Awareness ~ Inner Peace

Some pointers from a recent excellent meditation retreat: 

Why practising Awareness can help us find Inner Peace/Joy?

Awareness
helps remind ourselves to relax;
not to be dragged away by situation;
rest there;

Awareness of us living in samsaric cycle
allows us to get on top of the problem to watch it and decide how to get out of it.

Awareness allows us not to accept issues as enemies but instead change of attitude to handle them as friends.

If one has no awareness, one is totally lost.
With knowledge, one sees things more clearly. 
Instead of pushing away sufferings, learn to accept it.

Awareness is removing the dust/mud (emotions/afflictions) that covered the diamond.

Awareness brings one back to the child-like mind (A child visiting Museum without attaching values to the items, just seeing more).

An unpractised mind is like confused state of monkey mind
Practise develops calmness & peace.
With a clear mind, one sees arisen of good & not good thoughts without being affected and will be happier.
If no awareness, one will be unhappy and drag along.
Realisation that craving, desire are causes of confused minds, one can switch off/cut off the causes.
Not be affected by Daily bad happenings.

Rinpoche: We are not happy bec of Monkey mind.
Awareness helps train and gives direction to monkey mind to do something and it can be a tamed elephant with power.

Why need to do practice?
Understand & will do it.

Make friend with Monkey mind!

-----------------------------
The retreat is excellent but once the retreat ended, and back home,
I felt like I am back to my old-self, just like from Pureland environment back to the suffering Samsaric world.
Sigh... need to practice more...

Constant contact with good pure environment is good,
at least it teaches & reminds me on how to handle tomorrow better...
Amituofo...

& this further aspires me next rebirth to be in Amitabha Buddha's Pureland,
to be in Good Pure environment, Good company to practise well enough
before coming back to Samsara with Compassion & Wisdom for "Industrial attachment". :P
Amituofo...
May I gain entry to your University and graduate with flying colours...
Amituofo...