A Word from Dr. Simon

Peace is the fruit of a life lived in present moment awareness. It is a precious commodity, for our human minds are programmed to obsess perpetually over the past and prepare relentlessly for an uncertain future. Parents and teachers reinforce this tendency, measuring children’s success by how much history they can regurgitate, while believing they are best served by preparing them to control their destiny. The outcome of this mind-set is a modicum of security and an almost anesthetic sense of predictability.

What if we decided that the purpose of life was the expansion of happiness? We’d then teach our children to make choices based upon what brought them joy, love, and meaning. We would teach them not to waste time in repetitive behaviors that constrict their hearts and numb their souls. We’d use words in their presence like bliss, delight, euphoria, and ecstasy and would teach them through our choices that the best way to serve God is to expand happiness.

Peace is birthed from the womb of a quiet mind. Meditation is peace technology. The most common explanations I hear for why people do not practice meditation are, “I’m too busy," "I’ve got too much to do to sit still," and "I never seem to have enough time.” Realize this: Your ability to project into the future means you’ll never finish everything on your plate. Peace is not the outcome of having completed your work. It is the natural consequence of knowing that time and individuality are constructs of the mind.

To glimpse the peace that passes understanding, go to a natural place, close your eyes, center in your heart, and tune into the sounds surrounding you. Listen to the birds declaring their presence, the breath of the wind or the murmuring flow of a stream. Notice the tendency of your mind to pull you forward into something you have to do before you can rest in the present. Awareness of this tendency gave birth to the science of yoga, defined by Maharishi Patanjali as the “quieting of the thought waves of awareness.” Knowing what you know to be true, choose to spend a few moments each day cultivating peace. Your mind, heart, body, family, and friends will share in the prize.

With love,
David