The quest for peace is universal. We all want peace. We make attempts, small and large, individual and collective for peace. However, our attempts have not brought us huge success. We commonly hear the expressions “Strive for peace” or “fight for peace” which I find very interesting. It is quite intriguing that we think that peace can be restored through fighting. Fire never doused fire. Anger and violence cannot restore peace. I feel that our whole approach to peace is flawed. Peace has to bud in the mind. It cannot be procured from outside. The seeds of peace have to be sown in the mind. From that, the tender sapling of peace has to emerge and then grow to fill our entire mind space. So how do I sow the seeds of peace? Peaceful thoughts are the seeds that give birth to peace. At this point of time, most of our thinking is unconscious. We are seldom aware of the quality of our thoughts. Our thoughts are rarely peaceful. Consciously thinking with acceptance about the self, others, situations, past and future can be categorized as peaceful thinking .Thinking about wanting peace is a peaceless thought. Thinking that I am peaceful is a peaceful thought. I need to sow the seeds of thoughts such as I am peaceful. I am at peace with my physical, social, professional, religious and all other identities. I am at peace with who I am. I am at peace with my context and relationships. I am at peace with my past and future.

How to arrive at the conviction that I am at peace with all that I am, have and do at the moment? Let us understand this through an example. I go to the shopping mall. Everything is available to be. But what do I buy? That which I can afford. If I want better, I need to earn more. If I don’t earn but just complaint about not being able to buy, it doesn’t solve the problem. Similarly, I need to understand that whoever I am and whatever I have is what I deserve in accordance with my karmic income and if I want better, I need to first come to terms with what is and then better my karma.