Recorded at the Vedanta Society of Western Washington on August 4, 2013.
In this lecture, Swami Bhaskarananda examines the nature of peace and challenges the common assumption that peace is merely the absence of conflict or external disturbance. Drawing on personal anecdotes and observations, he explains that solitude, quiet surroundings, or favorable circumstances do not necessarily bring peace, since the restless mind accompanies us everywhere. From the standpoint of Vedanta, the mind operates within a world of dualities—pleasure and pain, joy and sorrow, gain and loss—and as long as one remains identified with these opposites, enduring peace cannot be found. Peace, he explains, is not a state of ignorance or unconsciousness, nor is it emotional pleasure, but a condition free from disturbance altogether.
The Swami then presents the Vedantic understanding that true peace lies beyond the realm of mental conflict, in the underlying divine reality that is existence, consciousness, and bliss. This divinity is the substratum of the universe, present everywhere and within each individual, though not equally manifested. To discover peace, one must turn inward and gradually disengage identification from body, mind, and ego, recognizing one’s deeper nature as consciousness itself. Through spiritual discipline, reflection, and inner purification, the awareness of this inner divinity grows, bringing a peace that does not depend on circumstances. Such peace, once discovered, naturally radiates outward, contributing to harmony without deliberate effort.
