The literal meaning is straightforward: the tranquility you seek is not found in external circumstances, possessions, or the approval of others. Chasing these things will only lead to further dissatisfaction, as they are impermanent and beyond your ultimate control.

Within the Buddhist framework, this quote points directly to the nature of the mind and the path to liberation from suffering (dukkha). The Buddha taught that our mental states are conditioned by our perceptions and attachments. The 'self' we perceive is an aggregation of impermanent phenomena (skandhas), and clinging to these, or to external objects as sources of happiness, creates the cycle of craving and aversion. True peace, or nirvana, is not a destination to be reached, but a state of being realized through understanding the impermanent nature of reality and cultivating inner stillness. Practices like Vipassanā meditation aim to develop insight into this reality, revealing that the source of disturbance is always within the mind's reactions, not the external world itself. By observing the mind without judgment, one can gradually detach from the causes of suffering.

In your life: When you feel agitated or restless, pause and turn your attention inward. Instead of trying to change your surroundings, observe your thoughts and feelings without attachment, recognizing their impermanent nature.