Key Highlights:

• Actress Aishwarya Raj Bhakuni reflects on inner peace, empathy and reconciliation on International Day of Peace, observed September 21.
• She says peace is not about a perfect life but "a certain stillness within you even when life is not going according to your plan."
• Aishwarya emphasises pausing before reacting, calling it key to avoiding unnecessary conflicts in relationships.
• She believes shared humanity and art, including cinema and storytelling, can build empathy across differences.
• She concludes that reconciliation doesn't mean forgetting hurt, but finding peace within yourself even when a situation can't change.

Reflecting on Peace From Within

Tum Dena Saath Mera actress Aishwarya Raj Bhakuni, known for her performances in Shrimad Ramayan, Veer Hanuman, Tenali Rama, Gupta Brothers and films like Samrat Prithviraj and Sasanasabha, believes that peace begins from within. On International Day of Peace, observed on September 21, the actress reflects on inner balance, empathy, emotional healing and the importance of learning to pause before reacting. For Aishwarya, her spiritual journey and meditation have played an important role in understanding what true peace means.

Peace as an Internal State

"For me, peace is when you are at peace with yourself. Over the years, I have realised that life will always have challenges, misunderstandings and situations that are beyond your control. You cannot always change what is happening around you, but you can choose what you allow it to do to you internally," she says.

Redefining What Peace Means

The actress feels that peace does not necessarily mean having a life without problems. "My spiritual journey and meditation have taught me that peace is not about having a perfect life. It is about having a certain stillness within you even when life is not going according to your plan. For me, that inner balance is real peace," Aishwarya explains.

The Link Between Peace and Empathy

She also believes that lasting peace cannot exist without understanding and empathy. Drawing from her own experiences, she says people often interpret the same situation differently because of their individual emotions and circumstances. "I don't think it can. I have personally experienced situations where two people can look at the same situation completely differently because they are seeing it through their own experiences and emotions," she says.

What Empathy Really Means

For Aishwarya, empathy does not mean agreeing with another person but making an effort to understand their perspective before passing judgement. "Empathy doesn't mean that you have to agree with someone. It means making an effort to understand where they are coming from before judging their actions," she says.

The Value of Pausing Before Reacting

She feels that simply pausing before reacting could prevent several conflicts, both personal and otherwise. "I think a lot of relationships and conflicts could be saved if we paused for a moment and asked, 'Why is this person behaving this way?' instead of immediately asking, 'How can I prove that they are wrong?'" she adds.

A Personal Practice for Everyday Peace

When it comes to creating more peace in everyday life, Aishwarya believes in the power of taking a moment before responding. "For me, it would be to pause before reacting. I am someone who feels things deeply, so I have also learnt that reacting in the moment doesn't always give you the result you want," she shares, adding, "Sometimes taking a step back, breathing, meditating or simply giving yourself some time can completely change the way you look at a situation."

Kindness in Small Interactions

The actress also stresses the importance of kindness in everyday interactions. "And I also believe in being kind in small, everyday interactions. You never know what somebody else is going through. A little patience or a kind word can sometimes make a much bigger difference than we realise," Aishwarya says.

Shared Humanity as Common Ground

In a world increasingly divided by opinions, identities and interests, she believes that shared humanity can serve as a common ground, a belief reinforced by her experiences working with people from different backgrounds. "I think shared humanity can bring us together. In my work, I have had the opportunity to meet and work with people from completely different backgrounds, and you realise that despite our differences, the emotions we experience are actually very similar," she says, adding, "Everyone wants respect, love, security and a sense of belonging."

Art as a Tool for Empathy

Aishwarya also believes that art has a unique ability to build understanding between people. "I also strongly believe in the power of art. Cinema, music and storytelling can make you understand somebody else's world without you having to live their life. That is why I feel art can create empathy in a very beautiful way," she explains.

Individual Responsibility and Institutional Duty

While she believes peace must begin within individuals, Aishwarya says institutions and governments also have an important responsibility because their decisions affect millions of people. "I think peace has to begin within the individual, but it cannot stop there. Institutions and governments have a huge responsibility because their decisions affect millions of lives. But ultimately, institutions are also made up of individuals," she says.

Everyday Behaviour Shapes Society

She believes that everyday behaviour also contributes to creating a more peaceful society. "The way we behave with our family, colleagues, neighbours and even strangers contributes to the kind of society we create," Aishwarya says, adding, "I have always believed that if you want to see a change around you, you also have to look within yourself. We cannot keep asking the world to become more peaceful while carrying anger, ego and intolerance within ourselves."

Reconciliation Without Forgetting

For Aishwarya, reconciliation is not about erasing painful experiences or pretending that nothing happened. Instead, she believes it is about learning from the experience and choosing how to move forward. "I wish people understood that reconciliation doesn't necessarily mean forgetting or pretending that the hurt never happened," she says.

A Personal Reflection on Letting Go of Anger

Speaking about her own experiences, she adds, "There have been moments in my own life where I have had to learn that holding on to anger doesn't necessarily punish the other person. Sometimes it only keeps you trapped in the same situation emotionally."

Closure Without Needing an Apology

The actress feels that finding closure does not always require an apology or an explanation from another person. "For me, peace is not always about getting an apology, getting an explanation or proving that you were right. Sometimes it is about accepting what happened, learning from it, setting your boundaries and choosing to move forward," she says.

A Final Thought on Peace

Aishwarya concludes with a thought about letting go without losing the lessons life has taught us. "You don't have to forget the lesson to let go of the pain. Sometimes the greatest form of reconciliation is finding peace within yourself, even when the situation itself cannot be changed," she concludes.