Expert: Justin Choo - 10/22/2009

Question
If the world is real and Buddhists believe that we must come at peace with ourselves to find a tranquility, does that mean that we are all meant to be a piece of perfection?
-How are we supposed to come at peace with ourselves and nature?

Answer
Hi Alicia,

Buddhists would regard this body as an imperfection, with all its flaws especially sickness and old age.  

When Buddhists say they must find peace within themselves, it means that peace is not to be found outside but inside us.  The outside environment is something beyond our control.  External factors do not always favour us.  That is why we always complain of this and that, when things don't go our way.  Nature is such, but we fail to see nature as such.  We want nature and other environmental and external factors to suit us.  Then we will be very happy.  

Reality is not like the above scenario.  The real nature of things is not to suit us and to make us happy.  So in order to have peace we have to realize this real nature of existence, and come to terms and accept them as they are.  Then we don't impose conditions on life, neither do we expect things to be the way we want them to be.  Just like The Beetles' song "Let it be, Let it be!"

When we don't have expectation and demand, we are at peace with the world, with nature, with ourselves.  We flow with the order of things, whatever comes to being, will end in due course.  So are we.

Take care.

Justin Choo