LESSON 3:

Cultivating Inner
Peace Introduction
How peaceful are you feeling today? If you are
like most people, there is probably a lot on your
schedule and even more on your mind. Hence,
this module hopes to help you achieve
personal/inner peace since it will focus on
cultivating inner peace. It begins with the
definition of inner peace followed by its nature
and the many ways of cultivating it. As an
offshoot of having personal/inner peace, Good
Manners, and Right Conduct Teachers are then
motivated to create a peaceable classroom.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
1 Define Inner Peace
At the end of the lesson, the students must be able to
define inner peace.
2 Explain the Value of Inner Peace
At the end of the lesson, the students must be able
to explain the value of living in inner peace.

3 Cultivate Inner Peace

At the end of the lesson, the students must be able
to give tips on how to cultivate inner peace.

4 Create a Peaceable Classroom

At the end of the lesson, the students must be able
to create a peaceable classroom as an offshoot of
living in personal/inner peace.
ABSTRACTIONS
Definition of Inner Peace
Linda Luke (2018) defines inner peace as a state of being
mentally and spiritually at peace, with enough knowledge
and understanding to keep oneself strong in the face of
discord or stress. Being "at peace" is considered by many
to be healthy and the opposite of being stressed or
anxious. Peace of mind is generally associated with bliss,
happiness and contentment. Peace of mind, serenity, and
calmness are descriptions of a disposition free from the
effects of stress. In some cultures, inner peace is
considered as a state of consciousness or enlightenment
that may be cultivated by various forms of training, such
as prayer, meditation, T'ai Chi Ch'uan or yoga, for
example. Many spiritual practices refer to this peace as
an experience of knowing oneself. Finding inner peace is
often associated with traditions such as Hinduism and
Buddhism.
ABSTRACTIONS

Definition of Inner Peace

Fleischman (2003), inner peace is an aspect of
spiritual life that derives from the awareness of
our own in substantiality. Inner peace is not a
single emotion, but a felt relation to the vast
project of finding meaning and purpose within.
Like any relationship, peace has its moods,
ascents, eclipses, and laws. Inner peace is a
dimension of existence that is complex, variable
and multifaceted.
The Nature of Inner Peace

Inner Peace will grow in your life in proportion to its

importance. The cultivation of inner peace is as rational
and orderly as any aspect of us despite our differing
starting gales, nervous systems, and life experiences. A
person with temperament, yearning, or philosophy that
impels toward peace will find himself or herself confronted
with many difficulties. Peace is a form of mastery, It must
be won.
Inner peace is not limited to one culture, personality trait,
or brain wave you can buy from a guru. It is a determined
way of life, continuously directed toward its goal that
proceeds through knocking and shouting for each
person's cup of midnight tea. Starting from many different
courtyards and doorsteps, it always converges on the
purity of heart, horizonless perspective, and service to the
common cause.

As soon as we surrender our egotism, our vanity, and our

overly personalized perspective, we not only can digest
scientific-religious truths, but we can embrace them as the
source of deep inner peace. Peace is based on
experiencing yourself outside of your old frame. Peace
pervades personality in proportion to the shrinking of self-
importance. Peace is faith in "other". When personality
changes take place as the result of desirable experiences,
we call this education. We need our privacy, our solitude,
our night to shut out the clamor and grow our garden.
To be true cultivators of peace, we have to stare
into the maw of the problems that intrude over the
borders of our minds. Then we have to grow joy
and resilience in the soil of inner peace so that,
as citizens of the world, we contribute the age-old
balm of peace, but in new potions and with new
pungency. A new world culture calls out for the
cultivation of inner peace, and its transpiration
into the breath of common humanity, as the
primary imperative of our lives. Inner peace
derives from the purity of the heart coupled with
the multiplicity of perspective. The cultivators of
inner peace balance their inner well-being with
competent participation that turns a blind eye nor
strikes back wildly.
How the cultivation of inner peace rises from a long
nurturance within the human community, and in turn
amplifies itself at both personal and cultural levels. Inner
peace is a product of, and the root of, the community of
love and reason. The earth itself dictates how human
beings can and must evolve towards an inner peace that
informs our social and ecological relationships. We do
not create inner peace. We discover it. It is present and
available. We touch down into it by being good listeners,
diligent followers, keen observers, and energized
practitioners. We cultivate inner peace first by
transforming ourselves rather than by hyper-focusing on
strategies and schemes to the world, by permitting
perspective to keep expanding to trans-historical eternal
sight; by attending to what is universal rather than to
what is exclusive or parochial; and by dipping into
realizations of our impermanence, which creates kinship
rather than boundaries with all mortal things.
Inner peace is a universal experience, filed in
memory among the mother breath of soil and
living grass, which were so close to us when
we were toddlers, yet which faded from our
familiar touch. Inner peace is much. more
than a nostalgic cloud. It's an adult concern,
an urgent cloud. It's an adult concern, an
urgent yearning that can motivate mature
lives, a potent life force.
Without peace, we feel our days and years
have not brought to fruit the truest, deepest
seed in us. It is a call from the center of
ourselves, from the place behind the waterfall.
The first rule on the quest for inner peace is to make it the number
one priority without disrupting or devaluing the spectrum of daily
life. Twenty minutes twice a day, or one day a week is not enough,
because inner peace has no separate time or place. It is important
to appreciate at the outset that peace is a dynamic product of the
way you live and not a mere parenthesis or vacation from who you
are. This way, your whole being can become entrained behind it
and can contribute to your momentum. If you want to find inner
peace, you will need a new criterion for all your choices, and this is
the criterion of emotional tone. You will need to initiate decisions
based not upon convenience, success, or conformity, but upon how
the outcome will affect your peace of mind. Inner peace will have to
become the rudder by which you navigate the straits of great and
small decisions. Appreciation of the cosmological grandeur of the
planet is only the vestibule to understanding our nature, which
opens out into even greater vistas. When we turn inward, to
observe our nature of ourselves, on the quest for inner peace, we
will make discoveries peculiar to our personalities and we will also
confront universal truths that pertain to all people, all nature, all
phenomena.
According to Castro and Galace (2019), personal peace suggests that we respond to
negative actions directed at us in positive ways. For example, when we forgive rather than
take revenge, and continue to do good to others, despite the hurts that the others may
have inflicted on us, then we can feel a better sense of wellness. Jing Lin (2006) says
forgiveness is a key to achieving inner peace. Forgiveness frees our hearts and puts a
stop to the exchange of negative energies and intentions. Thich Nhat Hanh, a Zen
Buddhist master, reminds us that "obsessing about our wounds" keeps many of us from
experiencing the fullness of the present (Kessle, 2001).
It is also good to remember that the major world religions have all taught the golden rule,
whose essential message is that we do to others what we want them to do to us. This
spiritual message, if taken into heart, is a source of peaceable relationships which, in turn,
brings personal peace. This indicates to us that indeed there is a link between social and
personal peace. Similarly, as people pursue the goal of personal peace, this will contribute
to a more peaceful community (Castro and Galace, 2019).
 Other peace-enhancing steps are offered by Linda Luke (2018
Surrender Ego Focus on the Present Moment Create Daily Peace Practices
Easier said than done, right? You
As soon as we surrender our When you start and end your day with
might be surprised how simple it is
egotism, our vanity, and our overly activities that calm and center you,
personalized perspective, we not when you practice regularly, In the time in between will become
only can digest scientific-religious moments of stress, worry, or disease, peaceful as well. There are unlimited
truths, but we can embrace them as try one of these easy strategies for ways to do this and it is important to
the source of deep inner peace. grounding in, the moment: take a few choose what feels right and you are
Peace is based on experiencing deep breaths with your eyes closed, willing to commit to. Here are some
yourself outside of your old frame. focusing on the air moving through ideas to get you started:
Peace pervades personality in you. Put your hand over your heart A. Journaling
proportion to the shrinking of self- and count each breath you take or B. Write a daily gratitude
importance. Peace is faith in "other". simply listen within. Bring mindfulness C. Meditation
When personality changes take to your movements and what Is D. Pay attention to the beauty and
place as the result of desirable around you and watch every detail. magic in each day
experiences, we call this education. Designate something as an anchor to E. Prayer
We need our privacy, our solitude, your peaceful present moments, like F. Looking for heart shapes around
our night to shut out the clamor and the face of your watch, veins in your you
grow our garden. wrist, or anything you can focus on G. Walking in nature
quickly and easily to bring you back to H. Reading meaningful or uplifting
a feeling of peace. material
I. Live Simply
 Inner Peace:
A Gift to Yourself and Others
1 Live Simply
Inner and outer clutter are distracting and
complicate our lives. On some level they keep
us on edge all the time, Creating a physical
environment that is peaceful and calm will
nurture the same within you. Take a careful look
at your pace, calendar, and the people in your
life. It may be time to let some things go. When
you can focus on what you love and what is
meaningful to you, more peaceful moments will
follow. This isn't selfish. When you are in a calm
and relaxed state you will be more effective in
what you do and present with the ones you love .
 Inner Peace:
A Gift to Yourself and Others
2 Don't Marinate In Your Upsets
We are all faced with events and people that disturb our peace.
It's part of living in a world of humans. When you are triggered,
the feeling that comes as a response only lasts about a minute.
The problem is that you keep replaying the story and triggering
the feeling over and over again. The opportunity here is to learn
not to keep repeating the story so that you can return to a
peaceful state as soon as possible.

Here are some of the strategies you might choose to work with:

A. Give it a minute or two- let the feeling dissipate on its own

B. Any of the tools above for returning to the present moment
C. Ask yourself if being upset is serving you and if not, let it go.
D. Move into neutrality by observing yourself in the situation.
E. Imagine you are watching what is happening on a movie
screen
F. Bring compassion and understanding to all involved, knowing
everyone is doing the best they are capable of in that moment
Creating a Peaceable Classroom

Start with Yourself

As the teacher, let this peace begin with you. Each
morning, tell yourself that you will be a peaceful
teacher that day. Every time something rubs you the
wrong way, remind yourself that you have resolved
to be peaceful and would not allow yourself to
explode. Each time you enter the classroom,
breathe out or ground any negative energy that you
caught along the way. Radiate positive energy.
Smile as you greet others. Teach your students
greetings of peace in local dialects or foreign
languages and use it as a springboard for a brief
discussion on peace issues of the day, when
applicable (Castro & Galace, 2019).
What is a peaceable classroom?

The concept was first coined by William Kreidler,

an elementary school teacher and conflict expert
who saw that conflict in the classroom was caused
by many factors such as miscommunication,
exclusion, the inability to express feelings
appropriately, and the lack of care and respect for
each other (Lantieri and Patti, 1996). A peaceable
classroom is characterized by affirmation,
cooperation, communication, appreciation for
diversity, appropriate expression of feelings and
peaceful conflict resolution (Castro and Galace,
2019).
Castro and Galace (2019) would like to recommend
that teachers declare their classroom a zone of
peace and establish rules to achieve it. On the first
few days of school, the teachers introduce to their
students the concept of a peaceful classroom. The
teachers will ask the students what they think are
the elements necessary to create an atmosphere of
peace in the classroom. The teachers may ask the
students to put up a poster indicating that their
classroom is a Zone of Peace and the guidelines
necessary to achieve it.
Building a Peaceable Classroom

Affirming Your Students

Expressing Feelings Appropriately

Encouraging Respect and

Acceptance of Differences

Employing More Cooperative

Than Competitive Activities
Teaching Students How to Resolve
Conflicts Peacefully and
Constructively

Practicing Students' Skills

of Communication

Practicing Students' Changing

Negative Statements into Positive Ones
Peaceable Classroom: A Place of Growth and
Security
Hence, according to Castro and Galace (2019), a peaceable classroom is one where students
feel safe and secure. It is a place where they are free to be the person they are, cognizant of
their responsibilities. It is a place where they grow as persons without threats of being ridiculed,
marginalized, or hurt. Teachers can help build these kinds of classrooms. If the principles of
peace are taught and lived in the classroom, it will be easier for learners to carry on these
values and skills to their other spheres of interaction. Peace teachers should be happy that they
have done their share in building a society where the new norms are peaceable.
Application
Answer the following questions:
1. Review your daily lifestyle and try to reflect on what mindset, attitudes, and
behaviors you need to
A. STOP
B. CONTINUE
C. START
in order to cultivate the inner self.

2. When challenged by suffering or adversity, what kind of response can help you
maintain inner harmony?

3. How do you feel about the golden rule: Do unto others what you would like others to
do unto you? What role does it play in your life? What inner and outer consequences
have you experienced as a result of applying the golden rule in your life?

4. Create a simple classroom management plan incorporating the various ways and
strategies to create a peaceable classroom.