ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः
Aum Shanti, Shanti, Shanti
Many people invoke these words at the end of a chant, a meditation session, or a yoga class. This is often translated as ‘Peace, Peace, Peace’. I feel that it is an inadequate translation.
Shanti, unlike peace, is a layered concept. It invokes something deeper. Something we don’t pay attention to as much as we should.
Let us examine what Shanti is all about and why there are three Shantis—not more, not less. What are these three trying to achieve Shanti from?
In examining the sources of suffering, Dharmics have identified three factors. These are the three distinct origins of disturbances in life.
- The first bucket is the suffering that has its origins in the mind. It is spiritual in nature and its source lies in the Ātma. This is identified as the Adhyatmic source of suffering. This source is unseen and internal. Anxiety, self-doubt, a racing mind are all internal storms.
- The second source of suffering is external and it lies in the material world. It pertains to the materiality of this universe. Their origin is in other beings and phenomenon. Hence, it is fair to say that these sources can be seen. This is identified as the Adhibhautik. While we can have some control over those causes, they are not entirely at our will. Conflicts, calamities, crowds—they are all tangible disruptions of our physical world.
- The third source of suffering is Adhidaivik. In literal terms, the sources are divine, unseen, and otherwordly. Fate, unpredictability, and randomness appear to have sources that lie beyond this world.
An aware and a wise individual, therefore, seeks Shanti from the Adhidaivik (cosmic), Shanti from the Adhibhautik (nature), and the Adhyatmik (mind)—in that order. The Shanti being sought represents the stability, restfulness, freedom, and tranquility—all combined into one.
‘Peace’, as used in English, is good but not strong enough to represent the concept of Shanti. Peace, which is mostly used to refer to the absence of conflict, lacks the holistic reflection of the web of life—inner, outer, and beyond.
If the three Shantis highlight a spiritual, physical, and metaphysical map of human suffering, then equanimity, alignment, inner steadiness, and acceptance are the paths to tranquility. The three Shantis, therefore, are much more than a ritual or a custom. Together they form a mantra of self-healing, which gives us a chance to understand with humility the vastness of life and come into harmony with it.
धार्मिक छवियाँ 