KATHMANDU:

Most people would be glad to have some peace of mind in their lives. They would be happy to forget their troubles, problems and worries, and enjoy a few moments of inner calmness and freedom from obsessing thoughts.

What is peace of mind?

It is a state of inner calmness and tranquillity, together with a sense of freedom, when thoughts and worries cease, and there is no stress, strain or fear. Such moments are not so rare. They may be experienced while engaged in some kind of an absorbing and interesting activity like watching an interesting movie or TV programme, while being with someone you love, while reading a book or while lying on the sand at the beach.

While being on a vacation, do you experience some sort of mental numbness? At this time the mind becomes calmer, with fewer thoughts and fewer worries. Even while you are deeply asleep, not aware of your thoughts, you are in a state of inner peace.

Such and similar activities take away the mind from its usual thoughts and worries, and bring some temporary inner peace.

The question is, how to bring more peace of mind into one’s life, and more importantly, how to experience it in times of trouble. You might also ask whether it is possible to make it a habit, and enjoy it always and under all circumstances.

First, you need to learn to bring more moments of inner peace into your daily life. Later, you will be able to experience these moments in times of trouble or difficulties too.

You can turn peace of mind into a natural habit, but to do so, special training is required, through concentration exercises, meditation and other means.

Here are a few simple things that can help you —

• Reduce the amount of time you read the newspapers or watch the news on TV.

• Stay away from negative conversations and negative people.

• Don’t hold grudges. Learn to forget and forgive. Nurturing ill feelings and grievances hurt you and cause lack of sleep.

• Don’t be jealous of others. Being jealous means that you have low self-esteem and consider yourself inferior to others. This again, causes lack of inner peace.

• Accept what cannot be changed. This saves a lot of time, energy and worries.

• Every day we face numerous inconveniences, irritations and situations that are beyond our control. If we can change them, that’s fine, but this is not always possible. We must learn to put up with such things and accept them cheerfully.

• Learn to be more patient and tolerant with people and events.

• Don’t take everything too personally. Some emotional and mental detachment is desirable. Try to view your life and other people with a little detachment and less involvement. Detachment is not indifference, lack of interest or coldness. It is the ability to think and judge impartially and logically. Don’t worry if again and again you fail to manifest detachment. Just keep trying.

• Let bygones be. Forget the past and concentrate on the present. There is no need to evoke unpleasant memories and immerse yourself in them.

• Learn to practice meditation. Even a few minutes a day will make a change in your life.

Inner peace ultimately leads to external peace. By creating peace in our inner world, we bring it into the external world, affecting other people too.