Seven Steps to Inner Peace

peace-universal-peace-menaka

Inner peace is the most valuable thing that we can cultivate. Nobody can give us inner peace, at the same time it is only our own thoughts that can rob us of our inner peace. To experience inner peace we don’t have to retreat to a Himalayan cave; we can experience inner peace right now, exactly where we are. The most important criteria is to value the importance of inner peace. If we really value inner peace, we will work hard to make it a reality.

These are some suggestions for bringing more peace into your mind.

1. Choose carefully where we spend time.

If you are a news addict and spend an hour reading newspapers everyday, our mind will be agitated by the relentless negativity we see in the world. It is true, that we can try to detach from this negativity. But, in practise ,we will make our progress easier if we don’t spend several hours ruminating over the problems of the world. If you have a spare 15 minutes, don’t just automatically switch on the TV or surf the internet. Take the opportunity to be still or at least do something positive. The problem is the mind feels insecure unless it has something to occupy it. However, when we really can attain a clear mind we discover it creates a genuine sense of happiness and inner peace.

2. Control of Thoughts.

It is our thoughts that determine our state of mind. If we constantly cherish negative and destructive thoughts, inner peace will always remain a far cry. At all costs, we need to avoid pursuing trains of negative thoughts. This requires practise. – We cannot attain mastery of our thoughts over night. But, at the same time we always have to remember that we are able to decide which thoughts to follow and which to reject. Never feel you are a helpless victim to your thoughts.

“If you have inner peace,
nobody can force you to be a slave to the outer reality.”
– Sri Chinmoy [2]

3. Simplify Your Life

Modern life, places great demands on our time. We can feel that we never have enough time to fulfill all our tasks. However, we should seek to minimise these outer demands. Take time to simplify your life; there are many things that we can do without, quite often we add unnecessary responsibilities to our schedule. Do the most significant tasks, one at a time, and enjoy doing them. To experience inner peace, it is essential to avoid cluttering our life with unnecessary activities and worries.

See: Benefits of simplicity

4. Spend time to cultivate inner peace.

Every day we spend 8 hours a day to earn money, can we not find time to spend 15 minutes to cultivate inner peace? No matter how much money we earn, it cannot bring us inner peace, but, if we spend 15 minutes on meditation and relaxation techniques inner peace can become a possibility. Meditation does not just mean sitting still for 30 minutes; in meditation we seek to experience a state of consciousness which is flooded with inner peace. To experience this inner peace we cannot allow any thought to enter into our mind. True inner peace occurs when we can transcend the world of thoughts.

“You cannot buy peace; you must know how to manufacture it within, in the stillness of your daily practises in meditation.”

– Paramahansa Yogananda [2]

5. Be immune to Flattery and Criticism

If we depend on the opinions and praise of other people, we can never have inner peace. Criticism and flattery are two sides of the same coin. They are both the judgements of others. However, we should not allow ourselves to be affected by either. When we do, we feed the ego. We should learn to have confidence in ourselves. This does not mean we will love ourselves in an egotistical way, it means we value our real self and have belief in the good qualities that are part of everyone.

6. Be Active selflessly

Inner peace does not mean that we have to live a life of a hermit. Inner peace, can be felt amidst dynamic activity. But, this action should be done with selfless motives. When we serve others we forget our sense of self, and it is when we forget our limited self that we can have inner peace.

7. Avoid Criticising Others

If we want inner peace, we should feel that our inner peace depends on the well being of others. If we are indifferent to the feelings of others, then it is impossible to have inner peace for ourselves. What we give out comes back. If you offer a peaceful attitude to others this is what we will see return.

Related Articles

References

[1] Sri Chinmoy, Poems on Inner Peace at Sri Chinmoy Poetry

[2] Inner Peace – How to be Calmly Active and actively Calm by Paramahansa Yogananda, Self Realisation Fellowship

Photo by Menaka, Sri Chinmoy Centre Galleries

57 thoughts on “Seven Steps to Inner Peace”

  1. I strongly disagree with #1, it seems to be saying ignorance is bliss, ignore the bad. Well if everyone ignores the bad then it’s just going to grow until it becomes impossible to ignore. Someone has to deal with it, and it’s hypocritical to leave it to other people while you’re being all peaceful. I think it’s possible to have inner peace and be intricately concerned with the outer world. Look at Ghandi!

  2. I do agree that it is quite possible to have inner peace and be concerned about the outer world. But, I don’t think that reading the newspapers all the time, will ever solve any problems.

    Yes, we need to be informed, but, also we have to have a sense of balance. I think it is easy to spend too long reading about the world’s problems, rather than doing anything about it.

    Gandhi, often spent time in retreat, such as, his weekly day of silence.

  3. I will use this info in the comming days and will see how those around me react,I beleave it will be helpful

  4. i believe there is no bad and there is no good for they both are one.The good needs the bad and the bad needs the good.we need to consider both to have a understanding of what ever we are dwelling on or whatever your thoughts may be about.dont fear either dont ignore anything but feel your self feel the world.sometimes you like it sometimes you dont but always take it for what it is.remember today is yesturday and tomorrow is today niether are the same!

  5. I want to thank all the Owners of the Huge different meanings of life which I had the honour of reading this morning,and I want to send my great thanks to the respectable woman (Mrs.Ommaryam ) that had a credit for knowing this magnificent site today,god bless her & her family.

  6. I felt like being born again after i read this article.Inner peace is the epicenter for every man’s growth.There is nothing that is permanent in this world except God. Superb post and a terrific moral booster.

  7. Dis is really very helpful if v follow all dis rules so tat v r happy 4ever.In 2days world v all run 4 more n more money n in dis circle v hav lost are true hapiness which is nt wealth bt health.

  8. Pingback: Climbing the Ladder of Peace « - Conceptual Convergence -
  9. I am at the time of my life where i want to change. Anger has disrupted me for as long as i can remember. this site is very helpful. I to believe that i need time in peace away from everything; t.v, radio, friends. 15 min is not much to give back to me in peace

  10. i like this web site and the web page .because iam havin stress for some days.and iam thinking to learn meditation and i have gain some tips from this web site.

  11. I have found my inner peace and I think it is time we all did.We can easily do this by appreciating life other than judging others and thinking about pointless stuff.We are all individuals with brains lets use them people. Try and live for the moment see if you don’t enjoy your life. Just remember be positive as you are a free man or woman or animal with limitless choice.Be human.

  12. ‘Take the opportunity to be still or at least do something positive. ‘
    How valuable this advice is being to me – I am enjoying relaxing in a warm bath for 15 minutes in the morning before I have to get up – the benefits are amazing – I can stop the world and get off just for a while, enjoy the calm and leisure, but angst into persective – i.e. leave it alone for a while – and my back – which has been giving me jip for a couple of years is starting to relent.
    My next endeavour is to find it natural to clear my mind and move to the next level
    1001 thank yous

  13. inner peace is really the most important thing of our life but still we lack it and don’t do anything to achieve it. after reading this i m trying to step ahead towards inner peace…

  14. I was “lost” in fear, disappointments and pain from my past… even tough I was very helpful to others, friendly, successful woman, I was crying inside and afraid of the future. As a result, I never enjoyed my achievements, never spend quality time with my family, I was always running somewhere, running from my-self… I finally let it all out: pain, fear lots of tears… and I felt so peaceful and happy inside. Something that I didn’t feel for at least 20 years…. It took me a long time to get to this point, it is the most beautiful feeling and I want to master how to keep it within me all the time. I started meditation and breathing exercises. Everyone should learn how to have stillness inside. Are agree with all seven steps to inner peace…

    God bless everyone!

  15. I have a little bit of a problem. Since I’m not Buddha, I’m still affected by the actions of the people I live with.

    Now, how can I be empathetic to someone who constantly is in a world of stress and takes it out on anyone she can find and criticise. Not to mention I can’t take it when she keeps on dumping work on my loved ones, and only have critic to give when it is done.

    My biggest problem is that I feel her pain, but I also get angry when she causes pain to the people I love.
    I want to get out of here, since there isn’t a single day that a fight doesn’t start in this house.
    I’m just a 16 year old kid with ADHD who wants some peace. I think around 2 positive sentences leave her mouth per day, and then without any passion to it.

    Not to mention I cannot meditate for 30 mins without her calling me or start another argument or criticize or something… And, on top of that, none of my friends want to come here since the whole place has a very angry and oppressive vibe.

    I know of a place I can go and take refuge and the place is more beautiful than you can imagine, but they will find me there, so I will have to shave my head and get an alias, and maybe a few meaningful tattoos over my tell-tale scars from a car crash a few weeks ago. (I got off unhurt, just some road burn. I was on a bicycle, and the car was going 80km/h and had little time to break, probably hit me at around 60km/h.)

    I’m at a loss, if I’m in nature, I’m closer to inner peace than I can imagine, to the point where if I didn’t evolve spiritually at all it wouldn’t bother me to much. But when this person is around doing her thing, I’m like the devil himself after a while.

    The only reason I would stay is for the sake of my education. (More for the sake of good grades, I’ll still pass even on my own with no help…)

Comments are closed.