Making Peace Is A Process: Religions Encourage Time for Silence, Reflection, and Meditation
By
Ravindra Pandit, New Age Islam
26 August
2022
MANTRAS
OF PEACE
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“Educating The Mind Without Educating The Heart
Is No Education At All”: Aristotle
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The world
has seen the rise and fall of several civilizations. What was the root cause of
their downfall? Denis Goulet, an American human development theorist argues
that most civilizations perished not on account of external threats but due to
internal strife precipitated by the erosion of fundamental human values.
Religious scriptures, spiritual gurus, thinkers, and leaders have given us
profound wisdom on how to lead a happy and peaceful life. The question is, are we
following them to live a righteous life?
The author
draws our attention to the reality that we are living in troubled times, in a
dangerous and destabilized world. Wedges between faiths are created by raising
questions about the history of people, places, and cultures. All faiths teach
love, compassion, and forgiveness. And yet there is violence in the name of
faith. Our living conditions have improved a lot over the years. Have we also
become better human beings? Unfortunately, there is no evidence that so-called
civilized societies are morally superior to so-called primitive societies. We
have seen two highly destructive world wars in the past century. Have we
learned our lessons to live in peace? Not quite.
COVID-19
also exposed the fragility of our shiny world. It came as great adversity and
caused social isolation. Moin Qazi put the period of isolation to good use by
writing spiritual columns for the Asia Age. This book is a compilation of these
short essays.
The eternal
quest of every person in this world is for happiness. Different means are
adopted by different people to derive happiness. But true and lasting happiness
comes by observing the universal moral law. It is the endeavour of this book to
handhold the readers to find contentment; the essence of happiness.
Those who
focus solely on happiness do not find it; those whose goals lie elsewhere are
more likely to achieve happiness as well. The goals should not be confined only
to personal gains, but to larger purposes of doing good to others. Happy people
connect well with the world around them. They have a purpose in their lives.
Materialistic accomplishments alone do not ensure happiness. The key is to
develop inner peace, and serve others. Selfless love needs to be a key
component in our compassionate actions. And compassion has to be practiced with
a spirit of altruism; expecting nothing in return. Muslims are taught to live
as trustees of God’s blessings. There is a duty to serve those who are less
privileged. Similar preaching is found in scriptures of other religions as
well. And yet we find that peace is lacking in the world.
“Educating
the mind without educating the heart is no education at all” – said Aristotle.
Conditioning of our mind colours our vision. We act accordingly, without applying
a discerning mind. We are caged by ideologies, superstitions, customs, and
social restrictions. There is a need to periodically do some introspection.
Every religion encourages its adherents to set aside time for silence,
reflection, and meditation. Self-reflection is not a trait we are born with; we
need to cultivate it as a habit. This is so important, that Plato said, “The
unexamined life is not worth living”.
Life is
never a cakewalk. We face several challenges. This is for our good. A life
devoid of adversities is an incomplete life. Unless we are exposed to healthy
doses of pain, there is a danger that we would become hyper-sensitive and
vulnerable to even small doses of stress. We need to build our resilience to
face adversity. Adversity turns our face to God. A firmly embedded template of
sound values brings out our inner repertoire of talents.
The author
points out that values of justice and fair play, humility, modesty, tolerance,
and curiosity are time-tested. Values constitute the inner sense of what is
right and wrong based not on laws or rules of conduct but on who one is. When
we look at the world today, we see a breakdown of society, family life,
religion, and ethical principles. The collapse seems to be deeply connected
with a loss of human values. This, therefore, highlights the need to rebuild
human values.
It is also
important to keep the mind open to fresh thinking. Societies that prioritize
women’s empowerment show better development indices and are better governed,
more stable, and less prone to violence. Proactively embracing change, and
adaptability are the keys to survival and progress. Adaptability includes
respect for differing opinions. Diversity alone does not constitute pluralism.
Legitimate space needs to be given in our consciousness to the other. Pluralism
is built on dialogue and give and take, criticism, and self-criticism.
Spiritualism
helps us to guard against the corruptive influences of the world. We need to
stay away from fake religious leaders. Buddha has taught us the way to a good
life – neither too much nor too little, in brief, the ‘middle path. We must
understand that every scriptural book has to be read with the truest and purest
light that our hearts and conscience can provide. Our prayers and rituals
should enhance the quality of our character.
Making
peace is a process. Never a single action. ‘Mantras of Peace’ touches upon
every aspect that contributes to finding internal peace. Internalizing its
wisdom and making it a part of oneself would be a continuous journey. The book
keeps the reader fully engrossed. An enriching experience indeed.
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Ravindra
Pandit, author of a book on the subject of self-development, an HR professional
with special interesting Human development. He participated in an endeavour to
enhance service orientation in the Civil Hospitals of Maharashtra, by
conducting workshops
URL: https://newageislam.com/books-documents/peace-religions-silence-reflection-meditation/d/127800
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