Finding the peace inside you
by Gangaji
Most of us in the West lead extraordinarily privileged lives. Most of us do not have to worry about where we will get our next meal or if we will have a place to sleep tonight. Most of us are not in imminent danger, and neither are our families. We find ourselves in a precious lifetime where we can set aside our mental habits and strategies of protection and reflect on what is present when the mind is not busy being protective. In this moment, we can stop worrying about the future.
Everyone, even the most privileged, experiences some degree of suffering. But if you look out over the planet, you will see billions of human beings who are undergoing enormous suffering and who are almost totally bound by it. In contrast, the privilege of our lives is that we have the time, space, and opportunity to question the most basic assumptions of human life. We are free to examine our lives and to ask the deepest questions: What is this life about? What is it being used for? How is my time spent? Where is my attention? Is my life meaningful? Am I happy? What is the longing of my heart and soul? Is it a longing for truth and freedom? We have an opportunity to fully consider the most profound, unanswered questions.
In my experience of speaking with people, I have found that the discovery of what one truly wants can be a doorway to realizing true freedom. There may be an immediate response to that inquiry, such as, “What I really want is a better life,” or “What I really want is to be happy all the time,” or “What I really want is the right mate.” Whatever answer immediately arises, it is very useful to then ask, “What will that give me?” If you have the perfect soul mate, what will that give you?
If the answer is, “Then I will be at peace. Then I can rest,” the truth is that this is possible now in this moment. Peace and rest have nothing to do with a mate. The peace, rest, and fulfillment you have been searching for outside, however exalted or sublime, are actually here now. If, in this moment, you can simply discard your outward reference points for what will give you peace, you might recognize that peace is already here, regardless of any internal or external circumstances. In this recognition, you can investigate more deeply to see if there is any separation between the peace that is always present and who you are. What is the boundary between who you truly are and peace?
What emerges in a perfect moment of realization is what has always been present and this usually gives rise to a great laugh. What you have been searching for desperately, furiously, relentlessly, and with great frustration has always been present exactly where you are! It is present now, in you, and it can be revealed to you now as your own self.
Ask yourself repeatedly and directly: What do I really want? Let the answers flow freely, rising up effortlessly from the unconscious without censorship. There are no right answers. Consider these questions a game, a game that can expose whatever beliefs and concepts are still buried in your subconscious.
As you inquire within, let whatever sensations, emotions, and insights that arise wash through you. If you have discovered that what you finally want is peace, happiness, love, or enlightenment, now is the opportunity to see where you have been searching for them.
Tell the truth fully. Whatever the cost, whatever the risk, whatever the consequences.
Excerpted from The Diamond in Your Pocket. On July 26, Gangaji will speak in Vancouver at the Masonic Hall, 1495 W. 8th Ave., at 7 pm. www.gangaji.org or 541-482-3100.
