Brief Summary
The lecture focuses on attaining inner peace as a prerequisite for world peace, emphasizing that external circumstances cannot be controlled, but our internal reactions can be. It explores various paths to peace, including meditation, moral practices (Yamas), devotion, and knowledge (Jnana). The speaker highlights the importance of non-attachment, surrendering to the divine will, and recognizing the non-dual nature of reality, ultimately suggesting that peace is our inherent spiritual birthright.
- Internal peace is essential for external peace.
- Meditation and moral practices are key to calming the mind.
- Devotion and surrender to God bring peace.
- Knowledge of non-duality helps overcome attachment.
Introduction: The Pursuit of Peace
The speaker begins by invoking peace and welcoming the audience to the fall session, focusing on the topic of attaining peace, particularly peace within ourselves. While acknowledging the efforts of organizations like the United Nations to achieve world peace, the speaker emphasizes the importance of individual inner peace as a foundation. Quoting Dag Hammarskjold, the speaker highlights that the ability to love sincerely is greater than managing world affairs. Referencing Thich Nhat Hanh, the speaker notes the contradiction of peace activists expressing anger, underscoring the need for internal peace to achieve external peace.
The Nature of Inner Peace
The lecture addresses the common complaint of a restless mind during meditation, suggesting it's a sign of progress. The speaker contrasts trying to control the external world for peace with changing internal reactions, using the analogy of a king wanting to cover his kingdom in leather versus wearing shoes. True peace is described as an inner state unaffected by external circumstances. The speaker quotes Jesus on the blessedness of peacemakers and Sri Ramakrishna on finding peace by drawing closer to the divine, similar to feeling coolness near the Ganges.
Meditation and the Yamas
Meditation is presented as a method to change the inner world rather than the external one. The speaker introduces the concept that the world's restlessness is a reflection of our disturbed minds, not the other way around. Using the example of patients reacting differently to the same illness, the speaker illustrates that suffering is mediated through the mind. The preliminary practices of yoga, specifically the Yamas (non-violence, truth, non-stealing, non-accumulation, and control of passions), are introduced as essential moral disciplines for attaining peace through meditation.
The Multifaceted Nature of Violence and the Singularity of Peace
The speaker analyzes violence, categorizing it by means (body, speech, mind), degree (mild, medium, extreme), and instigation (self, others, enabling). This analysis reveals 81 types of violence, contrasting with the singular nature of non-violence, which is peace. Similarly, truth is presented as one, while dishonesty is multifaceted. The same principle applies to controlling passions and non-accumulation, highlighting that the cessation of negative actions leads to peace.
Accumulation and Non-Attachment
The lecture discusses accumulation, contrasting the extremes of wealth and homelessness as manifestations of the same tendency to collect. Non-accumulation (Aparigraha) is presented as a path to peace, echoing Vivekananda's comparison of Western accumulation and Indian contentment with little. The speaker shares an anecdote about difficulty returning an unwanted ebook, illustrating the challenge of letting go. The speaker emphasizes that possessions can possess us, scattering our minds, and uses the story of a man grabbing a rug (actually a bear) in a flood to illustrate the danger of attachment.
The Nature of Peace Through Stillness
The speaker reiterates that the five Yamas are inherently peaceful and lead to deeper meditation. The lecture describes the state of deep meditation as a release from the external world, with a stilled body, even breath, and focused mind, ultimately leading to a peace that surpasses understanding. The speaker cautions against falling asleep during meditation due to exhaustion, emphasizing the importance of staying awake in a calm body and mind to achieve cessation of mental movements (chitta vritti nirodhah).
The Mind as an Instrument
The speaker uses the analogy of Charlie Chaplin tightening bolts incessantly to illustrate the restless nature of the mind. The lecture advocates for quieting the mind, comparing incessant thinking to useless and damaging chatter. Meditation is presented as a way to gain control of the mind, transforming it from an enemy to a friend, as Sri Krishna describes in the Gita. The goal is to achieve cessation of mental movements, deepening into Samadhi and experiencing profound peace.
Nirvikalpaka State vs. Nirvikalpaka Knowledge
The lecture distinguishes between the Nirvikalpaka state (temporary stillness achieved through effort) and Nirvikalpaka knowledge (permanent realization of oneness). The speaker emphasizes that the purpose of meditation is to realize one's true self beyond the mind, recognizing the distinction between the apparent self (mind) and the real self (awareness). The ultimate goal is to realize that one is not the mind but the witness of the mind, leading to lasting peace even outside of meditation.
The Path of Devotion and Love
The lecture shifts to the path of devotion, where the devotee rejects the stillness of meditation in favor of active engagement with the divine through singing, dancing, and prayer. Quoting the Narada Bhakti Sutras, the speaker emphasizes adoring the Lord at all times with a mind free of anxiety. The devotee sees the divine in all beings, loving only one (God) but recognizing that one in everyone. The speaker shares an anecdote about a monk who prioritizes thinking about God over the devotee, highlighting that a true guru is absorbed in God.
Surrender and the Will of God
The lecture emphasizes surrendering to the Lord and putting the entire burden on the divine. The speaker uses the analogy of a man carrying a bundle on his head in a train to illustrate the point that God will carry our troubles. The story of Swami Ramakrishnananda questioning what God did before someone with many social projects was born underscores the importance of trusting in God's plan. The speaker shares a quote from Martin Luther about spending extra time in prayer when busy, reinforcing the idea of prioritizing devotion. The lecture concludes with a story of a monk who rejoiced when he wasn't fed, seeing it as the will of his "friend" (God) being done.
The Imitation of Christ and the Path to Peace
The speaker references the Imitation of Christ, outlining four steps to attain peace: seeking less rather than more, being last rather than first, doing the will of another rather than one's own, and accepting the will of God in all things. The lecture emphasizes that Vedanta teaches that the Lord is the doer of everything, and flowing with this understanding is a great practice. The devotee finds this easier through love of God, while others may struggle due to attachment to worldly desires.
The Way of Knowledge (Jnana)
The lecture transitions to the path of knowledge (Jnana), referencing Sri Ramakrishna's assertion that the spiritual path has an end where one finds peace. The speaker quotes Swami Dayanandaji, stating that Vedanta moves one from "what" to "so what," helping to overcome upsets in life. The serenity of Sri Ramachandra, unaffected by both coronation and banishment, is presented as an ideal. The speaker shares a personal experience of "holy envy" towards an elderly monk, desiring the lofty peace that transcends the mind-body.
Detachment and Non-Stickiness (Asangatvam)
The lecture addresses the problem of attachment to sense pleasures, power, and position, even after gaining Vedantic knowledge. The key is to develop detachment (asangatvam), or non-stickiness, recognizing that nothing in the world truly sticks to us. The speaker uses the example of a mother sleeping soundly, forgetting her baby, to illustrate that we are not inherently attached. The lecture explores why we are not attached, presenting five philosophical reasons.
Five Reasons for Non-Attachment
The speaker details five reasons why we are not affected by the world:
- We are like light, unaffected by what we illumine.
- Upadhi (adjunct) only appears to transfer qualities to us.
- The ground of the universe (Brahman) is not affected by cause and effect.
- The ground of appearance (Brahman) is not affected by the appearance.
- Falsity does not affect reality.
The speaker uses analogies like a crystal reflecting colors and a movie screen remaining unchanged despite the film's events to illustrate these points.
Ma Sarada's Wisdom and Conclusion
The lecture concludes with Ma Sarada's teaching: "If you want peace, don't find fault with others; rather, look to your own faults. The world is your own; learn to make the world your own." This encapsulates the essence of devotion, meditation, and knowledge, emphasizing non-duality. The speaker encourages including everyone in our existence mentally, recognizing that all are one with us, and reacting from that position to find lasting peace. The lecture ends with a prayer for blessings and the realization of our spiritual birthright to peace.
