reliance is called penance done with speech, while keeping the mind happy, being polite, having a mind like that of the sages, controlling the mind, and having pure feelings are called penance done with the mind.
The proper use of qualities like humble speech, cooperative spirit, harmony, charity, non-violence, self-renunciation, kindness, love, and compassion makes life happy and maintains peace in the family, society, and everywhere. Similarly, doing good deeds without expecting or being attached to the fruits of one’s actions is true renunciation or penance. From this, one can accept the results obtained, be satisfied, and strive more and more, and is always inspired to be active and follow the path of eternal peace.
This is also the meaning of the mantra of the Gita,
‘Do work but do not expect results’. The Gita says – Yoga is that in which knowledge of the scriptures is superior to the practice of work done with attachment, meditation is superior to knowledge of the scriptures without yoga, and renunciation of the fruits of action is superior to meditation without yoga, because renunciation of the fruits of action immediately brings peace. In the present era, there has been a lot of progress in material development, but it has not been accompanied by spiritual development, which has proved to be a misfortune for the human race.
Meditation maintains mental clarity
All mental and physical disorders are eliminated, and eternal peace is achieved. In the scriptures, worship of gods, Brahmins, gurus, scholars (respect, hospitality), purity, simplicity, celibacy and non-violence are called penance done with the body, not to make the mind angry, speaking truly beloved and beneficial words, and self-reliance are called penance done with speech, while keeping the mind happy, being polite, having a mind like that of the sages, controlling the mind, and having pure feelings are called penance done with the mind.
Similarly, doing good deeds without expecting or being attached to the fruits of one’s actions is true renunciation or penance. From this, one is able to accept the results obtained with strength and satisfaction and strive more and more, and is always motivated to follow the path of eternal peace by being active.
This is also the meaning of the mantra of the Gita, which says, ‘Do deeds but do not expect results.’ The Gita says – Knowledge of scriptures is better than practice without yoga (equanimity), meditation is better than knowledge of scriptures without yoga, and renunciation of the fruits of actions is better than meditation without yoga, because renunciation of the fruits of actions immediately brings peace.
Renunciation of greed
It is said that a person who wears silver jewelry feels happy when he receives gold jewelry. However, a person who wears gold jewelry does not benefit from it. In this way, the more things he acquires, the more greed he acquires. The storehouse of greed is never filled. Greed is a very harmful vice. Whoever desires happiness and peace in life should renounce it and become free from greed, and his first and foremost duty is to become free from greed. It leads to many sorrows and calamities. The result of unnecessary greed is not in anyone’s interest.
There are many examples in the proverbs of people losing their lives due to greed. The benefits of greed are called lamentation. There is no other sin equal to greed. After becoming greedy, there is no need to commit another sin (dosh) to experience suffering. A person who is addicted to the greed of money never quenches his thirst.
Since mental peace is disturbed by internal disorders such as greed, attachment, and ego, the great masters have always advised us to stay away from them. Therefore, one can live a happy and peaceful life only if one always renounces greed, remains satisfied with the enjoyment received, and does one’s duty.
Controlling the mind and senses
Peace is an element that is obtained not from external objects or things, but from the control of the mind. Peace is not achieved by wealth or financial activities either. It is necessary to eliminate the lack of wealth and for religious and moral virtue, which only point towards peace. To control the mind, it is indispensable to first control the senses. The senses have been given the analogy of a horse.
Just as the control of the horse is necessary to take the chariot to a specific place, similarly, it is essential for us to control our senses to reach a certain goal. Self-discipline and not allowing these senses to go against self-welfare is sensory restraint. This is how the mind becomes peaceful.
Happiness and peace cannot be achieved without controlling the mental impulse. The first objective of all religious and spiritual rituals is to control the mind. It is very difficult to control the mind completely. Those who want to control the mind must be free from craving. Craving is like the intense flame of fire. A person should stay away from craving in the same way. Just as a person carrying a load of dry straw stays away from the sparks of fire.
However, closing one’s eyes due to fear of being attracted to beauty is considered foolishness. The scriptures themselves say that no matter how much study and meditation one does, peace cannot be attained unless the senses and mind are controlled. As long as there is desire in the mind, the mind cannot be calm. Therefore, by keeping one’s mind and senses under control, surrendering oneself to God and selflessly doing one’s own place and condition, a person can merge in peace.
Conclusion
Meditation is a spiritual weapon that makes the mind pure and calm. Happiness comes only when the mind is pure and calm. When purity and calmness remain constant in the mind, qualities like kindness, love, compassion, charity, patience, forgiveness, cooperation, and truth reside in the mind. These qualities lead to the path of truth. The path of truth alone is the path to a happy life.
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