Most people believe calming the mind is the path to peace. Per the quotation by Mahatma Gandhi in my last post: “There is no ‘way to peace,’ there is only peace.” And peace is not in the mind.
Peace is all around us. Peace is our natural state. The mind is naturally busy with all of its worldly worries, excitements, and plans. Deeper inside each one of us is true peace, the eternal peace that goes on regardless of the comings and goings of the world.
In time we can begin to see that peace really isn’t inside us. It’s all around us, everywhere. It only seems deep inside because at times it can be so hard to find. In the past, I have gone years with no awareness of the natural peace within and without.
We can work on calming the mind and not find peace. We can have a very busy mind and still experience peace. The mind has nothing to do with peace. It doesn’t matter if we feel good, bad, or indifferent. We are in peace at all times. If we just realize it.
This is what Jesus meant when he said “The kingdom of heaven is at hand” and “The kingdom of heaven is within you.”
That’s peace, and it is always with you. It has nothing to do with your mind. Many of those in spirituality work to calm the mind in order to feel peace more fully. For many, working with meditation and breathing helps.
But the mind doesn’t have to be calm in order for you to experience peace. Peace is simply not of the mind. Calming the mind does not necessarily bring peace, and a noisy mind does not necessarily disturb peace. The mind is temporary, while peace is eternal.
Spiritual Awakening 
I agree Rob…..I personally have a good, strong, central inner core….This core of me is subject to the human world around me with its day to day ‘stuff’ but it is basically that part of me that is solid and sure and steadfast despite that which goes on around me….it is my core of peace and calm within…..thanks for the reminder….and the re-connection within….Blessings, Barbara xxxxx
Thanks Barbara. The world cannot disturb your core. It can disturb your awareness of your core. But your core cannot be disturbed.
Thank you for explaining this so well. I have finally started to understand the concept of peace, and it has nothing to do with “emptying” the mind of thoughts. Although I have found meditation to be useful, I now have a different understanding of what meditation does to the mind, and perhaps more importantly, to the body. It has a lot to do with the breath.
Thanks. I agree breath is everything. It’s our life, our connection to the world, our connection within. Meditation can bring awareness of our true essence, our peace. In time, we can have that awareness without meditation — by the awareness of our breath.