Cultivating peace is not a spiritual luxury, but a daily necessity for all those who want to maintain the integrity of their soul
By Roberto Assagioli, date unknown. From the Assagioli Archive in Florence. Translated by Gordon Symons. Original title: Meditazione Sulla Pace Dell’anima
It cannot be said that this problem does not respond to a particular need of our souls. Perhaps humanity has never been so without peace as it is now. To see it, just look at what is happening around us and in us. Everywhere, open or hidden struggles, the repercussions of the great war, and new threats to the future: race struggles, struggles between nations, class and party struggles. But also – and not less – struggles, agitations and storms within the depth of our of souls, which manifest themselves in a thousand ways: emotional, moral, religious crises, discontent with oneself and others, rebellions against society, the family, against God himself and against life, to the point that you want to destroy it and until you lose your reason.
In such a world, cultivating peace is not a spiritual luxury, but a daily necessity for all those who want to maintain the integrity of their soul, who do not want to be overwhelmed by the general current of agitation and frenzy. And cultivating peace is also, and no less, a duty to others. He who knows how to be a living center of peace now, who knows how to irradiate it powerfully and constantly around him, brings to poor humanity the good of which it is perhaps most deprived and which it most needs. We do not believe that we need to insist further on the opportunity, indeed on the need to cultivate peace. Let’s see how it can be done in the most effective way. Let us remember first of all, as a warning and incitement, that all the great spiritual Masters have insisted in a particular way on the message of PEACE.
The Indian religious texts begin and end with the formula “Om – Shanti – Shanti – Shanti” (OM – Peace – Peace – Peace), or with the other “Peace to all beings”. The Buddha taught by word, and above all by example, the sublime peace of the Spirit. In early Christianity, and then in its highest manifestations and also through the centuries, the note of PEACE often resounds. The figure of Jesus is surrounded by an atmosphere of peace. Already the announcement of His birth, given by the Angel, contains the promise of “Peace on earth to men of good will”. He then often revealed himself as a peacemaker: he calmed the storm, tirelessly calmed the minds of the disciples who were often fearful or disputed among themselves for the primacy, or, like Peter, violent in reacting. And he left them a high message of spiritual peace: “I leave you peace, I give you my peace. Not as the world gives it, I give it to you. ” (John XIV,v27.
In Christian mysticism, perfect inner peace, which is called “stillness”, or “silent prayer”, constitutes a well-defined and very high state of the soul’s ascent to God. That peace, that inner silence in which all thoughts, passions and feelings of the personality are silent, is considered as an indispensable preparation for mystical union, for full communion with God.
We also remember the beautiful description of peace given in the Imitation of Christ.
Also, in other spiritual writings the value of Peace is highlighted. One of the precepts of the Lighted Path says: “The peace you will desire is that sacred Peace which nothing can disturb and in which the soul grows like the holy flower on the placid lagoon”.
Let’s see how we can meditate to achieve peace.
It is very useful to start by widening our inner horizon as much as possible, turning our thoughts and soul entirely to the consideration and contemplation of the infinite and the eternal. We remember, and realize, that we are spiritual beings and that our spiritual essence is indestructible. We also think of the great cosmic cycles composed of millions and millions of years. This broadening of perspective will help us to re-establish true proportions, and to see the relative insignificance of many contingent things, by which we usually allow ourselves to be disturbed and agitated. So gradually, we will really begin to feel “the Peace of the Eternal”, the Peace of the Spirit, the Peace that Jesus called His Peace.
For those who find this meditation difficult, we can suggest another method, based on the use of concrete images. (Moreover, the two methods can be very suitably combined).
Various images can be used for this purpose; and depending on the various temperaments and different psychological types, one may be more suggestive and more effective than the other. We will indicate three:
1st – The first is the one evoked by the phrase just mentioned: we can internally portray a vast expanse of water, a blue sky, a shining sun, and on the peaceful surface of the water myriads of white lotus flowers that open to the kiss of the Sun.
2 ° – Another very suggestive image is that of the scene told in the Gospel of Mark in which Jesus calms the storm.
Let us remember: On the evening of the same day, Jesus said to them: “Let’s go to the other shore.” And the disciples, after sending the crowd away, took him there as he was in the boat. And there were also other boats with Him. A great storm arose and the waves crashed onto the boat so that it was nearly swamped. He was sleeping, aft, on a pillow. They woke him up and said to him: Master, aren’t you afraid that we will perish? Upon awakening, He rebuked the wind and said to the sea: “Be still!”, And the wind stopped and there was a great calm. (Mark, IV, 35-40).
3 ° – A third image can be that of our terrestrial globe rotating in the infinite vastness of space, which is evoked by the well-known magnificent verses of Frédéric Amiel, with whose calm and solemn rhythm we will close these considerations:
“Dans l’éternel azur de l’insondable espace
s’enveloppe de paix notre globe agitée.
Homme, enveloppe ainsi tes jours, rêve qui passe,
du calme firmament de ton éternité”.
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