On Restlessness, Desire, and Peace of Mind

Thomas à Kempis

Whenever a man desires more than he has, he immediately becomes restless.?The proud and the greedy men are never at rest, while the humble and generous abide in the multitude of peace.?The man who is not yet at peace is frequently overcome in small and trifling matters. It is hard for the man who is restless and inclined to the pleasures of sense to withdraw himself from earthly desires.?And therefore, when he does withdraw from these, he is often sad and easily angered.

If he does not yield to his passion and is only fervent towards the life of the Spirit, then true peace of heart can be found.

We may enjoy an abundance of peace if we refrain from busying ourselves with the sayings and doings of others and things that do not concern us.?How can a man be at peace when he occupies himself with other men's matters and with things beyond his control.?Blessed are the single-hearted who attend to the Self within.?They have abundance of peace.

How did it come to pass that many of the Saints were so perfect and contemplative of Divine things??Because they steadfastly sought to shield themselves from worldly desires, they were enabled to cling with their whole heart to the One and be free and at leisure.?We are too preoccupied with our affections and too anxious about transitory things.?And so we remain lukewarm and unspiritual.

If we were fully watchful of ourselves and not bound to outward things, then we might be wise unto enlightenment and progress on the Spiritual Path.?Our mistake is that when we are not free from our desires, a little trouble comes upon us, and we are quickly upset and look to the world to give us comfort, which usually fails.

If we stood firm in our beliefs, we would see Miracles every day.?For the Universe is alway ready to help those who trust it.?Even when seeming obstacles are in the way.??If we look upon our progress in life only in outward appearances and forms, then our trust will surely erode.?All external manifestations are impermanent.?So let us take root in the Essence of life; by doing so, our souls will be at peace.

Progress on the Spiritual Path increases daily, yet sometimes we forget the first feelings of enthusiasm we had at the outset.??If we would remind ourselves at the beginning that this is a journey (and not a destination), then we will be able to do all things easily and joyfully.

It is a hard thing to break habits of mind.?Yet if you overcome slight and easy obstacles, you will be able to overcome greater ones.?Trust your intention at the beginning, and remind steadfast in your connection to the Source.

?Oh, if you only knew what peace you would have and what joy to others you would be, I think you would stay on the Path, despite any obstacles that appear to be in your way.

David Langiulli

I was restless for much of my life, and I'm not proud of it.?It's a way that I sabotaged myself and my relationships with others.

I traveled across the United States, moving from one coast to another (with a stop in the Rocky Mountains), changing jobs every four to five years.

Some restlessness was driven by the desire to learn more, grow, and improve my economic situation.

Upon reflection, I'm also aware that there was a nagging feeling that I did not fit in.

And then, in the early 2000's I started looking inward.?Meditation became a regular practice, and I became aware of the Divine Spirit within.?I did copious amounts of reading in personal development and discovered a few teachers who expanded my perspectives on Christian and Buddhist traditions.

And, here's where the good Monk hits the mark.?

He cautions us to "shield [our]selves from worldly desires, … and cling with [our] whole heart to the One."

This would be consistent with the Buddhist teachings on desire (a.k.a, craving and attachment) as a source of suffering.

Does this mean we give up all earthly possessions and retreat to a cave??Tempting as that may seem, of course not (unless you intend to become a monk).?

However, I believe that to be truly happy, we can release our attachments to outward things and, by so doing, enter into communion with the Source.

Thomas à Kempis?was a medieval monk and author of?The Imitation of Christ.

David Langiulli ?is an Author, Philosopher, and Executive Coach. This essay is an excerpt from his forthcoming book:?Wisdom from the Middle Ages for Living in Modern Times.