Our Own Corner of Peace

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.¹

Hazur Maharaj Ji comments on this beatitude from Christ’s “Sermon on the Mount” and explains what is meant by “peace.” He sheds light on the deeper and esoteric meaning of peace, which doesn’t have anything to do with peace in the material world.

We are peacemakers when we are able to obtain peace within ourself…. When we are at peace within ourself, the whole world looks peaceful to us. Hence, we cannot create peace in the world, but we can definitely find our own corner of peace within ourself.²

Our own corner of peace – what a wonderful way of referring to that place within to which we can always withdraw. The place of refuge where we can come in contact with the Shabd master, to whom all our efforts in meditation are directed; where we can experience the pull from within, giving us a sense of homecoming, to where we belong. In the stillness of meditation we get a taste of that inner peace, that feeling of contentment, which fills us with gratitude – and we are grateful for being allowed to work and walk with our master. In the here and now lies the fulfilment of so much longing for the Divine, which has been building up within us in the course of so many lifetimes. Meeting our master in the flesh, knowing that he has cast his glance of mercy and compassion on us, is the culmination of past efforts and grace divine. No more descending deeper into the creation, but ascending upward on the inner journey. The regular rhythm and routine of meditation works wonders over the course of a lifetime. Truly, slow and steady wins the race.

Therefore, those people who have obtained peace within themselves by love and devotion for the Father, and by forgiving and having mercy on other people, are the blessed ones because they also spread peace in the world.³

By staying as much as possible in our own corner of peace, our love and devotion for our master and the Divine will grow. It is only by consistent practice, by consciously engaging ourselves in the sacred task of the meditative process, that the transformation of our life will take effect. By going beyond the parameters of the physical, by letting go of self and ego, a profound process of radical change takes place. The more the focus of our attention is shifted within and the more settled we become in the spiritual dimension, the greater our peace of mind. In silent devotion and quiet contemplation, the mind is weaned away from the strong impulses of ego. They’re still there, but they have less impact. The serenity gained by a lifetime of effort is too precious to lose. Increased awareness, one of the benefits of meditation, helps us recognize what brings us closer to God and what takes us away from God.

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.⁴

In Light on Saint John, Hazur Maharaj Ji emphasizes that the peace Christ talks about comes directly from the Father.

Christ says: The real peace, which is of the Father, I have within myself because I am attached to the Holy Ghost and that peace I give to you by attaching you to the Holy Ghost. As you follow my instructions, you too will radiate that peace from within yourselves.⁵

The master is the true peacemaker, at one with the Holy Ghost, the Shabd. As the beloved Son of God he gives the real peace to those souls that have been allotted to him. It is the peace which gives relief to seekers who have fully realized that this earthly plane will never know peace. The only way to find this peace is to turn within, “to enter thy closet,”⁶ the third eye, by rising above strife, struggle, and conflict. By putting the teachings into practice, by following the master’s instructions, we too will radiate that peace from within ourselves. His gift of peace will turn us into good human beings, the absolute prerequisite for leading a spiritual life. The realization of what it means to be a disciple of a living master comes at different stages. And all of these stages bring with them joy, gratitude, and an ever deepening longing to follow the path of God-realization.

While we’re trying to fulfil our part of the divine bargain that we made at the time of initiation, the Master is preparing a place for us in the Father’s house. “I go to prepare a place for you,”⁷ he says. What the master has in store for us is beyond our wildest dreams. What other incentive could we need to spur us on to do our simran and sit in bhajan? The simran is our direct link with our master and connects us with the Shabd. Repeating it and keeping his presence in mind is not a matter of routine but an act of love. As the present master, Baba Ji, has repeatedly said in Question & Answer sessions, “the core of our being is love.” At initiation the Radiant Form of the master is placed within us. It is that form which is calling us from within. His presence is always with us and it is in bhajan where we can feel it.

“The time is near when all things will end.”⁸ There’s no time to waste. In this life we’ve been given a golden opportunity to work with the master. Perfect circumstances to follow the path have been created for us. What the world has to offer with all its allurements is totally insignificant in light of what lies within. We have our own corner of peace which we can retire to at any time and experience stillness, nothingness, and bliss.