By Remez Sasson

We all seek peace of mind in one way or another, in one form or another. All of us desire some degree of alleviation, rest or time out from daily chores and tasks, from stress, problems, the news, people and the rush of daily life. There are many ways to find peace, but most of them are temporary means, bringing temporary inner peace. Going to a movie, spending time doing something we love to do, listening to relaxing music and even sleeping are various ways to experience it.

It is also possible to gain a stable state of inner peace, which is independent of external circumstances, but this requires some inner work and techniques.

Here is an excerpt from my book Peace of Mind in Daily life, in which a teacher asks his pupil, why he is seeking peace of mind: 

“Teacher: Tell me, why are you seeking peace of mind?

Pupil: I have got several good reasons for desiring it:

• I often find my mind jumping from one subject to another or thinking on irrelevant matters, not letting me concentrate or think clearly.
• Worries and anxieties keep coming into my mind, by day and by night.
• Too often I find myself thinking over and over again on a past unpleasant event, reliving it in my mind, and experiencing all the unpleasantness that was associated with it.
• Unpleasant emotions and feelings often rise up, due to external situations or causes, arousing unrest and inner emotional storms.
• Worries, fears and negative thoughts often fill my mind, not giving me a moment of rest.
• Sometimes my thoughts and worries do not let me fall asleep, and when I do sleep, I do not sleep soundly enough because of them.
• There is an inner conversation and inner chatter inside my head that never seems to stop.

All this is tiring, straining and weakening, bringing unhappiness and lack of peace. I believe that peace of mind will free me from all these disturbing and exhausting experiences.”

This is an excerpt from the book Peace of Mind in Daily life