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Article XCIV: Everyday Practice of Vedanta

"If a man is called to be a streetsweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the host of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a great streetsweeper who did his job well." Martin Luther King

Each person finds solace and peace in various ways. Different people find joy in music, education, friendship, service, art, romance, work, sport, travel, and the list goes on and on. One can find peace in time dedicated to prayer, worship, or meditation. However, each of these aspects of life only lasts for a transient amount of time. Vedanta directs one to realize the source of that joy and to experience infinite and eternal bliss.

The infinite and eternal peace of enlightenment is not unrelated to that joy, which people find in different aspects of their lives. Enlightenment represents a deepening of that joy and a constant experience of that joy. Peace in prayer or meditation need not only be present during that dedicated time. Instead, one can aspire to expand that peace into other aspects of one's life. Certainly, some aspects in life are more amenable to experience that peace. But ultimately, enlightenment is experience of peace in every aspect of life.

The concept of mindfulness is prominent in Buddhism and applies in Vedanta as well. Throughout every thought and action each day, one can be mindful of infinite peace and bliss. In every action, whether large or small, one can aspire for peace and perfection. One can take a shower with peace, work with peace, walk the dog with peace, serve others with peace, talk to friends with peace, love with peace, eat dinner with peace, and sleep with peace. By being mindful of one's Self and the Divine within, one can expand the peace from joyful aspects of life so that bliss fills all aspects of life. From dharma comes moksha!

East-West Counseling & Meditation -- Modern Psychiatry Integration -- Himalayan Philosophy -- Penn & Stanford Medicine
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