Apropos Thecla Pereira’s article, ‘Christmas is drawing near; celebrations are in the air’ (Herald, Other Voices, December 21, 2018). Christmas tells us to replace confusion by peace as Jesus said, ‘For God is not a God of confusion, but of peace.’ (1 Corinthians 14:33 KJV).
Indeed, we find peace in love and harmony. We get strength in peace. William Shakespeare had once said, ‘Our peace shall stand us firm as rocky mountains.’ In peace, we feel the magic of egalitarian divine love that rains cutting across social divisions. The problem arises when we equate laziness with peace and thus give peace a bad name. But static inertia must not be passed for peace. Sri Aurobindo said, ‘In a certain sense this inertia and the peace are the bright and dark counterparts of each other, tamas (darkness) and śama (equality) the higher nature finding repose in peace, the lower seeking it in a relaxation of energy and a return towards the subconscient, tamas.’
There is indeed a conflict within us. The psychic energy in us wants peace not for lying on the bed but for moving forward physically, mentally and spiritually. On the other hand, the matter in our body seeks peace to enjoy material comfort and rest. But the latter takes us to the deceptive quicksand of the status quo.
It discourages us to working for inner peace. When we feel thirsty, we fetch a glass of water and drink. The activity of taking a glass out and drinking water, gives us satisfaction without which we cannot attain peace.
My mother used to say ‘sukher cheye shanti bhalo.’ It is a Bengali saying which means peace is better than material comfort. As a matter of fact, the unending desire for more material comfort cannot give us peace. Rather it makes us unsatisfied and robs us of our poise which is an essential condition for acquiring inner peace. And inner peace is a must for our health and happiness.
‘Peace,’ said Sri Aurobindo, ‘is a calm deepened into something that is very positive amounting almost to a tranquil waveless Ananda.’
