In Search of Peace

   There are no two opinions that all of us want a peaceful life. But peace eludes us. We, the urban population, can be considered to be better placed than our rural brethren as materialistically we are better off. However, it is a known fact that the urbanites are caught in the fast life of the cities which ultimately tell upon their health and social relations. In more developed countries pace of life is still faster, so much so that those who are not able to keep pace with this life style suffer from cultural shock.

            On the other hand the rural folk are shackled to out-dated social norms. In many villages in our Country child marriages is still common and inter caste marriages is unthinkable. Proper medical and educational systems are found wanting. For them cities are considered greener pastures. Many of them migrate to the urban areas in search of a better life, increasing the pressure on already congested cities. When their dreams still remain unfulfilled some of them resort to theft and other crimes or take to begging. Thus we can safely conclude that peace is not a matter of logistics.

            According to Maslow’s theory of Hierarchy of needs Man first tries to fulfil his basic needs like food, shelter and clothing. Next priority is given to fulfillment of social needs like family, friendship. Then be tries to fulfil his desire for associating with a group which gives rise to feeling of Nationality, belonging to a particular community. Once these needs are fulfilled he tries to fulfil his need for recognition in society which motivates him for competition with others. The last stage indicated by Maslow when all other needs are fulfilled is need for self-Esteem i.e. striving for safe guarding what he has achieved so far. Thus Man is constantly striving at every stage and never at peace.

            This gives rise to the basic question as to what is peace ? Like happiness, it is a state of mind. The Bhagvad Gita says “Be a Karmayogi. Do your duty and don’t bother about the fruits of your work”. While this is easier said than done, there is good logic in the quotation. If we choose one day in a week to help others it helps us in forgetting our needs. The more we practice, the greater control we can achieve over our ego. Working for others gives more meaning to our existence. A person who devotes his life for others is respected the most in society. The more we forget our own needs the more peaceful we can be with ourselves.

Let us develop the will to earn our peace.