Peace. When do we want it? Now. At least that’s how I remember the old war protest chant uttered by so many back in the day. While that school of thought is clearly important, it’s a different kind of peace I’m seeking at present—that of the inner kind. 

There are, of course, many paths which one can take in search of inner peace. Prayer, for instance, soothes many a soul; helping their fellow man (woman? person?) provides solace for others. Communing with nature is at the top of my list when in search of peace and tranquility, so I feel beyond fortunate to have carved out a life here in the Upper Delaware River region. How lucky are we to have lakes, ponds and streams, along with mile after mile of rolling hills and that gorgeous river we’re always talking about with which to reflect upon, when looking to quiet our mind?

Years ago, a friend told me that she felt calm and peaceful while strolling through the many booths at a farmers’ market, something we have no lack of here in the Catskills as well, so I thought I’d give that a shot last weekend. I’m not entirely sure what my friend’s thought process was, since the markets are always bustling with activity and often feature live music to enhance the experience. When asked, she told me she found inner peace knowing that her produce was organically grown and that the bread she picked up was “absolutely, positively gluten-free.” Hmmm. Not exactly what I’m looking for, but to each their own, right?

Still, I love a good farmers’ market and was happy to hear that the Kauneonga Lake Farm and Makers market (like ‘em on the Facebook) was opening at the Duggan School in Bethel last weekend. While billed as featuring “fresh farm meat, poultry, eggs, produce and baked goods from local purveyors,” the market also boasts “artists, artisans and interesting pop-ups,” so one never knows what one might find. 

Additionally, I’d heard that Peter Rabbit would be there, but it was actually Peter Cottontail, which I think is the same as the Easter Bunny, but I’m not positive, being more of a Passover and matzoh kind of guy. 

Either way, it seemed like a golden opportunity for That Dog Named Gidget to sit on a giant rabbit’s lap, and “what could be more wholesome or natural” than that, as everyone’s favorite Auntie Mame would say. 

As for the live music, it was provided by the ubiquitous Fisher and Kean—who I’d swear made this column within the last few weeks, because they are quite literally everywhere. When I conjured up an old idiom and told them that “you can’t swing a dead cat in this county without hitting Fisher and Kean,” the always cheery Debbie Fisher said “I’ll take that as a compliment, and then I’ll go home and look up ubiquitous.” You go, Debbie. As always, they sounded great. As for the “dead cat” expression—hold your hate mail, I didn’t make it up.

Gidge and I had fun at the market, although I passed on the gluten-free muffins (love me some good old-fashioned gluten), but my inner peace was still somewhat lacking. Luckily, I’d heard that the Kadampa Meditation Center’s resident teacher, Gen Samten Kelsang, was scheduled to speak and lead a guided meditation at the Hurleyville Performing Arts Centre (HPAC), so I made a reservation and drove off in search of enlightenment. 

“If we want peace in the world, we need peace in our communities.” Gen Samten advised us. “If we want peace in our communities, we need peace in our own mind. Through practicing meditation, we build a wise optimism based on our capacity to change our own mind and find peace from within.”

“Eureka!” I quietly whispered to the dog, so as not to disturb others in the room with my unbridled enthusiasm. “I think I found what I’m looking for!” 

“In this talk, we will see how to use meditation to tap into this happy, peaceful feeling and how to use this to uplift the mind to an encouraged, hopeful, energized place,” Gen Samten continued. “Build authentic optimism. Pessimism drains our energy and makes it impossible to change. A fake optimism would be pretending everything is positive when it’s not. Authentic, true optimism comes from understanding what we can change and making an effort to do so.”

I’ve been to the Kadampa World Peace Temple in Glen Spey, NY, before. I have, in fact, studied with Gen Samten before. I spent several years studying Buddhist teaching and practicing Buddhist principles, but it was long ago and I’ve fallen out of practice—and it shows. Words like “peaceful, hopeful, optimism and happy” do not come naturally to me of late, and (IMHO) it shows. I’m fairly sure that’s why they call it practice, so I’m hoping that it’s like riding a bike or “muscle memory,” and that I’ll find my way back to that way of thinking. Maybe it’s all that gluten. I suppose I could try cutting it out of my diet, along with my penchant for pessimism and negativity. After all, what could be more wholesome or natural? 

For more on the path to inner peace, go to www.kadampanewyork.org/.

Info about future programming at HPAC can be found here: www.hpacny.org/.

Ask the Google: Who on earth is Auntie Mame?

Answer: “Auntie Mame” refers to the titular character in the 1955 novel by Patrick Dennis, a flamboyant, free-spirited, and unconventional aunt who raises her orphaned nephew, Patrick, with a zest for life and a disregard for societal norms.