Learn to be still to experience peace

A true sage's quietness is much more powerful than the words he speaks. Silence is the source of all language as words follow thoughts that come from the mind.

The mind sprouts from Consciousness, which in its pristine form is, but Brahmn or silence.

Rabindranath Tagore said: "The cure for all the illness of life is stored in the inner depth of life, the access to which becomes possible when we are alone... this peace is absurdly near, yet so distant." Children demonstrate this peaceful demeanour. They characterise the essence of peaceful living, by just being and not constantly straining to become.

The strain that we go through is due to the mind's inability to accept, 'what is' and its unwillingness to give up its sense of volition. The wise counsel of Bertrand Russell, "To be without some of the things you want is an indispensable part of happiness," reinforces the fact that 'wanting' is a never-ending characteristic of the mind.

Introversion changes the trend of thoughts and helps keep us in touch with the ever-present inner reality. In this silence, peace unfolds. It is for this reason that all scriptures accord a high value to silence. In this context, it is important to understand the difference between solitude and loneliness.

The fear of loneliness is something that seems to afflict most people. This comes from a fear of not being acknowledged and recognised.

The resulting sense of loss of identity while deceptive appears all too real. The villain here is the sense of individual volition. The mind becomes a willing victim and assiduously pursues all means to strengthen our individual identity.

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