Make Peace Your State Of Mind

THERE IS A VITAL CONNECTION BETWEEN THE PEACE OR VIOLENCE IN OUR MINDS AND THE CONDITIONS THAT ExIST OUTSIDE

- Eknath Easwaran

“Peace”, according to Spinoza, “is not an absence of war. It is a virtue, a state of mind, a disposition for benevolence, trust, and justice.”

From this one quotation, you can see how far beyond politics the mystics’ definition of peace goes.

There is a vital connection, they assure us, between the peace or violence in our minds and the conditions that exist outside. When our mind is hostile, it sees hostility everywhere, and we act on what we see. If we could somehow attach a monitor to the mind, we would see the indicator swing into a red danger zone whenever consciousness is agitated by forces like anger and self-will. Acting in anger is not just the result of an agitated mind; it is also a cause, provoking retaliation from others and further agitation in our own mind.

In order to do effective peace work, to reconcile individuals, communities or countries, we have to have peace in our mind. If we pursue peace with anger and animosity, nothing can be stirred up but conflict.

I knew hundreds of students in India during Gandhi’s long struggle for independence from the British Empire. I met hundreds more in Berkeley during the turbulent sixties, when students all over the country were honestly trying to work for peace. I watched their relationships with one another, especially with those who differed with them, and I saw that these relationships often were not harmonious. If your mind is not trained to make peace at home, Gandhi would ask, how can you hope to promote peace on a larger scale? Until we develop enough mastery over our thinking process to maintain a peaceful attitude in all circumstances – a “disposition for benevolence” – we are likely to vacillate when the going gets tough, without even realising what has happened.