I saw peace in the lives of spiritual Masters. Many were given names that ended in Ananda, which means, “peace and bliss.” My life has been a roller-coaster ride. How could I get peace? I thought I could experience it by sitting in silence and by staying away from situations that disturbed my peace. I went into early retirement to work on attaining peace. I travelled and hung around many sages and saints. After doing all that, there was no permanent peace. One of my Masters started calling me “Satchid,” which means a person who has experienced the truth and can tap into the inner wisdom. I used to think it was to inspire me. Yet, He never mentioned Ananda, eternal peace and bliss. Until yesterday, I never understood what He meant. “My boy, if you have the absolute truth and the wisdom that goes with it, bliss is only a by-product.” I finally got it. For example, if you are indulging in chocolate, you do not seek sweetness. It is automatic. If you understand that this whole world is a dream within a dream, how can something disturb your peace? We let everything disturb us because we think it is real. Profit and loss, birth and death, credit and blame—all the things that disturb us are only illusions. I did not have to leave my business to discover this. Now I can be completely involved in anything without getting affected. I do not have to travel with Masters or live in an ashram. Peace and bliss come from the grace of knowing the play of life, not just sitting for hours in meditation, but watching the show of life. Everyone and everything is created so you do not get bored with peace. Only peace will not make me alive. I need things to push my buttons to test if my peace and bliss can be disturbed. I thank all my Masters who have shown me the way to eternal peace and bliss. — Satish Daryanani
