Latest / Sri Aurobindo Studies / The Nature and Power of Peace
Transcript
- 0:00In the context of yogic psychology, peace is not the
- 0:05absence of disturbance, just as in the external World Peace is
- 0:11not the absence of war. We generally define peace as a
- 0:16negative attribute. As the seeker gains depth of
- 0:20experience, however, it becomes clear that peace is ultimately a
- 0:25very positive attribute. The seeker can palpably
- 0:29experience peace as it reaches various parts of his being.
- 0:34Peace in the mind can be experienced as a serene,
- 0:37tranquil receptivity, like a lake without any ripples in it,
- 0:43ready to accept the divine wisdom and power that
- 0:47illuminates the mind. Peace in the vital being can be
- 0:52experienced as a wide force that is not shaken by disturbances
- 0:55from outside, nor the promptings of desire or any uprushings of
- 1:01anger, fear, envy, or lust. Peace in the physical being can
- 1:08be experienced as a solidity that is immovable and at the
- 1:12same time ready and able to respond to the demands and needs
- 1:17of the life. Peace permeates and peace
- 1:21radiates. Peace infuses its power into the
- 1:25entire being and provides the Seeker a basis for opening,
- 1:30widening, accepting and providing an atmosphere that
- 1:35fills. There are legends of ancient
- 1:38Rishis who had their Hermitage in the forest and who radiated
- 1:43such an atmosphere of peace that even predators such as tigers
- 1:48would not attack any being within that place.
- 1:53We can go look to our own experience, however, to
- 1:56understand the nature of true peace.
- 2:00Many people have had a sense when they enter some locale of a
- 2:05deep sense of peace and acceptance.
- 2:08For some it is by entering an old growth forest.
- 2:12Some have that experience when they feel the solitude of a
- 2:15desert or a mountain cave. For others, it may be found in a
- 2:21temple or ashram. They enter and immediately feel
- 2:25that whatever was troubling their minds, their vital
- 2:28energies or their bodies simply falls away.
- 2:34The experience of peace is not limited to isolation or
- 2:38retreats. Once an individual has the
- 2:41experience, it can be cultivated, developed into a
- 2:44constant presence and be a support to the external life one
- 2:49leads and the challenges one has to face.
- 2:54Many people struggle to overcome difficulties.
- 2:58They try various forms of willpower or discipline.
- 3:02Once they have the constant experience of peace, they find
- 3:07the struggle is no longer needed.
- 3:10The difficulties and troubles recede on their own as they
- 3:13cannot manifest in the positive presence of true peace.
- 3:19Sriorobindu observes. Quote It would be easier to get
- 3:24rid of wrong movements when you bring down a settled peace and
- 3:27equanimity into that part of the being.
- 3:30There will then be more of an automatic rejection of such
- 3:36movements and less need of tapasia.
- 3:40End Quote. Reference Sri Aurobindo and the
- 3:44Mother Looking from Within, Chapter 5.
- 3:48Attitudes on the Path, page 156.