JAINA Convention 2015 07 Atlanta GA

Author(s): Federation of JAINA
Publisher: USA Federation of JAINA

Page 84

2015 JAINA Convention
Jainism World of Non-Violence
What is peace and how can one achieve it?
By: Shrut Praygyali Everyone desires peace. All the work of humanity one away from an inner focus on the self. Suppose is directed to this end. Many people often ask, one is very successful in one's materialistic "From where can I get peace?" Or frequently endeavours, what this brings is essentially people will simply say, "I want peace." The word comfort rather than peace. Nowadays all desirable "want" here is totally misplaced and confused comforts are within easy reach of many people. It implies that one doesn't have peace already. They may possess all worldly consumer goods, There is a tendency then to assume that a person but in the surroundings of these great comforts, can get it perhaps if he or she only looks in the if suddenly a phone call comes announcing the right place from a source that is outside oneself death of a family member, what value do these An example of such searching may include consumer goods have for the possessor of them? working hard in order to accumulate wealth, or These goods immediately at that moment lose all to gain prestige and power. Yet if one behaves in their importances and they do not provide any this fashion, one will never achieve lasting peace comfort at all in terms of coping with news of the for it cannot be obtained from outside.
bereavement. Peace is within everyone. It if one really wants to enjoy This is not to say that modern is not outside in the external worldly comforts, one must facilities are to be abandoned world at all, nor can anyone be stable within. For it is only or rejected; neither does it give it to another person. It when one has internal stability mean that they constitute some involves taking an inward turn or inner peace that one has the kind of obstacle to spirituality. to the soul Spiritual practice ability to face life's challenges, In and of themselves this is not enables one to achieve true its
affailure or loss the case at all. However, if one peace. In terms of spirituality, as well as what is of greatest value is as well as enjoying success and really wants to enjoy worldly
comforts, one must be stable staying with one's eternal celebrating achievement
within. For it is only when one nature, and the amount of inner peace that one has internal stability or inner peace that one has might have sometimes felt or experienced is the ability to face life's challenges, its moments a measure of those moments (often perhaps of failure or loss, as well as enjoying success very few in number but nonetheless real and and celebrating achievement. And, while the powerful) where one has connected to one's own development of inner peace aids one in tackling inner divinity. But to stay permanently within all external events or situations (however, the soul is what brings that eternal peace within problematic or devastating they might be), each and every person
expending one's energy on external concerns, by
contrast, can never lead to internal stability or In modern times, there is such a tremendous inner peace. concem with outer worldly activity. This has increasingly led people to utilise their effort, time What then is meant by the term inner peace? and attention in the direction of materialistic One can say that genuine inner peace is present projects, which are activities that typically take and fully realised when no outer circumstance M 166 b y
Cechy
or situation has any power to disturb or upset happiness or fulfilment. one's inner stability. In spiritual life one can engage in activities that help one to achieve this. (4) Be strict with oneself but forgiving of others Some exemplary points of discipline or practical in most instances people do the opposite spiritual work that promote inner peace, helping of this practice. Those who are strict on one to connect with one's inner nature, can be themselves have a tendency to act in the briefly outlined here. I suggest the following in same way with others. Strict self-discipline is this respect
important to maintain, but one should work
hard to be forgiving and tolerant of others (1) Avoid the things that disturb inner peace: when they fall short of the kind of discipline
every personas a unique individual one imposes upon oneself discoveries that certain factors lead to unrest. Such factors are not the same from
(5) Speak well of others there are three ways of one person to the next; and this is the case speaking that a person should try continually precisely because no two people are alike. to observe to speak as little as possible, to Every individual should thus be mindful of speak slowly, and to speak sweetly. If it is not the situations that generate unrest, striving possible to apply oneself to all these ways of to avoid such circumstances.
uttering words, one should focus upon at least
one of them. Observing one or more of these (2) Refrain from being judgemental: everyone ways of speaking will help one to minimise
should refrain from making statements of or avoid hurting others, which is the true criticism about others through the application art of utterance from a spiritual perspective. of conscious effort. When one makes a Whenever words are used in anger they are negative comment, one must also have had like nails that pierce painful holes in other a thought that is equally negative. And one people. This should be avoided or reduced as negative comment or thought easily leads to far as one's capacity will allow it. another and then again to yet another, and so on. Furthermore, it often creates reactions (6) Practise meditation: doing meditation helps in those persons who are being commented all of the above ways of acting, thinking and upon in such a fashion, which in turn tends speaking and this is an important reason to create a cycle of criticism and judgement why one should try to meditate on a daily that is difficult to stop. If someone makes basis. It is the best instrument for realising criticisms of oneself, one should try not to inner peace, as well as for creating peaceful react in the same way but rather endeavour vibrations that affect others in subtle ways to see the other person in a positive light.
in all our relations with them. Meditation
helps one to relax, removing all stress and (3) Reduce expectations, every individual should tension. It is crucial then for achieving the
be alert to the way in which expectations of inner peace that everyone is looking for; and others are often not met and therefore lead it is a valuable tool for creating or promoting one to experience uneasiness. One should try social harmony. to reduce expectations of others as far as one can, minimising our dependence on them for மானகர்மலையான் Cery மரமலைகாரமென்
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