The PEACE that passeth all understanding...

Two things fill my mind with ever new and increasing wonder and awe, the more often and the more constantly reflection concentrates upon them: The starry heaven above me and the moral law within me.

Immanuel Kant (1724-1804)

Looking up to the starry heaven since primordial times, man must have felt in his own heart a resonance of his inner essence with the harmony and peace of the Cosmic. Thus the spiritual impulse found expression and made man erect the first altar. From that time on, man was on his way home. Although often only dimly felt inside, he yearns to be integrated back into the COSMIC Order, because he feels that this is his true SOURCE and ORIGIN.

On this search man has explored and conquered his outer world, but not been able to feel "at home" in it. Now he wonders why, in all his mastery of the external world, he has never been able to live in peace with his fellow beings on this planet.

Man doesn’t know who he is or why he is here or how he can live in peace.

When man decides to search for the meaning of his existence, he changes his direction from the horizontal to the vertical dimension. He begins to explore the inner world of his consciousness. He tries to find within himself that peace he was never able to establish in the outer world. This inner peace is described in the sacred texts as “the PEACE which transcends our understanding”. It seems to be a mark of all religious endeavours and be true for all human beings.

We often experience a stage of profound peace at night. In deep sleep, when our personal identity is forgotten, we find a peace that is much different from our waking state. It seems that when the outer personality, the ego, is not active we enter into a realm of peace and joy; a state in which the body repairs and rejuvenates itself. Now we ask: Who is the experiencer and who is the witness in deep sleep? There must be "something" because, when we wake up, we are still aware of this state. Who is there? Who am I, when I don’t identify with my outer personality? I don’t cease to be..... Something is there although I don't quite know what it is.

Every morning when we “think” we wake up, we actually fall “asleep” to our higher Self and identify again with our outer self. We “fall” back into a lower vibrational plane which we call the material world.

Here we approach a mystery. We seem to have two identities: a "me" which identifies us with our body; and another “I” which, whatever it is, is not bound to the material world.

Once you have noticed that you can observe the “me” and distinguish it from the observing “I”, your view of “reality” changes. You have discovered your higher Self. Now you have a choice: With which Self will you identify? Will you be able to release the conditioning thoughts about the "me" you “thought” you were and take the leap into the vast unknown world of your own unrestricted unconsciousness? You can read and listen to what others who have traveled the same path might tell you "about" that journey, but you will never know unless you perform that act of ultimate self-sacrifice and re-identify with your spiritual Self.

How can this state of calm and profound PEACE which is experienced in deep sleep be maintained and experienced consciously in the waking state?

Re-member you are a spiritual being, a part of a Spiritual Infinite Consciousness, which is manifesting as the “I” in you and as the “I” in me. It is the same ONE DIVINE CONSCIOUSNESS expressing ITSELF everywhere. If we could only awaken from our sleep of separation and limitation, we should realise the vastness of the Universe which is our real Self.

The more we are able to let go of our attachment to our outer selves and acknowledge our spiritual inner SELF, the higher we shall rise into the spiritual realms. We can do so by QUESTIONING EVERYTHING. Asking WHAT IS? and accepting the answers we receive are two sides of the same coin? We gradually come to learn that the spiritual realm is a world of PEACE, ORDER AND HARMONY, where all opposites are united into ONENESS. Under the guidance of our inner Self, we shall experience that PEACE which passeth all understanding.

To bring forth in us and through us the PEACE of the Spirit, it is necessary to be still in mind and body, so that in that silence the rhythm of the universe can flow forth as harmony. Listen to the still voice inside you: BE STILL AND KNOW that I AM!

In the Russian language the word “Mir” is synonymous with peace and the Universe. Here we have the touchstone for the truth. The Universe and peace are indivisible, because their essence is of a spiritual nature. There is ONE spiritual Universe which IS Peace and Harmony.

Peace Profound is a characteristic of the Universe, the INFINITE, the COSMIC, "MIR" and "mir". The peaceful endeavor of the spirit of man is united in ONE and the same CONSCIOUSNESS with the UNIVERSE. This whole universe is simply the objectification of a single causal agent. This causal agent is GOD. The "something" in you that says "I AM" is identical with the "something" in me that says "I AM". We are not GOD, but we are GOD exiled for a little while into the forgetfulness of our true SELF, yet soon to awaken to the full measure of our splendour and glory. When we realize our inner spiritual SELF, we finally understand that we are immortal and eternal.