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“Not from weeping nor from grieving will anyone obtain peace of mind; on the contrary, his pain will be the greater and his body will suffer. He will make himself sick and pale, yet the dead are not saved by his lamentation. He who seeks peace should draw out the arrow of lamentation, and complaint, and grief. He who has drawn out the arrow and has become composed will obtain peace of mind; he who has overcome all sorrow will become free from sorrow, and be blessed.”
According to the Buddha, crying or grieving cannot bring about inner serenity; rather, they worsen the person's pain and harm their health. Even if he becomes weak and pale, his lamenting will not bring the dead back to life. Lamentation, complaint, and grief are the three arrows that the individual seeking peace should draw out. A person will succeed in obtaining peace of mind if they eliminate these arrows from their minds and relax. He will also count himself blessed when he has overcome his sufferings.
Moreover, a man who had won over his grief in life would then be relieved from distress, stress, and anxiety, as well as help this state of peace of mind would definitely lead us to live a more fulfilling life in the present moment by clearing away the clutter of past thoughts and actions to experience what is right here, right now.
And if people have been living with these arrows their entire lives, they will never be able to achieve the state of supreme happiness unless they can banish these three arrows from their memory!
Reference:
National Council of Educational Research and Training (2007). The Sermon at Benares - Betty Renshaw (pp. 133-139). Published at the Publication Division by the Secretary, National Council of Educational Research and Training, Sri Aurobindo Marg, New Delhi.
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