“Where there is righteousness in the heart, there is beauty in the character.
When there is beauty in the character, there is harmony in the home.
When there is harmony in the home, there is order in the nation.
When there is order in the nation, there is peace in the world.”
– A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.
Harmony typically refers to a pleasurable state of inner peace, calmness, and balance. In spirituality, a profound experience of harmony bathes us in peace, joy and love. In Hinduism, this is called Sat-Chit-Ananda meaning Truth, Consciousness, Bliss. To experience Sat-Chit-Ananda and to live day to day in universal consciousness is the goal of yoga, and Hinduism.
A first taste of inner harmony may take place in the depths of meditation, experiencing a stillness, which is both uplifting and life affirming. It seems that when we still the busyness of the mind, we uncover harmony.
So, is harmony is a hidden capacity of human consciousness? And perhaps more importantly, how can we keep a connection with harmony, how can we be more harmonious ourselves?
The ego, overflowing with opinions and bias, leads you away from harmony. It chases anything other than the present moment. It has something to prove, as if it knows more, has more, or can be more than another. When you feel cross, angry, fearful, over-protective, or withdraw and disconnect, this is the ego in action. And if you feel more or less than another human being or stop listening to the advice of others, that’s the ego too.
The ego pulls you away from the prospect of harmony, whereas the soul pulls you into balance with it. When led by the ego, you are like an addict chasing the next hit, but when you are in harmony with your soul – you act from balance, and are steered by compassion, resolution and unity.
If you make it a daily practice to notice when the ego arises, the gap between soul awareness and the ego increases, and the ego loses its grip on consciousness allowing you to increasingly oversee your thoughts, words and deeds. This creation of space between thought and awareness is the same process for anyone, because the ego is made up of superficial layers of consciousness fabricated since childhood. It’s a mask, a type of camouflage hiding your essence, a tool developed to cope with life experience, while potentially an obstruction to harmony.
The ego is a shadow of who you are, and being a shadow, it is never your true self. It is not you. It can think it is, believe it is, but it can never be you. It’s the old way of human consciousness, responsible for centuries of separation, distinction and suffering. So, if you genuinely want to wake up and contribute to life, begin by noticing when your ego appears. Laugh at it. Say ‘gotcha’! out loud. Play with it. Put it in its place. Love it to death. In time, it will step aside.
Meditation, yoga, contemplation, music, art, reading poetry, or immersing yourself in nature are some of the most common ways to reconnect with harmony and inner peace. What do you use? What could you use? What action or non-action brings you closer to calmness and peace? What brings you joy and makes you feel nurtured and whole? What allows you to be you?
Part of my life these days is volunteering at a Care Home. I have met wonderful people and heard many amazing life stories over the past two years. Owing to diminishing health and fading memories, many of the residents struggle to find peace and harmony, but the ones who do are inevitably those who accept life as it is. It seems that fighting and struggling with what-is only leads us away from harmony, whereas the acceptance of our circumstances, good or bad, draws us closer to balance and peace. Being present with your current plight, or fully immersing yourself with the task you are facing in any moment, will draw you closer to balance and the realization of infinite peace.
Some see harmony as a state that only occurs when we do nothing, but this is just one perspective. For ‘being’ in harmony while simultaneously ‘doing’, is the ultimate challenge. This magical union of being and doing only happens through practice and perseverance. When you have experienced your fair share of harmony, it dawns on you that it is always here. Being the heart of what you are, it doesn’t come and go, and is always present beneath the busyness of daily life. If it’s always here, ask yourself, what is getting in the way? Or rather… who?
Experience proves harmony is always here. When outer layers of identity are dropped, and we relax into inner being, there it is. There you find unconditional peace, stillness and love. And in that space, you don’t just feel harmony, you become harmony, for in your most liberated state there is simply uninterrupted wholeness, the oneness of life.
If you practice connecting to harmony, the day will come when you will no longer need proof it is here. Then, you will have developed the discernment to know that all difficulties, anxieties, sufferings and fears you face in life, are just passing clouds, and harmony is the shining sun, always here, always bright, always you. Always.
Article by More to Life Elder – Jonathan Harrison
Article published in More to Life – Edition 68
