A mind at peace, a life at peace

by Venerable Sheng Yen

Back in 2008, everyone anticipated a difficult year for 2009. We’re facing challenging times; the global economy is in bad shape. But we have great hopes for the year 2009. We still see hope when there seems to be none. Even under harsh conditions, we can still find happiness. In doomed times, it’s up to us to create bliss for ourselves. I proposed that we must have peace of mind in order to have peace in our lives. But how? Feelings of unease are merely psychological sentiments. It’s the external factors that cause us to feel insecure in the first place. We must feel secure in order for us to have peace in our lives.

As long as we have a sense of security, we’ll be able to enjoy peace in our lives. And how is having a peaceful mind related to a peaceful life? When we have peace of mind, no matter how chaotic our external environment is, we won’t be affected at all. It’s like when it’s pouring rain outside, it’s really pointless to fret over the rain. Instead, we should be figuring out how to get the leaks in our house fixed. To find ways in which we can still go about our daily business despite the heavy rain. To think about what we can plant that will bloom in the rain. To find fun things we can do on a rainy day. 

This is how we can gain peace, by first having a peaceful mind. Though rain is never welcomed, as long as we’re feeling at peace, even if it does rain, we can still feel very happy and blessed. The concept of “A Mind at Peace, A Life at Peace” is based on this rationale. And hence, I proposed that with a peaceful mind, we’d have peace in our lives. The launching of the suicide prevention movement was also built on this premise. As long as we have hope, and we don’t feel a void in our hearts, but feel free from anxiety, regardless of how materially impoverished or how bad the circumstances are, we can still feel whole inside.

Don’t let disappointment get the better of us, let hope live in our hearts for always. And use this opportunity to share with others what our hopes are for the future. People’s basic need is to live and to survive. And as long as we’re still breathing, hope will always be around, and our minds can be at peace.

To sum up, we need to learn to face and accept any circumstance. Find ways to deal with it and then just let it go. When we can face our problems, accept our problems, deal with our problems, and then let go of them, we’ll have peace of mind. I believe a great deal of people already know what the Fivefold Spiritual Renaissance Campaign is. The central practice is facing the difficulty, accepting it, dealing with it and then letting go of it.

There’s also the Four Guidelines to Dealing with Desires which holds we should pursue only what we can acquire, and never pursue what we can’t acquire. Pursue only what we should acquire, and never pursue what we shouldn’t acquire. The truth is we need only very few things, we need only to eat, to keep ourselves warm, and to have a shelter to keep ourselves out of the rain and the scorching sun — that’s about it. We can do without a lot of other things. And so, if we learn to have fewer desires, and have big hopes for the future while keeping our desires in check, we will have happiness.

Two years ago we started advocating a campaign for suicide prevention. Suicide really is unnecessary; people don’t need to commit suicide. Fear, a sense of insecurity, disappointment and feelings of hopelessness are the contributing factors of suicide.

I hope everyone can bear in mind that peace in life goes hand in hand with peace of mind. You don’t have to commit suicide. Instead of always looking at the downside you should look on the bright side of things. On a rainy day, tell yourself that the rain will stop. On a windy day, remind yourself the wind will turn, and it will stop.

Typhoons and whatnot must all cease one day. In the darkness of the day, say to yourself the sun will still shine tomorrow. With this mindset, our hearts will always be filled with hope. When we have hope, we’ll have peace in our minds, and we’ll enjoy peace in our lives. Last but not least, I’d like to wish everyone a Happy New Year!

1 The “spirit” spoken of in the protection of the spiritual environment refers to the mind, which is the essence of the Buddhadharma. They are the protection of the spiritual environment; the protection of the social environment; the protecting the living environment; and the protection of the natural environment. 

2 They are cultivating a peaceful mind by having few desires; cultivating a peaceful body through hard work and thrift; cultivating a peaceful family lies through love and respect; cultivating peaceful activity by being honest and upright.

3 The four guidelines are examining what we really need; what is indulgence; what is within my ability to obtain the things I need; and whether or not it’s proper to obtain it.

4 The Fivefold Spiritual Renaissance Campaign is a proposition for living in the 21st century and also a way to implement the four kinds of environmentalism. 

5 Six Ethics campaign, which consists of Family Ethics, Living Ethics, School Ethics, Environmental Ethics, Workplace Ethics, and Ethics between Ethnic Groups. Within each of the different areas covered by the Six Ethics, each one of us plays not only a single role, but also actually multiple roles. Whatever roles we play, we should develop the correct concept: We should contribute ourselves for the sake of fulfilling our roles and responsibilities, instead of fighting for our interests; while seeking our own benefits we should respect others and care about them. Therefore, greed and fighting for gain are not in line with ethics; the value of ethics lies in serving and giving. We must bear this same concept in mind with any of the Six Ethics.