Quest for Peace: Peace Is the Natural Balance

by Amrik Binapal

Overview

The fast pace of the technological development during the past about two decades, particularly in television and information technology, has put up such an enormous and sudden pressure on the human mind that the man of today has difficulty bearing it. Quest for Peace examines the gap between the reality and the illusions of life that is widening every day. Mans desire for material things has increased to the extent that we are not able to make the right choices and maintain the correct balance in our lives.

Science has delivered many wonderful things to us, but we have lost the peace and calm of a less harried life. We are just running without knowing what exactly we need and what we don't need. The moral values that might help to balance the situation seem to have taken a back seat to the fast pace of today's world. In his poetry collection, Quest for Peace, author Amrik Binapal chronicles his innermost thoughts based upon his life experiences with the hope that it might ease the pressure of everyday life for everyone.

Work Hard and Stay Humble

Only after experiencing

Pain and hardship,

Do we realize,

Peace and its true essence.

Only after surviving

Destruction and death,

Do we understand and appreciate,

The real value of life.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798893760606
Publisher:	Leap Write Literary
Publication date:	06/09/2024
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	242
File size:	828 KB

About the Author

Mr Binapal is a retired mechanical engineer. For thirty-one years, he worked in a very big industrial unit that makes power-generating equipment.He lost his wife in March of 1991. He has two grown-up children, a daughter and a son. Both are married and have two children each. Presently both his children are practicing physicians in the state of Georgia. Mr Binapal by now has published a total of nine books out of which four books are in his native language Punjabi and the other five are in English.The conclusions drawn and the truths perceived in writing these books are not just hearsay. These have emerged from the very personal and practical experiences of a life lived through serious conflicts and deadly distractions. He now enjoys his retired life and feels very much satisfied and blessed.Although a Sikh by religion, he loves to read all kinds of Holy Scriptures and attends most denominations of churches in his local area.

Read an Excerpt

Quest For Peace

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By Amrik Binapal

iUniverse, Inc.

Copyright © 2012 Amrik Binapal
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4697-7363-6

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Chapter One

    1. Sweet Memories Of My Wife

    We are just moving,
    Moving without an end,
    Nothing stays with us.
    What remain
    Are just the memories of some people
    Who touched us as waves.

    To have had a glimpse of
    The most beautiful
    And blissful Lord—
    When I looked deep
    Into her beautiful eyes,

    I saw my longtime, separated wife.

    With her weary and wistful eyes,
    She was stoically looking at me.
    Looking at the dead and dry old statue.

    With her deep desire
    To embrace me, to hug me,
    She opened up her arms
    And moved closer to me.

    Totally immersed in
    A most blissful—
    And of its own kind of state of mind—
    I opened up my arms, too,
    In response.

    But when I moved
    Closer to her
    To take her into my arms,
    She slipped away.

    She was no longer there.

    And I was left alone
    Once again.
    I was left alone.

    It opened up my eyes.

    Perhaps this is a dream,
    I was sadly and silently thinking.
    But, why is it that even the dreams slip away?

    I am unable to make it out.

    Why can't, at least, our dreams stay with us?


    2. Spirit of Oneness

    I can very well
    Feel and understand
    The pain of others,

    Because

    I can very well
    Feel and understand
    The pain inside!

    The intensity
    Of pain and suffering
    By the prick of a thorn in the foot
    Is not different
    For a rich or a poor,
    An elephant or an ant.

    Transcending the level of
    Bodies and minds,
    The pain and suffering
    Is felt and understood
    To the same pitch
    At the level of soul,
    Being same in everyone.

    Power or position,
    Size or shape,
    Color or creed,
    Region or religion,
    Make no difference.

    The intensity
    Of the cries of King Dasratha
    At the separation and dethroning of
    His son Rama,

    The intensity
    Of the cries of Lord Rama
    At the separation by death
    Of His Beloved wife Sita
    Was in no way different
    To the cries of an ordinary poor man
    At the loss of his sick child or beloved wife
    Due to his inability
    To afford the cost of
    Needed nourishments and medicines.


    3. Significance of Life

    Life—
    Long or short—
    Is insignificant.

    Life—
    As much as it is—
    Should be
    Beautiful,
    Peaceful,
    And blissful.

    Not How long?
    Or How short?
    But How best?
    Is significant.

    Life
    Is the beauty of sharing,
    Giving and taking,
    Smiling and singing,
    Serving and praying.

    The twinkle of stars
    And the serenity of lily flowers,
    Is cool and comforting.
    Whereas
    The sight of an oak tree
    Is unpleasant and hurtful.


    4. Purpose of My Life

    There are countless kinds of flowers,
    Countless varieties of creatures,
    In His garden.

    There are countless kinds of
    Bushes and thorns too.

    This is His arrangement of the things.

    Whatever He has fixed
    Is with some special purpose,
    And only He knows it better.

    Nothing is insignificant,
    Or less significant.

    He loves everybody equally.

    The purpose of my life
    Is not to disturb his arrangements,
    Not to disturb the natural balance.

    The purpose of my life
    Is to understand, adjust and align
    And work in a way
    Which pleases me,
    Which pleases Him.
    And a sweet melody follows.

    The purpose of my life
    Is not to win over
    The kingdoms of this world.

    And also not to run away
    From living in this world.

    The purpose of my life
    Is to steer the boat clear,
    Against all the odds of this world,
    And stay focused on Him.

    Enjoy His beauty as:
    A lotus flower in the pond.
    A duck crossing the lake.


    5. I Am Just His Flute

    What did I say yesterday?
    I don't know.

    What did I say today?
    I don't know.

    What will I say tomorrow?
    I don't know.

    But this much I do know:

    Whatever my Father says,
    And whenever He says it,
    I convey it to you,
    Comma by comma,
    Period by period,
    There and then.

    I am just His flute,
    A conveyer belt.
    Whatever way He chooses to use me,
    It is His choice,
    It is His sweet will.

    I do not want to keep
    Anything else
    Stored up and accumulated
    In my mind,
    Other than His sweet will.

    I want to keep His guesthouse clean—
    All the time, clean and ready.

    Whatever I said,
    Whatever I say,
    Or whatever I will say,
    May be right or wrong,
    True or false—
    I don't know.

    You are free
    To draw you own conclusions.

    You are free
    To pass your own judgments.

    You will hail me
    Or you will assail me,

    You will use me
    Or you will abuse me,

    I don't know.


    6. Some Fundamental Questions

    If a man

    Inhabiting
    Just one small muddy hut,

    Wearing
    Just one piece of cloth,

    Eating
    The most simple foods,

    Can
    Bear the public beatings,

    Can
    Bear all sorts of physical and mental
    Torture, abuses, and insults,

    And with all that,

    Can
    Maintain his calm,
    Sing praises, and smile,

    Can
    Stay happy and healthy,
    Have a sound sleep,

    And
    Be recognized as the father of a nation,

    Why can't we do something
    A little better
    Than whatever we are doing now?

    What happened to us?

    Where did we lose the moral abundance?
    And what for?

    It is the conviction,
    My dear—
    Not the body or the mind—
    Which truly defines a man.

    It is the flavor,
    My dear—
    Not the body, size, or shape—
    Which truly defines a flower.

    It is the real rose,
    My dear—
    Not a paper flower—
    Which is remembered
    For spreading its flavor
    Among the thorny bushes
    That surround it.


    7. Journey of My Life

    The day I lost my wife
    And was left alone,
    Was, in fact, the first day
    I realized the truth.
    I was nothing.
    I am nothing.
    I will be nothing.

    A dry and dead wood,
    Not capable of baking
    Even one slice of bread
    For others.

    A liability,
    A bundle of garbage
    For others to pick up.

    Through the journey of my life,
    All alone
    And far from others,
    I passed through a number of
    Very long and severe mental depressions.

    I felt tired, exhausted, and completely broken.
    From a close range,
    I saw my own death and destruction
    A number of times.

    But I survived.
    I stayed alive.
    Something inside me kept me alive.

    It was, perhaps,
    The spirit of fatherhood.

    But this, too,
    Proved to be an illusion
    At a time when there was nothing left to say.
    Other than to accept the truth that
    The journey of this life,
    Which starts from nothing,
    Finally ends in nothing.

    Naked we come into this world.
    And naked we go from this world.

    The purpose of the journey
    Is to leave some permanent footprints
    For future generations to follow.

    The glory is that of God in us,
    Which spreads and stays in the atmosphere.

    The glory is not of the earthly materials—
    Not of the bodies—,
    Which are finally consumed by fires,
    And vanish into the sand of graves.


    8. My Prayer

    Oh my kind and merciful Lord!

    Give me the strength always
    To keep me cool but active,
    To do Thy will.

    Give me the strength
    To bear all kinds of insults and abuses
    From those who are stressed,
    From those with broken hearts,
    From all those
    Who have never been loved
    And seek Your love.

    Lift me up from the vengeful.
    And fill me up
    With the spirit of kindness
    And forgiveness.

    Help me, and bless me in turn,
    To do something good for them.

    Give me the strength always
    To stay on the path of righteousness.

    And to steer my boat clear
    Of the whirlwinds of the sea,
    Of the wildness of the jungle,
    To Thy kingdom.

    On this journey of my life,
    I should never lose
    My patience and my peace.
    Never feel tired, broken, or depressed.

    Maintain high spirits all the time.
    Remain focused on You all the time.

    I thank you, Lord, for all the mercy.


    9. Please Keep Me Away

    I pray to You,
    My Lord.
    I pray to You
    From my heart.

    Please keep me away
    From the company of all those
    With whom
    I have nothing in common

    Those
    Who don't understand me
    And trust me,

    Those
    Who cannot accept me
    As I am.

    Also, please keep me away
    From the company of all those
    Who are totally indifferent, unconcerned,
    And thankless to their fellow beings,
    Even their parents.

    In each hour of every day,
    Who expect to hear their own self-praises,
    Like elementary-school kids.

    I pray to You, My Lord.
    I pray to You
    From my heart.

    Please keep me ever closer
    To those
    In whose company
    I may stay always focused on You.
    To those
    Who understand me,
    Like me,
    Love me,
    And trust me.
    As I am.


    10. Best Role to Play

    The best role to play,
    In beautifying this world,
    Is to know thyself,
    Understand thyself,
    Adjust thyself,
    Improve thyself,
    And try to be
    A role model.

    Align thyself with
    The laws of Nature
    And try always to
    Preserve the natural balance.

    Remember always,
    We are among the most important
    Links in the chain.

    We need to be strong links.
    We need to remain strong links
    And keep the chain always connected.

    If a link is broken,
    The chain is broken.

    If the chain is broken,
    Everything is broken.

    Therefore,
    Let us set some good examples
    And leave some permanent footprints
    For others to follow.

    Reforming the world
    Is the function of God.

    Reforming the self
    Is ours.

    Reforming the world is beyond our capacity.
    But, reforming ourselves is well within reach.

    Reforming the self is
    The biggest and the most valuable contribution
    In reforming the world.

    Let us not try to outsmart, please.
    Nor should we make excuses
    Or beat around the bush.

    Let us straight-away follow
    The rules of the game.
    Be honest in letter and spirit,
    And stay humble as we follow
    The path of righteousness.


    11. The Key to Success

    The very thought of
    Simple living
    Is refreshing.

    High thinking
    Adds to its beauty
    And makes it perfect.

    Simple living
    Sheds all extra toxins
    From the body and the mind.

    It sets us free
    From the excessive attachments
    Of this illusionary world.
    And it makes us
    Agile, mobile, and buoyant.

    High thinking
    Opens the doors to His wisdom,
    To the beauty and expanse of nature.

    Simple living and high thinking
    Connects
    Both the material and spiritual worlds
    Most beautifully and most economically.

    The union of these two—
    Of simple living and high thinking—
    Leads and establishes us
    Into the everlasting bliss,
    The kingdom of God,
    We remember as
    Success.


    12. Follow the Sun

    If you really wish
    To steer the boat clear
    Out of the whirlwinds of sea,
    To her safe destination,

    You just need
    To keep your mind focused
    Straight on the sun.

    Never on the shadows.

    Shadows will lead you nowhere.

    Go on struggling
    Non-stop, uninterrupted,
    By anything else around.
    Just follow the sun.
    Surely, you will be blessed.

    Those who follow the shadows
    Stay confused and stuck
    In the creeping clouds of darkness,
    In the foggy illusion and duality of the mind.


    13. I Am a Firm Believer

    No one
    Can shake my confidence in Him.

    No one
    can steer me away from Him.

    I may rise,
    I may fall.

    I may succeed,
    I may fail.

    I may win,
    I may lose.

    I may live,
    I may die.

    Somebody may use me,
    Somebody may abuse me.

    Somebody may accept me,
    Somebody may reject me.

    I am who I am.
    I cannot change who I am.
    I want to stay who I am.
    I feel proud of who I am.

    I am a firm believer.

    No one
    Can shake my confidence in Him.

    No one
    Can distract me from Him.


    14. In Search of a Living God

    Yes,
    I am in search of a living God.

    The God in flesh and blood like me,
    Who can
    Hear, think, pull my ears, make me cry,
    And finally, hug me, and embrace me.

    The God in flesh and blood, like me,
    Who is
    Insistent, consistent, and persistent.

    Who can look beyond my faults
    And always improve me.

    The God with whom
    I can sit at ease,
    Look straight in His eye,
    Open up my heart
    And show Him
    Whole of my inner being,
    All the hidden spots,
    White, black, blue, or red
    And ask His advice
    As to how to be
    Crystal clear and spotless once again.

    Exactly as I was
    When I was born,
    When I was a little child.

    Yes, I am in search of a God,
    Who is in Himself
    Spotless and clear, like the sun.

    The Lord of Lords.
    The King of Kings.

    Sitting with whom
    The age-old desires and hungers,
    The fears and anxieties,
    Get Into oblivion.
    And I am established in peace,
    for all the time.

    After that, there is no
    Need to look for any other God.

    I do hope to find one
    Before I go sleep.


    15. My Farmhouse

    In search of
    The Lord of peace and bliss, My beloved ;
    I left my farmhouse
    And travelled all the world.

    I lifted all the heavy burdens,
    Turned all the stones
    To please Him
    And achieve Him.

    I struggled whole of my life
    But in vain

    Finally coming back to my farmhouse
    Thorougly exhausted, sad and depressed,
    Somebody told me,

    "Searching you,
    Your Beloved, Lord;
    The Lord of your peace and bliss,
    Was every day visiting your place
    To see you
    And stay with you
    Permanenty for all the times."

    Oh God!
    The words were instantly there on my lips.
    It made me stunned to hear it!

    Attracted by the glow of materials,
    The little frog of a well,
    Living very peacefully
    With his family and friends in the well,
    Jumped into the abundance and vastness
    Of the sea.

    The poor little creature
    Lost his way
    His identity, His kingship,
    And became a stranger
    For all the time.
    He died dreaming of the place of his birth.


    16. Last Wish

    Yes, my dear,
    I wish to lose.

    So that
    Everybody else around me,
    Wins.
    Be happy and enjoy his life.

    This is really what I wish.
    This is really what I hope.
    This is really who I am.

    Let me please tell you
    Very clearly,

    I was nothing.
    I am nothing.

    Zero. Absolute zero.

    I came with nothing.
    I lived with nothing.
    I will go back with nothing.

    And I am proud of this nothing.

    I came crying.
    Surely, I know it.

    I wish to go smiling,
    Singing, and celebrating.

    So I wish to lose and become
    Totally weightless,
    Forever and ever.

    I believe it, because,

    Only this can set me free.
    Only this can make me fly,
    High in the skies.

    Only this can make me swim safely
    Across the oceans of this world.

    Success is not always the victory.

    Success sometimes is
    Gracefully accepting the so-called defeat.

(Continues...)

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Excerpted from Quest For Peace by Amrik Binapal Copyright © 2012 by Amrik Binapal. Excerpted by permission of iUniverse, Inc.. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Table of Contents

Contents

Preface....................ix
Dedication....................xi
Acknowledgements....................xiii
1. Sweet Memories Of My Wife....................2
2. Spirit of Oneness....................4
3. Significance of Life....................6
4. Purpose of My Life....................7
5. I Am Just His Flute....................9
6. Some Fundamental Questions....................11
7. Journey of My Life....................13
8. My Prayer....................15
9. Please Keep Me Away....................17
10. Best Role to Play....................19
11. The Key to Success....................21
12. Follow the Sun....................23
13. I Am a Firm Believer....................24
14. In Search of a Living God....................26
15. My Farmhouse....................28
16. Last Wish....................30
17. Celebrate, Please Celebrate My Death....................32
18. Prayer for Fellow Beings....................36
19. It Is Your Attitude....................37
20. Real Miracle....................38
21. You Are Special....................41
22. Never, Ever Blame the Sun....................44
23. Fourth Attraction....................45
24. Focus of Attention....................47
25. Light and Darkness....................50
26. Just This Much Worry Is Enough....................52
27. You Can't Force Things....................53
28. God Fixed Everything with Some Special Purpose....................54
29. Fix Thy One Reference....................56
30. Body, Mind and Soul....................58
31. Role of the Mind....................59
32. Guaranteed Cure....................61
33. Hear and Follow Your Own Inner Voice....................62
34. Work Hard and Stay Humble....................64
35. Shoot the Bird Straight....................66
36. You Are Where Your Mind Is....................69
37. Clean the Bottle Thoroughly....................72
38. Qualities of Humility and Forgiveness....................74
39. Those who are fully immersed in Him....................75
40. Don't Neglect Anyone....................76
41. Do Not Get Stuck....................77
42. Patience....................79
43. Stay Right at Your Place....................80
44. Follow Thy Master's Will....................82
45. Practice, Don't Merely Preach....................85
46. We Can Only Co-Exist....................87
47. I Am in Search of a Friend....................90
48. You Will Never Feel Alone....................93
49. Trust Is the Holiest Bond....................94
50. Courage of Convictions....................96
51. Spirit of Self-Confidence....................100
52. How Does My God Look?....................101
53. This Simple Explanation of God Is Enough....................102
54. My God and His Place of Residence....................103
55. He Is So Kind....................105
56. God Is a Slave, too....................106
57. Grace of God....................107
58. God Is Not the Monopoly of Some....................110
59. Union with God....................113
60. Cycle of Nature....................114
61. Truth and Love Is Always Full....................116
62. Truth as I Perceived It....................117
63. Spirit of Ultimate Truth....................119
64. My Religion....................121
65. The Hope....................124
66. Easter Day Prayer....................127
67. Politics....................130
68. Everlasting Peace....................132
69. Fittest Survive....................135
70. Blush of Anger....................137
71. Five Passions of Mind....................140
72. Do Not Fear Me....................141
73. You Are the Maker or the Breaker....................143
74. Serve through the Visible One....................147
75. Opening Up of the Third Eye....................150
76. Three-Legged Stool....................151
77. The Man of The Day....................153
78. The Man and the Machine....................154
79. Endangered Species....................156
80. Pollution....................157
81. We Are Just Running....................158
82. Science, Research, and Development....................159
83. Religion and Politics....................161
84. Conflict and Compromise....................163
85. Politics of Vote and Dollar....................166
86. Democracy....................168
87. -Isms of the World....................170
88. Politics of Groups....................173
89. Freedom of Thought and Action....................174
90. Freedom and Responsibility....................178
91. Law....................180
92. A Perfect Human Being....................182
93. Your Ways and My Ways Are Different....................183
94. Most Sacred Relationship....................185
95. Spirit of Love....................188
96. Learn to Live within Your Means....................190
97. Real Beauty and Real Decoration....................194
98. Travel Light....................196
99. Reaping a Good Quality Harvest....................199
100. Equipoise....................201
101. Pleasure And Pain....................203
102. Heaven and Hell....................205
103. The Beauty of Living in the Moment....................207
104. Life is Not Child's Play....................209
105. Don't Stay Lazy....................210
106. Indulgence and Abstinence....................213
107. Too Much of Wisdom and Intelligence....................215
108. Yes, I Am Truly Blessed....................218
109. What Does This World Really Need Today?....................221
About the Author....................223