Finding It All

"Wonderful it is to train the mind
so swiftly moving, seizing whatever it wants.
Good is it to have a well-trained mind,
for a well-trained mind brings happiness."
The Words of the Buddha, Dhammapada 35

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."
The Words of Jesus, John 14: 1,17

"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived."
Henry David Thoreau, Walden

Siddhartha Gautama, Jesus of Nazareth, and Henry David Thoreau are brothers, each speaking to us and reminding us that it's not what happens outside in our world that determines our happiness and well being, rather what we choose to hold in thought that becomes our reality. Once the truth of this becomes apparent there is a transformation that takes place and we become co- creators of our universe in a way we could never have imagined.

For me, like Thoreau, I can most easily find my center inside when I am in the outdoors and in the natural setting walking mountain trails or gazing hypnotically at the ocean waves. But is it really the setting that provides the calm peace which allows me to transcend the troubles of the world outside? Not really, but for me the nature trails, the mountains, the ocean side, open fields and rivers that I love allow my mind to be at ease to where I lose myself and creation takes hold. My mind is naturally trained and in tune, I am the peace the world cannot give, and I am deliberately fronting the essential facts of life- becoming the answers I seek.

I know of those who can transcend the outside world right in the midst of swirling New York City. I've read of soldiers transcending the battlefields, sports figures finding the zone and playing the perfect game, artists lost in their works discovering greatness. Victor Frankel transcended the horrors of the prison death camp during the Holocaust by one mere thought; his determination to tell others of his experience.

You and I, right now in this very moment are peace personified. We only need look to our center and be still and quiet. Why are we waiting for that which is not waiting, that which simply is and will always be? If we cannot find peace right now, in this very moment no matter where we are, no matter what is occurring- will we ever find peace at all?

The trained mind, the peace above all others, the answers found in living deliberately all speak of Unity and are found inside our being.

Until we are able to step back from our self-limited perspective and fully realize that whatever we hold in thought appears in reality, we will constantly be frustrated, disappointed, and under- mind by the very force we seek to utilize. The simplest way to train the mind and discover the peace inside is to live deliberately with the abundant peace of mind we already posses. It has never left us and never will.