Peace of Mind

Peace, we all try and cultivate it and seek it in our lives. Even the most hardened individual seeks nothing more than the two universal desires in life: peace and happiness. Now mind you, some of us become so lost in the dream of life that we seek these goals in things that are in deep conflict to our true nature. There are even those who have given up on peace and happiness, and have given their lives up to the stormy seas of what they perceive as chance. Its always good to start with a solid definition of what it means to be peaceful and happy. Each on of us can name experiences, objects, people, and places that bring us peace and happiness. For some happiness is found in those we care for, some find happiness in finding love, and still for others money and material possessions bring happiness. Each one of these examples, along with the infinite number of other examples of what makes each of us happy, has one deep and fundamental flaw...they're all IMPERMANENT. Impermanence is the one unchanging law of the material world we call home. Impermanence can be seen in the tree who's leaves die and fall to the ground. It can be seen in the song that just finished on the radio. It can be seen in the passing of the seasons, and the passing of human life from this life. We are bound in this life by impermanence. It is this crucial point that prevents us from finding true happiness. For all the ways that we seek happiness, not a single one will last forever. This is no surprise for most people when things like money and material wealth are named, for most of us know the happiness they bring is short lived. Yet few think about how even things such as family, friends, and romantic love, are just as fleeting. Death is our constant companion in this life. No one knows when he'll decide the ride is over, and it is this point that shows the true impermanence of all things. Family, friends, and those we develop romantic love for, will one day leave us in this life, and if they don't go first then we shall. Its in acceptance of this crucial point (that all we know in this life is fleeting) that we begin to find true peace of mind and happiness. True peace of mind can only be found when one begins to accept life for how it is, and begins to see the nature of our actions and the effect they have on our life and those of others. Acceptance does not mean defeat, rather it is liberation. When one begins to accept life's impermanent nature, then one begins to realize the importance of each action and thought. It is when one begins to become truly mindful of this deep realization that one can really begin to live life. Living a life of purpose, and with fierce compassion, this is how one finds peace of mind.