The First Step to Reach Tranquillity | Alireza Panahian

The First Step to Reaching Tranquillity

Our goal from being more tranquil is for many of our talents, which are internal and of which we are often unaware, to flourish. When a person’s life and spirit are hectic, he is unable to discover his strengths. Whether he wants to reach God or to his own goals, tranquillity is a very necessary condition.

To see if you have become closer to God or not, see how tranquil you are. If your tranquillity has decreased and you feel chaotic, know that you are now far from God! A person, who is close to God, won’t be like this.

What is the first step a person should take to achieve a tranquil life? He should think. My friends, a person who doesn’t think can’t reach tranquillity. A person who is continually fed audio and visual input, or a person who constantly talks, can’t think. A person who is constantly entangled with others can’t think. One must put time for thinking, be alone, have a program, and write down some things.

Once a young man came, who was entangled in emotions and friendships, as often happens between the ages of 15 and 19. This age varies for different people. He said, “I have become very dependent on my friend. What should I do? I’m bothering him, and he is bothering me. If he doesn’t come out one time to have juice together, I get very upset.” I said, “Its period will pass.” He said, “What should I do now?!” I said, “Its period will pass. A day will come when you will laugh at this scene.” He wasn’t listening at all, “What should I do now?!” I said, “Think about what I said.” God is a witness, if he had thought about how he will one day laugh at such a thing that had become important for him, it would have finished. This excessive friendship would have finished.

Friends, what is important for you now? Think about it a little. When will the period of it being important finish? Think about it a little. Whatever it is, it will eventually no longer be important for you. If this doesn’t happen, it will happen when you are dying. When you are dying you’ll say, “What difference did it make?! Why did I spend even one moment on it?”

Think. Only by thinking. If you don’t think, you’ll fight with me because I am saying these things! You’ll say, “Nonsense! He doesn’t solve our problems and spuriously says, ‘Think and your problems will be solved.’” Ok, don’t think. Be comfortable. What can I do? But, if you do think, you will understand that this thing which has become important for you isn’t important. Just by thinking!

A person won’t get anywhere without thinking and understanding the complexities of this world. Much of wisdom can only be understood by thinking. We know about dying. If we think about it, it will have an effect. We should have a program for thinking. Change any lifestyle habit, which doesn’t let you think.

The lifestyle, which is wrong, is the one that doesn’t let a person think. If we are able to think about the things we know, and think correctly the way that people who think do, we will reach to high levels.

God won’t leave a person who thinks without sustenance! But, what kind of thinking?! A tradition says, “Being at leisure causes thinking.” If you are not at leisure and tranquil, and you start thinking, you’ll start thinking about your concerns! I swear to God, sometimes it’s funny how we sit and think about how to solve problems. God says, “What are you thinking about now?” “My problems.” “Didn’t you do what you could do?” “Yes.” “You know what you should do tomorrow?” “Yes.” “So why are you still thinking? Leave the rest to Me (God). I am like your secretary.” God says this!

To see if you have become closer to God or not, see how tranquil you are. If your tranquillity has decreased and you feel chaotic, know that you are now far from God! A person, who is close to God, won’t be like this. Imam Sadiq (‘a) said, “A religious person thinks, and his thinking brings him calmness.”

[From the series of speeches under the topic of “How can we live more tranquilly?”]