FREEDOM OF MIND IS PATH TO PEACE

"Now one might question the importance or even the need of these thoughts, but if you examine then one isn’t completely free until the mind is liberated. Peace of mind is not just a feeling, it is a level of thinking that is so advanced that one is at peace with oneself, it is a stage where no external circumstances or situations or even people can affect you. It is a state of mind that makes you feel very light and comfortable with yourself.
There are many faiths that believe that getting to know your inner self is a process and not a destination, and there are several methods right from prayer to meditation and even yoga that are used for this. Great spiritual thinkers like the Dalai Lama believe that each one needs to employ a method that works best for them and not do something just run-of-the-mill, this is something one would only know through trial and error.
“If you have inner peace, nobody can force you to be a slave to the outer reality.”
Sri Chinmoy
Our minds are like a messy cupboard, it is filled with so much junk — memories from down the years, impressions of people and places, etc. And when you least expect it, the mind tends to surprise you by recollecting something that happens ages ago.
Agreed it isn’t physically possible to sort out the stuff in our minds into ‘wanted’ and ‘unwanted’ categories and throw away the stuff we don’t need. But what we can do is take control of the mind in a certain way so that it only processes information that you need, this is not just a way of developing better memory but it also puts one at ease because unwanted thoughts don’t keep popping up unexpectedly.
By clearing out these mental debris and developing a more streamlined way of thinking, we can free ourselves from negativity and gain control of our minds. This is similar to trying to reduce the usage of technology or junk food in your life to live in a more meaningful way. So how does one actually begin to do this? Simple, we are the best judges of what makes us feel happy and that’s exactly what you have to do. It could be something as simple as cooking a meal for the family to re-arranging your stamp collection, but if it is something that makes you feel good about yourself, then you simply have to do it on a more frequent basis, even if it is for half an hour a day. This time can act as your chance to be rejuvenated and immediately there will be a spring in your step. The world won’t be such a bad place after all.
“He who lives in harmony with himself lives in harmony with the universe.”
Marcus Aurelius
One of the things that stops many people from taking this step is fear. The fear of losing something that you already have can be scary, but think of it this way — by losing this you are creating more space in your mind to gain something. This is also a process of developing more strength and courage from within.
There are so many people who come to me with the intention of changing their lives for the better but they don’t want to let go of negative thoughts. These are the very same ones who throw a spanner in the works when it comes to their self-development. Some people derive a comfort (maybe the use of the word ‘comfort’ is debatable) of sort by clinging on to these thoughts and they are very afraid to let go of them, many even believe that if they let go of their fears they might just develop another one that is more intense.
Remember what Paramahansa Yogananda said, “Possession of material riches, without inner peace, is like dying of thirst while bathing in a lake.” So remember, the first step might be the hardest but as you inch slowly towards inner peace, you will realise that life is beautiful in all its forms.

By Dr.Jatin Thakkar.
(The writer is a psychologist and uses hypnotherapy and alternative therapies for healing)"