As a kid, I would often enjoy climbing a tree. Climbing up so high to sit there for hours and observe my surroundings. I would sit, not knowing what I was searching for. Perhaps it was just that I was away from people, stress and the negatives of life. Unfortunately, I could not spend the rest of my life up a tree trying to keep that calmness. At that point, peace seemed temperamental. 

During my teenage years, I would compete in the sport of judo. We were always told that peace would be obtained if we really push ourselves during workouts. With this mentality, we would train hard. After long sessions, I found that I was physically shattered, and this was some sort of peace, but only for my body. There were times I found mentally challenging. I was trying to win again and again, but this only led me to feel upset and I would often cry. Again, true peace had not been found. 

Other times in life, I would visit temples with my family. Whilst visiting these places, I realised many people came there for a reason, but what were they trying to find? What was I trying to find? I knew there was a purpose for coming to such places, but I wasn’t sure what it was. There came a point when I realised most people were not at peace. They were asking for materialistic things in the hope that they would finally get some peace. As time went on, it seemed as though for most, peace was not obtained and life was in the same cycle of continuously asking for more.  

These experiences led me to believe two things: 1) that materialistic objects and experiences cannot bring true peace; and 2) peace is something that is obtained internally.