582 Touching peace in everyday life by Mireanda 24 Jan. 25

Touching Peace in Everyday Life

Every year, as the New Year approaches, we send and receive messages wishing health, prosperity, and peace. In a world filled with rushing, distractions, and competition, these words can feel like empty clichés.

Health can be pursued by caring for our bodies and attending to our needs. Prosperity, we’re good at pursuing! As Thich Nhat Hanh reminds us: “We’re very good at preparing to live, but not very good at living. We know how to sacrifice 10 years for a diploma, and are willing to work hard to get a job, a car, a house. But we have difficulty remembering that we are alive in the present moment.”

Peace is different. It is not something we achieve by working hard because it is already here, under the surface of our mental chatter and striving. If we settle into each moment as it arises, without adding the mental story, we realize we are peace. In Zen, there is a distinction between peace as a temporary calm and a deeper, more enduring stillness, which is serenity. Serenity remains even when life is difficult or chaotic. For this talk,  I will continue to use the word peace, but what I’m pointing to is not just the absence of conflict; it is a deeper, steadier presence; a peace that does not disappear when circumstances are challenging. As Thich Nhat Hanh says: “Every breath we take, every step we make, can be filled with peace… Peace is present right here and now. The question is whether we are in touch with it.”

When we rush, scroll endlessly, compare ourselves to others, or fill our minds with alarming news, our nervous system is trained to live in restlessness, fear, and subtle distress. Over time, that becomes our normal. But when we slow our steps, breathe gently, drink tea with awareness, speak kindly, or simply feel our body, we create new habits. These can also become our normal.

In Zen, cultivating peace involves a few key practices:

• Stop arguing with what is here. The more we fight the present moment, wishing it were different, the more we contract and suffer. Instead, try saying: “Right now, it’s like this. (Vinny Ferraro)”
• Be present with each moment: feeling the breath, each step, the water on our bodies, the food we eat. Thich Nhat Hanh reminds us: “When you eat, eat. When you walk, walk.”
• Acknowledge thoughts, then let them go. Thoughts will arise and that’s okay. Gently note: “Thinking is happening again,” and let them pass like clouds.
• Let kindness guide you. Small acts of care for yourself and others soften tension, open the heart, and allow natural joy to arise.

And particularly in difficult moments:

• Practice acceptance. Name what arises (“Sadness is here.”) and breathe into resistance. Meditation teacher Shinzen Young offers this insight: “Suffering = Pain × Resistance.” Pain is inevitable; suffering comes when we get stuck in mental clinging, aversion or judgement.
• Remember that everything is in flux. Like clouds in the sky, this moment will change, and so will our difficulties.

So, as a New Year’s resolution, let us practice being peace. We will get it wrong often, but each moment offers a new opportunity to practice. In this spirit, let us take a few conscious breaths together. Close your eyes, release tension in your body, and notice your breath. Bring your attention to your lower abdomen, your centre of gravity. When awareness rests here, the nervous system can settle, helping body and mind feel calm, grounded, and stable.