Inner peace is always in the background. This can be a problem because the mind is trained to focus on the foreground (what is “out there”). So we are constantly scanning the scene “out there” for danger, trouble, what is out of place, what could bring us pleasure. And how we can avoid pain. We are not trained to look within.
As long as we continually focus on what is “Out There,” we will never find or keep inner peace. But if we retreat into that silent space within, from that vantage point we can watch the passing parade. We can still be a part of it but we are primarily an observer.
This doesn’t mean we become zombies, with no feelings. We cannot opt for only the good feelings and not feel the bad ones. We will still feel sorrow, pain, and happiness. But we also realize how transitory all these emotions are. They depend on our moods, our thoughts at the time, how much sleep we got the night before, etc.
Continuous inner peace is possible, as the Buddha pointed out in his Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path. But we must be devoted to understanding how to achieve it. It doesn’t come on its own and it takes vigilance to maintain it.
As long as we continually focus on what is “Out There,” we will never find or keep inner peace. But if we retreat into that silent space within, from that vantage point we can watch the passing parade. We can still be a part of it but we are primarily an observer.
This doesn’t mean we become zombies, with no feelings. We cannot opt for only the good feelings and not feel the bad ones. We will still feel sorrow, pain, and happiness. But we also realize how transitory all these emotions are. They depend on our moods, our thoughts at the time, how much sleep we got the night before, etc.
Continuous inner peace is possible, as the Buddha pointed out in his Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path. But we must be devoted to understanding how to achieve it. It doesn’t come on its own and it takes vigilance to maintain it.
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