A Moment's Peace
January 31, 2021
“One who is not connected with the Supreme…can have neither transcendental intelligence nor a steady mind, without which there is no possibility of peace. And how can there be any happiness without peace?” (Bhagavad Gita Ch. 2 Text 66)
Where is a moment's peace to be found? In a world where we are constantly bombarded by an ever-increasing number of distractions, to find just a moment, a single instant of peace within a day, a week, or even more, is virtually unheard of. Externally, we have various engagements and obligations to work, family, friends, maintenance of our bodies, etc. that keep us almost constantly occupied from the time we wake up untill the time we go to sleep. And if these obligations get met and we find some free time, our minds are constantly racing, giving us one proposal or another to keep us busy and distracted. So amidst this barrage of activity from within and without, where is the peace to be found?
We must have some shelter, someplace we can go to escape the distractions, which can bring us back to the essence of who we actually are. Since the reality of our daily lives is one of hustle and bustle, this shelter must be one that can come with us wherever we are and be at our disposal whenever we recognize the need to take a break from whatever is happening around us. Even if we physically can’t escape the obligations and demands of the world, we can always have a way to achieve the peace and happiness we are seeking right there within reach. This is to be easily found in spiritual sounds, or mantras. Regardless of how busy we are, we can bring these sounds onto our lips or into our minds. When we do this, the cleansing and nourishing effect of these sounds begin to act, and a sense of peace is experienced, like an oasis in a vast desert.
One of these spiritual sounds is the mantra “Gauranga” Pronounced “gor-UN-ga”. We can say this mantra either out loud or in our minds, and the more we do it, the more we can find that moment's peace we are all looking for.