What Is Inside Of You? Peace and Happiness? Or Stress and Turmoil?

By Keith A. Shaw

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Yesterday, I saw Jack LaLanne on a television program. Yes, the 94-year old fitness expert and inspiration to millions and millions of people is still going strong. In the closing remarks for the interview, Jack left his audience with the following thought. “You are responsible for everything you do - both on the outside and also inside of you.”

But what is inside of YOU? It is said that Michelangelo saw in every rough block of marble a thing of beauty. And with his vision and master hand he would carefully bring it into reality. And just like that rough block of marble, within each and every one of us, there sleeps a marvelous image awaiting the master hand of faith and the chisel of patience to bring it into view. When that marvelous image is revealed and realized it manifests itself as pure and selfless love.

Pure and selfless love is not always easy to find, but it is there. It is hidden deep in every human heart, and is frequently covered up with a hard and almost impenetrable fortress. It is the truth in man. It is that which is real and enduring. All else changes and passes away. To realize this love by continuous effort and practice of goodwill to others, to live in and become fully conscious in it, is to enter into a state of serenity, peace and happiness.

To fully understand the lesson I want to leave you with you must first understand the difference between human love and divine love.

Human love clings to material objects while excluding everything else. The attachment becomes so strong that when a material object is taken away or denied, the result is great and deep suffering. For example, look at all the people who are so attached to their iPods, cell phones, as well as overpriced coffee drinks that they will literally just “die” without them. If you want some real-life examples, just turn on any “Judge (insert name here)” television show! You will see people suing each other, left and right, over inanimate, material objects!

In contrast, divine love is distinguished from human love in this supremely important way - it is free from partiality and prejudice. On the subject Mother Teresa said, “If you judge people, you have no time to love them.”

What is more, divine love embraces the whole universe without clinging to any part of it. Those who achieve divine love come to it by gradually purifying and broadening their human loves until all the selfish and impure elements are removed. Because human love is narrow and confined and mingled with selfishness it causes suffering. No suffering can result from divine love as it is so absolutely pure that it seeks nothing for itself.

To reach, understand and experience this love, you must work with great persistence and diligence upon your heart and mind. Benjamin Franklin said, “Energy and persistence conquer all things.” You must be patient and keep your faith strong. As with a sculptor’s block of marble, there is much to remove and much to accomplish before the beautiful image inside the marble block is revealed.

When you strive to reach and to achieve both patience and wisdom, expect to be challenged along the way. And, it is absolutely necessary that you are. A couple of things to expect:

1) Realize that no one arrives there on the first attempt, and
2) At times, as you proceed, all your work will seem to be futile.

Now and then a setback may discourage you, and perhaps when you think your work is almost completed and you have been successful, you will find what was imagined to be the beautiful image that is divine love did not appear. When this happens, you must tap into your indomitable spirit, and begin again with your prior learning and experiences to guide and help you. You must also recognize that there is no such thing as defeat. All failures are deceptive and not real. Every slip, every fall, every return to selfishness is a lesson learned. Gain from your experience and utilize the failures as stepping stones on your pathway to higher things.

These failures are like guiding voices that tell you plainly and simply where you are weak and need improvement. When you begin to carefully watch your actions, you will learn from your experience what you need to work on, and what needs to be removed out of your heart to move closer to the goal of selfless love.

As you proceed each day, you will gradually detach yourself from your inner selfishness. The love that is selfless will gradually become revealed to you. For example, when you are growing patient and calm, your anger and irritabilities pass away from you and the more powerful negative desires and prejudices cease to dominate you. It is then you will know that the divine is awakening within you. You will draw nearer to the eternal heart and selfless love, the possession of which is peace and serenity.