Serenity is depth. It is when the energy of thought so often dissipated by expression through the senses, is directed deep within the mind. It is when seeing with the eyes stops and seeing with the mind’s eye begins; it is when hearing with the ears stops and hearing with the inner ear begins; it is when speaking with the mouth stops and communication through thought begins; it is when touching with the hands stops and touching with feelings begins. Serenity is living under water, but riding with joy on the surface. No serenity existing with a struggle on the surface and never touching the depths.

Why is serenity important? Because the experience of life through the senses is one of tremendous instability. The messages brought to me from life above the water are changing constantly and at great speed. Sometimes I am exposed to pleasure, but as often to pain. And some times the messages are conflicting. There is no system in the world, no fixed dose of good or bad experience. I’ll just never quite know what the day holds.

The experience of life ‘under water’ is quite different. It is an experience which has its own form completely and can be utterly distinct from what life appears to be offering. And yet the deep pleasure gained from living it can nourish my response to everything that does happen on the surface. Not in any obvious way. If I’ve discovered a sudden understanding of love, I’m not going to splash it on my life, but it will bring a natural quietness and depth to my day.

As with all virtues, there is a superficial form of serenity and a real form. Faces can have a kind of bland serenity and expression of stillness and a certain beauty and we say “What a serene face she has!” But this can just denote an absence of deep thought. The real sign of serenity is not to be seen so much on the face as in the eyes. The smoothness of faces is constantly under threat, but eyes say everything. In fact, one of the better proofs of serenity is when the face is emotionally weather beaten, but the eyes retain depth and stillness. No-one can avoid being tossed about by life, but to be ‘tossed’ and yet still be able to ‘dive’ and touch your own strength, this shows only in the eyes. When a stone is thrown into such a person’s life - a criticism, a problem, a challenge - only the surface is rippled. Nothing more. Even throw a knife and the impact is quite quickly absorbed, the water calm again.

There is only one threat to someone with this virtue. Pollution. Pollution is when an atmosphere penetrates the surface of the water and robs the depths of their clarity. This can happen when someone impresses me. It is not that I am attracted to them so much through the senses, but their thought and ideas move me inside and gently I accept their presence in the deeper part of my being, which should remain sacred. It is not wrong to enjoy the ideas of others. In fact it is good. But there must be enough self-respect to say no to endless interruptions otherwise, together with the pleasure of playing with someone else’s thoughts. I will also begin to give water to their conflicts. Suddenly they become my conflicts too.

There is only one atmosphere that I invoke with great joy into my underwater self - and that is the atmosphere of God’s being because one of God’s main characteristics is constancy and lightness. He does not seek to change me, only to reinforce me and give strength to my solitude. It is quite an odd thing that the most powerful being in the universe is also the being that is the least intrusive. He doesn’t interfere. In fact He is the guardian of my serenity.