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Thoughts, Counter-Thoughts and Divine Life
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Thoughts, Counter-Thoughts and Divine Life
Every thought we think, every emotion that throbs in our heart, and every word we utter, produces a strong vibration in every cell of the bodies we dwell in, and leaves a strong impression upon our inner unconscious psychological constitution. If we know the method of raising an opposite thought, then we can lead a happy, harmonious life of peace and power. A thought of love will at once neutralize a thought of hatred. A thought of courage will immediately serve as a powerful antidote against a thought of fear. Our thoughts, feelings, words, should result in contributing light, peace, joy to others. They should not bring even the least pain and unhappiness to anyone. Then are we blessed. We can help many, heal thousands, spiritualise and elevate a large number of persons as did the great saints and sages of the world.
Threefold Blessing of Positive Thinking
Thoughts of worry and thoughts of fear are fearful forces within us. They poison the very sources of life, and destroy the harmony, the vitality and the vigour. The opposite thoughts of cheerfulness, joy and courage, heal, soothe instead of irritating, and immensely augment efficiency and multiply the mental powers. Be always cheerful! Smile! Laugh! A good and positive thought is thrice blessed. First, it benefits the thinker by improving his mental body, secondly, it benefits the person about whom it is entertained, lastly it benefits all mankind by improving the general atmosphere.
A Psychological Law and
Spiritual Development
The nature of the mind is such that it becomes that which it intensely thinks of. Thus, if we think of the vices and defects of another man, our mind will be charged with these vices and defects at least for the time being. They who know this psychological law will never indulge in censuring others, or in finding fault in the conduct of others; they will see only the good in others, and will always find cause for appreciating others. This practice enables us to grow in concentration, spirituality and divine life.
Psychogenic Sources of Physical Disorders
Selfishness, egoism, worry, hatred, contract the blood-vessels, badly damage the nerve-fibres, obstruct the inflow of the vital force or life-current, and lower the vitality and the power of resistance to external forces and influences. Negative and destructive emotions like anger, generate poison in the blood, in the brain, in the liver, in the whole system. They produce fever and depression. Hatred causes nervous weakness, uneasiness, restlessness, cough, fever, loss of blood, indigestion. Fear produces low blood-pressure and weakness, destroys red blood-cells, makes the face pale, affects the heart, liver and stomach, and produces indigestion, diarrhoea and impotency. Jealousy will create an inferiority complex, will distort your thought, and damage your health. Jealousy is at the root of the nervous break-down of millions of people all over the world.
Methods of Counteracting
Psychogenic Factors of Diseases
Very few people realize that evil qualities like hatred, jealousy, anger and impatience are harmful to themselves rather than to those towards whom they are directed. A fit of anger that lasts ten minutes takes away more energy than would the working at the plough for two days without food. Worry, anxiety and such other emotions, bring on grey hairs scores of years earlier than they are due. Be serene. Look at the good qualities of others, you will hate none. Learn to admire others achievements, jealousy will disappear. As hatred, doubt, depression generate discordant vibrations in the physical body, counteract them by entertaining cheerfulness, faith, serenity and love which produce good, harmonious, healthy vibrations in the body. By reliance on God, eliminate fear, worry and anxiety.
Therapeutic Potentialities of Meditation
Meditation on God as the infinity of Light, Love, Peace and Beauty, is a powerful mental and nervine tonic. The holy vibrations penetrate all the cells of the body and cure the diseases of the body. The powerful, soothing waves that arise during meditation exercise a benign influence on the mind, nerves, organs and cells of the body. The divine energy freely flows like the flow of oil from one vessel to the other, from the feet of the all-pervading Lord, to the different parts of the body of the aspirant. Through regular practice of meditation, build around yourself a strong fortress of protection against the evil forces of the ignorant world, and robe yourself with a magnetic aura.
Meditation, a Preventive, a Germicide,
a Tonic, Elixir Divine
There is no better potent antiseptic and germicide in the world than meditation. It kills all sorts of germs, microbes, bacilli. Meditation is also a wonderful tonic which tones up the entire system, renovates the cells and arrests the development of diseases. Its value is inestimable. Every day, for a short while, at least, we should practice it. The fire of meditation annihilates all foulness arising from vice, all miseries and evils emerging from spiritual ignorance. Then, suddenly comes knowledge, or divine Wisdom, which directly leads to final Emancipation. Meditation is the keeping up of an unceasing flow of God-Consciousness.
Therapeutic Value of Love and Truth
Pure love produces joy, peace of mind, harmonious functioning of the bodily organs, increases the blood qualitatively, and turns the mind towards God. Truth strengthens the heart and mind, brings peace of mind, happiness, inner calmness, spiritual strength and fearlessness.
Grand Roads to Mental Health
As diseases take their origin in the mind, treat the mind first. The removal of hatred through cosmic love, service, friendship, mercy, sympathy and compassion, the removal of greed through disinterested service, generous acts and charity, the removal of pride through humility, - these will help us a great deal in the achievement of good mental health. If bad thoughts are destroyed, many bodily diseases will vanish. The divine Consciousness, the divine Self that resides in the chambers of our heart, is the storehouse of health, strength, vigour and vitality. It cannot be affected by germs, microbes, bacilli. Always think of the divine Consciousness, the divine Self, the omnipresent God; realize the divine Self within you.
Avoid Suspicion! Be Sympathetic!
Do Selfless Service!
Never suspect anyone. Make others truly happy as you strive to make yourself happy. Speak a helpful word. Give a cheering smile. Do a kind act. Serve a little. Render smooth a rough place in another"s path. You will feel great joy. The good forces of the world will be around you, and minister services to you.
Some Aids for Increasing the
Powers of Concentration
Freedom from passion, the practice of breathing exercises, the curtailment of wants and desires, the reduction of worldly activities, resort to silence, remaining in seclusion in a room for one or two hours daily, the raising of prayers, the exercise of discrimination, discipline of the senses, control of anger, non-mixing with undesirable persons, annihilation of greed and selfishness, control over the bodily posture, freedom from disturbing sensations or thoughts of work on hand, increase in the number of sittings in daily meditation, repetition of inspiring scriptural hymns, expression of mercy and love for all, development of the powers of attention, reflection on the miraculous benefits of obtaining full concentration, a burning aspiration to realize the divine Being within the span of present life, the presence of past spiritual tendencies, - are some of the aids for increasing and heightening the powers of concentration. One who has developed great powers of concentration obtains intuition, evolves rapidly, acquires immense inner spiritual strength and gains unalloyed spiritual felicity and communion with God.
Valuable Results of Concentration
Through concentration, our mind is rendered sharp and powerful; we gain a penetrative insight into the great revelatory statements of timeless spiritual experience. Subtle esoteric meanings of the world"s great scriptures and intuitive philosophical works, will flash into the field of our mental consciousness. Those who practise concentration possess a very good health, a very cheerful mental vision, and make quick progress on the path of spiritual evolution. Concentration purifies and calms the surging emotions, and clarifies the ideas. Nothing is impossible for one who practises regular concentration.
The Influence of an Evolved Person
Upon the inner spiritual development of our mind rest the deeper joys of our life and the wider influence of our presence and character. Mark the influence of a highly developed mind over a less developed mind. It is difficult to describe what it is like to be in the presence of a highly evolved spiritual individual. To sit in his presence, though he hardly speaks a word, is an inspiring experience. We feel the rise in us of exalted ideas and divine feelings.
Mind has its own aura. Mental aura is the brilliance or halo that emanates from the mind. The aura of those who have developed their minds, is extremely effulgent. It can travel long distances, and affect in a beneficial manner a large number of persons who come under its influence. The spiritual aura is more powerful than the psychic aura. The person who has purified his mind becomes a center of force and an attractive personality. All the lesser minds are unconsciously drawn towards him.
What Does Humanity Gain
from the Man of Meditation?
The real spiritual individual, the lover of the all-pervading God, serves the world far more than the world"s greatest businessmen. The person of a pure heart, who meditates in the solitude of his own room, helps the world, through his spiritual vibrations, far more than those who preach from the platforms. Just as the sound vibrations travel through the ether of space, so also the spiritual vibrations of the meditator travel a long distance, and bring peace and strength to thousands. When the meditator rises above mind, his consciousness pervades and permeates the whole world. Ignorant people bring a false charge that a person who meditates is selfish. Just as the sweet fragrance of jasmine pervades the air, so also the peace-giving, purifying and healing spiritual vibrations of the meditating person, deeply affect the minds and lives of others. Even by a mere contact with him, people experience a lasting impact of divine delight and transformation.
The First Fruits of Prayer
Prayer generates good spiritual currents and produces a rare tranquillity of the mind. It elevates the whole emotional nature into a kind of radiant communion with the liberating divine Presence, and is accompanied by the growth of inward grace, inner strength, and a sense of communion with the supreme Being.
The intensive and purified feelings raised in acts of prayer, bring about the most beneficial inner change in the heart. The receptive attitude of the silenced praying mind puts the soul of man in tune with the Infinite. It joins the heart of man to the cosmic powerhouse of inexhaustible energy, and surcharges it with strength, grace, energy, light.
When prayers arise from the heart of great devotion, from natures detached from all worldly concerns and from an unyielding faith in the Divine, they confer on us many benefits, and lead us into highest spiritual Experience.
Psychological Consideration of
the Phenomenon of Prayer
Psychologically, prayer is not merely uttering of a few words, but an entering into an experience of that unlimited Love, Peace, Power, Grace, Beauty, which religion calls God.
It is an intense and sincere longing for increasing contact with the Presence of that divine Power which is all-pervading, which includes everything within itself, and which is the most real of all things.
The nature of thinking and feeling is such that it is not possible to think of or feel anything without transforming the psychological entity into the mode of the object that is thought of, or felt. Because the object of prayer is infinite Power itself, the mind takes such a powerful form that the praying person gets endowed with superhuman powers, apart from achieving the purpose for which the prayer is offered.
Perilous Pitfalls on the
Path of Perfection
Spiritual life requires a vigilant mind, a brave will, a humble and receptive spirit. Right from the very beginning of our spiritual life, we must understand clearly that, in true goodness, in a sincere desire to root out pride, egoism and jealousy, in an earnest resort to introspection that finds out our own defects and assists improvement of ourselves, - lies our hope of progress. Without this foundation, any form of spiritual practice becomes a delusion and a waste. It makes us puffed up, more proud and egoistic. When this happens all good advice and instruction fall flat upon us. Higher influences cease to have any effect as we become deliberately and obstinately non-receptive to them. Sleepless vigilance should be exercised, if we are to avoid falling into this dangerous state. Spiritual life is not a light matter; it is for the heroic in spirit and for the blessed.
Mechanism of Spiritual Unfoldment
Spiritualize all your activities. Do all activities with the full knowledge that the real Doer is that Power of Life in you, the Consciousness-Force that sustains all the operations of your intelligence. Stand back from this real Doer. Dedicate the results of your actions to this Doer. God, the highest Consciousness in us, is the real Doer. Without Him, we cannot live, act, think, feel. Let your eyes look with kindness, your tongue speak with sweetness, your hand touch with softness. Feed your mind with thoughts of God, your heart with purity, and your hands with selfless service. Remain soaked in the intensive consciousness and experience of the Presence, Power, and Peace of God.
The Dimension of Divine Greatness
for Human Personality
Great men are not those who speak much, or are too busy, but who think deep, live rightly, and love God, - in themselves, in humanity and in all nature.
Right thinking consists in the sinless attitude of the mind, and sin is belief in things that perish.
They are great heroes who have killed the animal in themselves, transformed their human nature, gained in power of universal Love, obtained divine Knowledge, triumphed over all suffering and sorrow; and greater still are the saviours who offer the redeeming hand to the soul that writhes to have a glimpse of the Light that shall never flicker, of the Life that shall never fade away.
Saints arise from among all classes of men, and are really great. The company of saints has a tremendous effect on the lives of true seekers. It lifts them up to heights of sublimity, purity and spirituality. It affects even the rank materialists. Study the lives of saints; you are inspired at once. Remember their sayings; you are elevated immediately. Walk in their footsteps; you are freed from all forms of distress and you find a peace that passeth all understanding and a life everlasting.
The Vision of the Illuminated Sage
The illuminated one, or a sage, is an embodiment of divine Wisdom, divine Consciousness and divine Experience. In the crying baby, the playing boy, the fiery youth, the puzzled man and the disillusioned old man, the sage perceives God, finds the same divine Self. In all persons he sees the one common, underlying divine Consciousness, God's Breath and Image, the Kingdom of Heaven. Outward forms, differences in mind, pecularity of nature, do not matter with him.
The apparent change which the people call death does not belong to the divine Spirit within. Life continues beyond. Man sleeps with one encasement, and wakes up after a short while, with another encasement. Death has lost its dread for the illuminated sage. He has achieved that wondrous height of evolution which the reason and will in the unaspiring and the unawakened dismiss as impossible of achievement, and known by experience and communion that which is declared even by some great philosophers to be the Unknowable and the Unknown, found what the scientists term as the divine Infinity; he has eluded the grasp of Death itself. Like this sage, we too can gain the divine vision, conquer death, and live dynamically in the omnipresent Godhead.
Swami Omkarananda
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