“Let there be Peace on Earth, and let it begin with me.” – Jill Jackson, 1955
Heavy snow covers
But, what is this Peace we summon? A life without conflict? The cessation of hostilities between nations? Mutual harmony? Freedom from strife? Complete stillness?
In the yoga shala mantras are often followed with the ancient Vedic call for Peace, ‘Aum, Shanti … Shanti … Shanti … .” .
But what does it mean? A literal translation is ‘
So why is ‘Shanti’ repeated three times? To emphasize the importance of ‘Peace’ in everyone’s lives would be an obvious guess, yet according to the Vedas there are obstacles that prevent our realization of true Peace and they fall into three distinct categories. The repetition of ‘Shanti’ is meant to draw our awareness to these obstacles.
The following is a Vedic interpretation of ‘Aum, Shanti … Shanti … Shanti …’:
May we be protected from and enjoy the Peace that follows the removal of obstacles beyond our control (natural disasters – record snowfall, earthquakes, etc).
May we be protected from and enjoy the Peace that follows the removal of obstacles coming from the earth; anything outside ourselves – people, animals and our surroundings (noisy neighbors, barking dogs, ringing cell phones, mosquitoes).
May we be protected from and enjoy the Peace that follows the removal of obstacles coming from within our body, and our mind (anger, envy, greed, jealousy, lust).
And, finally, when correctly chanted, there is the short silent pause ( … ) that follows each repetition of ‘Shanti’. This silent pause, this moment of Peace, reminds the seeker of the desired goal. Ultimately, ego is the only obstacle to inner Peace, so the third Shanti is considered the most important one. Even if we are free of outside distractions, if we are not calm on the inside we will never know true Peace. But, once we have found inner Peace, external obstacles can ever disturb us.
Enjoy the snow (and its obstacles), the festivities of the season and as you extend holiday greetings and wishes of Peace to friends and family consider the words of Gandhi, “You must be the change you want to see in the world.” and of Albert Einstein, “Nothing that I can do will change the structure of the universe. But maybe, by raising my voice I can help the greatest of all causes – goodwill among men and Peace on Earth.”
Best wishes for Happy and Peace-filled Holidays !
Aum, Shanti … Shanti … Shanti … .
With Sincere Gratitude to His Holiness Sri Jayendra Puri Maha Swami-ji,
Sri Kailash Ashram,
