A peaceful mind is essential to living the spiritual life. When the mental field is calm we are able to experience our true nature, discern inner guidance, and remain open to the activity of grace. We take better care of our health because we are more aware of changes that require the adjustment of our thoughts and behavior. Our relationships, too, are enhanced, as we are more capable of being fully present to others. A verse in the Bhagavad Gita addresses the importance of a peaceful mind: “The uncontrolled mind does not perceive that the Self is present: How can it meditate? Without meditation, how can one know peace? Without peace, how can one know happiness?” Once we find peace in meditation, it takes a dedicated practice as well to maintain it in the world—in our activities and relationships.
As with all spiritual practice we must have a goal, a way of achieving the goal, and a commitment to achieve it. To cultivate a peaceful mind, we must decide that it is a priority. It takes practice, dedication, and discernment to learn to be calm in the midst of life’s changing conditions. Some of the same skills supportive of meditation practice are helpful in developing a peaceful mind during activity—the ability to focus the mind on one point, to turn to God in divine remembrance, to be the conscious witness to thoughts and emotions without reacting to them, and to discern the insubstantial nature of changing phenomena. The essential skill to remaining even-minded in changing conditions is to pay attention—look closely at the true nature of things and remain centered in our spiritual nature. As we become less reactive, better able to maintain a peaceful mind, everything improves, including our meditation practice.
One exercise that helps us stay clear and calm, and has far reaching effects, is to refrain from taking things personally. Leave your “self” out of it. While it is important to take responsibility for our actions, this practice is about releasing the erroneous belief that we are the cause of another’s experience or that others are to blame for what we are experiencing. This is simply not true. Each person’s response to situations in life is reflective of their state of consciousness—their beliefs, collective life experience, level of awareness, and point of view.
Things or events in life are inherently without meaning. We assign meaning to what happens based on our own perception. It’s possible to observe this principle by watching the different reactions of people in a group to the same event. For example, someone says something that one person thinks is hilarious and laughs out loud. Another person feels wounded or insulted by the same remark and emotionally withdraws, while others are surprised or even indifferent. All the reactions are to the same event. Yet each person reacts in a different way based on his or her own conditioning. Taking things personally is one of the ways that the ego reinforces its control. The “I, me, mine” involved in taking something personally is part of the structure of ego identity. When we do not cling to this identity, we can abide in the truth of our spiritual nature and observe what occurs around us without being reactive.
Some people worry that if they cease to take things personally they will not be responsible, care about others, or what takes place in the world. Just the opposite is actually true. When we are reactive or caught up in our personal point of view, we are less able to see the viewpoints of others and respond appropriately. When the mind is calm, we stay open and respond with wisdom and compassion.
The discipline of not taking things personally includes remembering that we are one in Spirit. With this understanding, we know that what we say and do matters deeply, because it touches everyone and everything. To search for our own good at the expense of others will only bring unhappiness in the end. How could it be otherwise? The more we try to find happiness for ourselves alone, the more we are caught in the trap of imagining a separate existence. Belief in a separate existence effectively cuts us off from the Source of good. One cannot simultaneously seek personal good and be open to the Source of all. Happy and peaceful are those who seek the good of all. “Pray for the good of others and you will receive the good,” says the Talmud.
Each day provides us with opportunities to cultivate a peaceful mind. How can we be even-minded, unconditionally content, and peaceful regardless of changing circumstances? Don’t take things personally. Remember that everything changes; God alone is changeless. Rely on God as your support. Be aware that things are not always as they seem. And lastly, have a deep commitment to live in joy, to live in peace. Believe it is possible and begin to practice today.
Think About It: Emotions such as anger and hostility quickly activate the "fight or flight response," in which stress hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol, speed up your heart rate and breathing and give you a burst of energy. Blood pressure also rises as your blood vessels constrict. While this stress response mobilizes you for emergencies, it might cause harm if activated repeatedly. "You get high cortisol and high adrenaline levels and that is the cardiotoxic effect of anger expression," says Jerry Kiffer, MA, a heart-brain researcher at the Cleveland Clinic's Psychological Testing Center. "It causes wear and tear on the heart and cardiovascular system."
—from webMD.com
Be Inspired: Secure peace of mind by trust in God . . . Secure peace of mind through ceasing to contend and abandoning the search for one’s own good.
—al-Antaki (Islam)
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