Peace of mind

"Once a man went off in search of peace, finding his city life too loud and busy. Hoping to find it amidst nature's pristine solitude, he sat down in a relatively quiet spot in the forest and began his contemplation. But he couldn't continue because the sound of a frog croaking irritated his mind. So he got up and moved off to another place. But then all he could hear was the chirping of the crickets. He moved to another spot, but then the sound of the chirping birds started to annoy him. So again, he picked himself up and moved to another area where he built himself a little cottage, and sat inside with all the doors and windows closed, so as not to be disturbed by any noise. "But then, all of a sudden, all he could hear was the "tick, tick, tick" of his wristwatch. So, he removed his watch and kept it aside. Again he tried to find some peace and quiet, but now, the sound of his heartbeat suddenly felt very loud and distracted him. In this way, the man was never able to find any quiet place.
"Children, Real peace and silence is not to be found in the external world. It is a state of mind. It is not the external conditions that we need to overcome. Rather, it is our own minds that we need to control and overcome. If we are at peace internally, any external disturbance will never distract us. Living in the midst of everything, we should learn to gain peace of mind!"