The Place ofPeace.^61
dresses,engrossus; old joysandsorrows,with
newfaces,seize us. "The tumultuous senses
and organs hurry away by force the heart."
And so once morewe begin towear out our
livesbypettycares,petty disputes,petty long-
ings,pettydisappointments.
Must this be always so? Since we must
liveintheworldandplayourpartinitsdrama
of life, must webe at the mercy of all these
passing objects? Or, though we must dwell
among them in place andbe surroundedwith
themintime,canwe findthe Place of Peace,
as thoughwewere far away? Wecan,and
this is the truth that underlies the superficial
answerwehavealreadyfound.
ManisanImmortalBeing,cladinagarbof
flesh, which is vivified and moved bydesires
andpassions,andwhichheImks to himselfby
athreadof hisimmortal nature. Thisthread
is the mind, and this mind, unsubdued and
inconstant, wanders out among the things of
earth, ismoved bypassionsand desires,hopes
and fears, longs to taste all cups of sense-
delights,isdazzledanddeafenedbytheradiance
andthetumultofitssurroundings. And thus,
as Arjuna complained, the "mind is full of
agitation, turbulent, strong, and obstinate."
Abovethiswhirlingmind,sereneandpassionless
