“The only way to lasting peace and clarity is by looking within, taking absolute 
responsibility of our experience, and 
embracing life without boundaries.” 
- Sadhguru

THESE words from a great spiritual master need a deeper contemplation to be understood correctly and completely. The statement asserts that one has to look inward in search of peace and clarity of thought. In other words, he suggests that if your peace of mind is to be protected and preserved, then you must ensure that your locus of control is within you -- and not outside. This is what all psychologists always insist upon -- that you cannot blame others for your disturbed mind. So, if you want a lasting peace of mind, look within, and absorb the experience -- good or bad or indifferent -- within you and digest the disturbance and rise above the upsetting elements. One recalls an anecdote from the life of Lord Buddha: A disciple of the Buddha was aghast to hear someone heaping terrible abuses on the great spiritual master. The Buddha was calm and undisturbed. Once the abuser was gone, the discipline asked in righteous indignation, “Sire, how could you remain so calm in the face of such a terrible abusiveness ? Why did you not retaliate?” The Buddha smiled, and said calmly, “Look, he gave the abuses, but I did not take those !” What a great example of having the locus of control of one’s personality within self ! It was up to the Buddha to accept or reject the abuses.

 

 

He did not do either. All he did was, he did not take those (which is different from accepting or rejecting). Lasting peace comes through this route -- Sadhguru says. There is something that made you sad. So, try to understand what in it made you sad. The same thing may not happen with others. For, each one responds to the same stimulus differently. So, blaming something outside you for your disturbed emotion does not solve the problem, nor does it absolve you of the responsibility of your own response or experience. So, accept the full responsibility of what and how you feel about certain stimulus.

 

That will erase the external blame-point. In turn, that will bring a sense of calmness, certain sense of control over your emotion, set right a disturbed cognition. This is another name of peace of mind. When the mind is thus calmed down, it gets ready to look at life’s limitless possibilities. On most occasions, our mental boundaries often limit our understanding of life’s potential to offer happiness. So, erase those boundaries, melt those barriers -- and a new domain of tranquility will open its doors to you. Enjoy that domain -- of peace, of calmness, of being the owner of one’s own self. n