The modern age has witnessed violence as never before. It is because people do not possess a complete ideology that favours peace. Adhering to peace is possible only when there is a powerful justification for peace, whereas the sole justification for violence is the force of public sentiment. While violence is instinctive, peace calls for strict mental discipline and self-control to be exercised. Man needs a complete ideology of peace. An ideology of peace acquires meaningfulness only in God’s plan of creation. The present world has been designed by its Creator as a testing ground for humanity, in which man has been granted complete freedom of will. However, this freedom is not meant to produce anarchy. Its objective is to demonstrate whether man, despite having total freedom, can lead a disciplined life. The test of a man is that he raises himself from the level of amorality to the level of human ethics; despite experiencing feelings of hatred and having the urge to be violent, he should become the embodiment of love and peace. When negative sentiments corrode his heart, he should be able to rid himself of them and make himself a positive thinker. Despite possessing total freedom, he should become an example of moral, disciplined behaviour of his own free will. Understanding the creation plan of God, one finds a complete ideology of peace, following which one can exercise strict mental discipline and self-control. It is the beginning of a peaceful society. Those who thus conduct themselves in this manner will pass God’s test and be selected by the Lord, the Creator and Sustainer of this universe, as the beneficiaries of eternal paradise.
Kindly give some tips for inner peace, contentment and happiness. This is a universal question. Every person asks this question. Be it a religious or secular person, Muslim or non-Muslim.
What is the right answer to this?
You have to know that there are certain things which are achievable, while some are not achievable in this world. Everyone, be it Muslim or non-Muslim, Indian or American, are trying to achieve what is not achievable in this world. This leads to confusion and discontentment. Every person runs after what is not achievable. One can find peace only in contentment, and nothing else. Contentment means to be satisfied with what you have, and not seek achievement. There are two words: achievement and contentment.
One is to try to achieve fulfilment of all your desires. This is not possible, whether you stay in India, or America and Europe. You will never be able to achieve all your desires. People run from here to there only to fulfil their desires. They are never able to fulfil their desires, not even in America or Europe. They remain disturbed. We have peace of mind here in India. But people don’t find this peace even in foreign countries. You get peace of mind once you understand that you will get all that you want in Paradise, not in this world.
For example, I love to go for a walk. I walk daily in the park. If I am travelling first class in the airplane, I cannot walk there. I will not get a park to walk in the airplane. How will I get peace of mind there? By accepting that there cannot be a park in the airplane. This is why, I won't be able to walk. God has made this world not so that all your desires be fulfilled here. This world is a testing ground. Here everything is a test paper. Your health is a test paper. Your illness is a test paper. Being poor and wealthy are both test papers. Having power is a test. Being powerless is a test. Everything is a test. When people make houses, they write: This is by the grace of my Lord. This is wrong. Your house is not grace from God, rather it is a test paper. If a person does not realize that he will find peace, pleasure and comfort only in Paradise, he will remain troubled even if he has billions of dollars.
