Embracing Inner Peace

When I was asked to do this, the first thought that came into my head was, what do I know about art? Other than the artwork my children and I make, I wouldn’t say art was my thing. 

So on the topic of peace, I don't think I understood nor appreciated the true meaning of peace until around 8 years ago.

At this time I started attending the Gurdwara (a place of learning), where I learnt all about the mind and how to free your mind from your thoughts through Simran (a focused practice for the mind). Don't get me wrong, at the beginning it was a battle to sit still for even 5 minutes let alone control my mind, but the more I did it the easier it became and the longer I was doing Simran and focused. I saw my life change, my mind felt more relaxed and at ease, the constant chatter began to get quieter, the feeling made me want to do more and more.

Only then did I truly start understanding the meaning and feeling of Peace.

I suppose it's like a piece of artwork. Art is a piece that comes without any words or explanation. It is between you and your mind, how do you conquer the chaos in your inner mind. For me I find it a peaceful experience, there is no right or wrong answer, there is no correct way to look at a piece of artwork. The beauty of being able to look through the eyes of my curious children, who interpret the craziest things in a painting or sculpture. 

And I remember when we first came to the Sikh Art gallery at Without Shape Without Form, the ambience was peaceful. From the music to the paintings, a sense of weightlessness was apparent. There wasn’t a single painting that didn’t make me appreciative of the blessings I have. For Sikh history is written in blood. When I stood in front of one particular piece I found myself with tears streaming down my cheeks. This hit me hard with so many feelings and emotions that words could not describe at that point, the painting said so much without actually using any words. 

I guess what I'm trying to say is that you can only truly find peace within yourself, within your own mind and once you understand how your mind works and how you can ultimately take full control of your mind, only then will you be in eternal peace, feel it, experience it and truly understand it.