A sensible approach to discovering peace of mind

Abstract

On an average we all have developed a lot of attachment to many things in life. This list starts from very simple items such as the pen we use to bigger things such as the house and the gadgets we own, the relationships we enjoy with others around us and the mental feelings that we have on several matters. In all these cases, the moment these objects and entities that give us the sense of attachment is either disturbed or taken off, it quickly develops into anger, aversion and aggression. Otherwise, how can we explain apparently silly behavior of ours such as getting upset and angry that somebody took away “our pen” or used it without asking our permission? The list of things for which we get upset and angry is much longer than the list of things with which we develop attachment. Interestingly, these issues happen not only in the office, but also in home and even in a temple or a spiritual discourse programme that we went to discover some peace of mind. An infinite series of such small happenings on a day to day basis indeed determines the extent to which one can attain peace of mind. We all know that this is not what we want in life. The questions that run in most of our minds are: Why is peace of mind evading us? What is the way out? and Where do we lay our hands to get out of the clutches of these aspects pertaining to our life? Lord Krishna provides some help to address these questions. r?ga and dve?a are the two frequently used terms by all spiritual masters of various affiliations in this country from time immemorial to today. Therefore, it is not surprising that Lord Krishna also makes a reference to this in a discussion on how to discover peace of mind..............