What the scriptures say about peace

1. A restless mind
2. practice
3. Letting go
4. Steadiness
5. Peace
6. highest happiness

The mind is restless, strong, and stubborn, as hard to hold as the wind. Krishna agrees that by practice and letting go it is held. Little by little, with understanding held firm, the mind is brought back each time it wanders. To the one whose mind is calm, the highest happiness comes.

• Arjuna

  अर्जुन उवाच योऽयं योगस्त्वया प्रोक्तः साम्येन मधुसूदन । एतस्याहं न पश्यामि चञ्चलत्वात् स्थितिं स्थिराम् ॥

  arjuna uvāca yo’yaṃ yogastvayā proktaḥ sāmyena madhusūdana | etasyāhaṃ na paśyāmi cañcalatvāt sthitiṃ sthirām ||

  Arjuna said: This yoga of evenness that you have taught, Madhusudana, I do not see how it can last, because of restlessness.

  Bhagavad Gita 6.33

• Arjuna

  चञ्चलं हि मनः कृष्ण प्रमाथि बलवद्दृढम् । तस्याहं निग्रहं मन्ये वायोरिव सुदुष्करम् ॥

  cañcalaṃ hi manaḥ kṛṣṇa pramāthi balavaddṛḍham | tasyāhaṃ nigrahaṃ manye vāyoriva suduṣkaram ||

  For the mind is restless, Krishna, turbulent, powerful and stubborn. I think it is as hard to hold as the wind.

  Bhagavad Gita 6.34

• Krishna

  श्री भगवानुवाच असंशयं महाबाहो मनो दुर्निग्रहं चलं । अभ्यासेन तु कौन्तेय वैराग्येण च गृह्यते ॥

  śrī bhagavānuvāca asaṃśayaṃ mahābāho mano durnigrahaṃ calaṃ | abhyāsena tu kaunteya vairāgyeṇa ca gṛhyate ||

  The Blessed Lord said: Undoubtedly, mighty-armed one, the mind is restless and hard to control. But it is held by practice and by detachment, Kaunteya.

  Bhagavad Gita 6.35

1. Peace
2. Discernment
3. Contentment
4. good company

Calm, inquiry, contentment and good company are the four gatekeepers at the door of freedom. Befriend one with full effort and the others follow.

• Vasishtha

  नित्यं सज्जनसंपर्काद्विवेक उपजायते । विवेकपादपस्यैव भोगमोक्षौ फले स्मृतौ ॥

  nityaṃ sajjanasaṃparkādviveka upajāyate | vivekapādapasyaiva bhogamokṣau phale smṛtau ||

  From constant contact with good people, discernment is born; and the fruits of the tree of discernment are both enjoyment and freedom.

  Yoga Vasishtha

• Vasishtha

  सुसंनद्धसमस्ताङ्गं प्रशमामृतवर्मणा । वेधयन्ति न दुःखानि शरा वज्रशिलामिव ॥

  susaṃnaddhasamastāṅgaṃ praśamāmṛtavarmaṇā | vedhayanti na duḥkhāni śarā vajraśilāmiva ||

  One whose whole being is armoured in the nectar of calm is not pierced by sorrows, as arrows cannot pierce a diamond rock.

  Yoga Vasishtha

• Vasishtha

  विचारात्तीक्ष्णतामेत्य धीः पश्यति परं पदम् । दीर्घसंसाररोगस्य विचारो हि महौषधम् ॥

  vicārāttīkṣṇatāmetya dhīḥ paśyati paraṃ padam | dīrghasaṃsārarogasya vicāro hi mahauṣadham ||

  Sharpened by inquiry, the mind sees the highest. Inquiry is the great medicine for the long illness of worldly life.

  Yoga Vasishtha

1. practice
2. knowledge
3. meditation
4. giving up the fruit
5. Peace

Fix the mind on me. If you cannot, reach by practice. If not that, work for my sake. If not that, give up the fruit. Knowledge is better than practice. Meditation is better than knowledge. Giving up the fruit is better than meditation. From that giving up, peace follows at once.

• Krishna

  मय्येव मन आधत्स्व मयि बुद्धिं निवेशय । निवसिष्यसि मय्येव अत ऊर्ध्वं न संशयः ॥

  mayyeva mana ādhatsva mayi buddhiṃ niveśaya | nivasiṣyasi mayyeva ata ūrdhvaṃ na saṃśayaḥ ||

  Fix your mind on me alone, let your understanding settle in me; from then on you will dwell in me. Of this there is no doubt.

  Bhagavad Gita 12.8

• Krishna

  अथ चित्तं समाधातुं न शक्नोषि मयि स्थिरम् । अभ्यासयोगेन ततो मामिच्छाप्तुं धनञ्जय ॥

  atha cittaṃ samādhātuṃ na śaknoṣi mayi sthiram | abhyāsayogena tato māmicchāptuṃ dhanañjaya ||

  If you cannot fix your mind steadily on me, then seek to reach me by the yoga of practice, Dhananjaya.

  Bhagavad Gita 12.9

• Krishna

  अभ्यासेऽप्यसमर्थोऽसि मत्कर्मपरमो भव । मदर्थमपि कर्माणि कुर्वन् सिद्धिमवाप्स्यसि ॥

  abhyāse’pyasamartho’si matkarmaparamo bhava | madarthamapi karmāṇi kurvan siddhimavāpsyasi ||

  If you are unable even to practise, be intent on doing work for my sake. Even by doing actions for me, you will reach perfection.

  Bhagavad Gita 12.10

1. control of the senses
2. Clarity
3. end of misery
4. steadiness of understanding
5. Peace
6. highest happiness

A person moves among things with senses controlled, free of attraction and aversion, and reaches clarity. In clarity sorrows end and understanding steadies. Without that steadiness there is no peace, and without peace there is no happiness.

• Krishna

  रागद्वेषवियुक्तैस्तु विषयानिन्द्रियैश्चरन् । आत्मवश्यैर्विधेयात्मा प्रसादमधिगच्छति ॥

  rāgadveṣaviyuktaistu viṣayānindriyaiścaran | ātmavaśyairvidheyātmā prasādamadhigacchati ||

  But a disciplined person, moving among objects with senses under control, free from attraction and aversion, attains clarity and calm.

  Bhagavad Gita 2.64

• Krishna

  प्रसादे सर्वदुःखानां हानिरस्योपजायते । प्रसन्नचेतसो ह्याशु बुद्धिः पर्यवतिष्ठते ॥

  prasāde sarvaduḥkhānāṃ hānirasyopajāyate | prasannacetaso hyāśu buddhiḥ paryavatiṣṭhate ||

  In that clarity all sorrows come to an end; for one whose mind is clear, understanding soon becomes steady.

  Bhagavad Gita 2.65

• Krishna

  नास्ति बुद्धिरयुक्तस्य न चायुक्तस्य भावना । न चाभावयतः शान्तिरशान्तस्य कुतः सुखम् ॥

  nāsti buddhirayuktasya na cāyuktasya bhāvanā | na cābhāvayataḥ śāntiraśāntasya kutaḥ sukham ||

  For the undisciplined there is no understanding and no steady contemplation. Without contemplation there is no peace, and for the one without peace, where is happiness?

  Bhagavad Gita 2.66