THOUGHT POWER - Chapter 2 - ITS LAWS AND ITS DYNAMICS
THOUGHT POWER
By SRI SWAMI SIVANANDA
Thought—The Architect of Destiny
If the mind dwells continually upon one train of thought, a groove is formed into which the thought-force runs automatically and such a habit of thought survives death and since it belongs to the ego, is carried over to the subsequent earth-life as a thought-tendency and capacity.
Every thought, it must be remembered, has got its own mental image. The essence of the various mental images formed in one particular physical life is being worked out in the mental plane. It constitutes the basis for the next physical life.
Just as a new physical body is formed in every birth, so also a new mind and a new Buddhi are formed in every birth.
Not easy is the act of explaining the detailed workings of thought and destiny. Every Karma produces twofold effect, one on the individual mind and the other on the world. Man makes the circumstances of his future life by the effect of his actions upon others.
Every action has a past which leads up to it; every action has a future which proceeds from it. An action implies a desire which prompted it and a thought which shaped it.
Each thought is a link in an endless chain of causes and effects, each effect becoming a cause and each cause having been an effect; and each link in the endless chain is welded out of three components—desire, thought and activity. A desire stimulates a thought; a thought embodies itself as an act. Act constitutes the web of destiny.
Selfish coveting of the possessions of others, though never carried out into active cheating in the present, makes one a thief in a later earth-life, while hatred and revenge secretly cherished are the seeds from which the murderer springs.
By SRI SWAMI SIVANANDA
So again, unselfish loving yields as harvest the philanthropist and the saint; and every thought of compassion helps to build the tender and pitiful nature which belongs to one who is a friend to all creatures.
Sage Vasishtha asks Rama to do Purushartha, or show the prowess of self-exertion. Do not yield to fatalism. It will induce inertia and laziness. Recognize the Great Powers of Thought.
Exert. By right thinking make for yourself a great destiny.
Prarabdha is Purushartha of last birth. You sow an action and reap a habit; a habit sown results in character. You sow a character and reap a destiny.
Man is the master of his own destiny. You yourself make, by the power of your thought, your destiny. You can undo it if you like. All faculties, energies and powers are latent in you.
Unfold them, and become free and great.
Thoughts Chisel Your Countenance
Your face is like a gramophone record or plate. Whatever you think is at once written on your face.
Every vicious thought serves as a chisel or needle to write down the thoughts on your countenance. Your faces are covered with the scars and wounds which are made by the vicious thoughts of hatred, anger, lust, jealousy, revenge, etc.
From the nature of the scar on your face, we can at once read your state of mind. We can at once diagnose the disease of your mind.
He who thinks that he can hide his thoughts is a dunce of the first water. His position is like that of the ostrich which, when chased by the hunters, hides its head underneath the sand and imagines that it cannot be seen by anyone.
Face is the index of the mind. Face is the mould of the mind. Every thought cuts a groove in the face.
A divine thought brightens the face. An evil thought darkens the face. Continued divine thoughts increase the aura or halo.
Continued evil thoughts increase the depth of dark impressions, just as the continued striking of a vessel against the edge of a well while drawing water makes deeper and deeper hollow on the vessel. The facial expression truly advertises the inner state of the mind or the true contents of the mind.
The face is like an advertisement-board wherein is advertised what is going inside the mind. Your thoughts, sentiments, modes and emotions produce their strong impressions on the face.
In your face, you can hardly hide your thoughts. You may wrongly think that you have kept up your thoughts in secret. The thoughts of lust, greed, jealousy, anger, revenge, hatred, etc., at once produce their deep impressions on your face.
The face is a faithful recorder and a sensitive registering apparatus to register and record all the thoughts that are in your mind.
The face is a polished mirror to indicate the nature of the mind and its contents at a particular time.
Thoughts Feature the Physical Expressions
Mind is the subtle form of this physical body. The physical body is the outward manifestation of the thoughts. So when the mind is wrought, the body is wrought too.
As a man of rough appearance generally cannot invoke love and mercy of others, so a rough-minded man cannot invoke love and mercy of anybody.
Mind very conspicuously reflects on the face its various states which a man of intelligence can very easily read.
The body follows the mind. If the mind thinks of falling from a height, the body prepares itself immediately and shows external signs. Fear, anxiety, grief, cheerfulness, hilarity, anger, all produce their various impressions on the face.
Your Eyes Betray Your Thoughts
The eyes which represent the windows of the soul bespeak of the condition and state of the mind.
There is a telegraphic instrument in the eyes to transmit the messages or thoughts of treachery, depression, gloom, hatred, cheerfulness, peace, harmony, health, power, strength and beauty.
If you have the faculty to read the eyes of others, you can read the mind at once. You can read the uppermost thought or dominant thought of a man if you are careful to mark the signs in his face, conversation and behaviour. It needs a little pluck, acumen, training, intelligence and experience.
Negative Thoughts Poison Life
Thoughts of worry and thoughts of fear are fearful forces within us. They poison the very sources of life and destroy the harmony, the running efficiency, the vitality and vigour.
While 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.
Psycho-physical Imbalances
Thought exerts its influence over the body. Grief in the mind weakens the body. Body influences the mind also in its turn. A healthy body makes the mind healthy. If the body is sick, the mind also becomes sick. If the body is strong and healthy, the mind also becomes healthy and strong.
Violent fits of hot-temper do serious damage to the brain cells, throw poisonous chemical products into the blood, produce general shock and depression and suppress the secretion of gastric juice, bile and other digestive juices in the alimentary canal, drain away your energy, vitality, induce premature old age and shorten life.
When you are angry, the mind becomes disturbed. Similarly, when the mind is disturbed, the body also becomes disturbed. The whole nervous system is agitated. You become enervated.
Control anger by love. Anger is a powerful energy that is uncontrollable by practical Vyavaharic
Buddhi, but controllable by pure reason (Sattvic Buddhi) or Viveka-Vichara.
The Creative Powers of Thought
Thought creates the world. Thought brings things into existence. Thoughts develop the desires and excite the passions. So, the contrary thoughts of killing the desires and passions will counteract the former idea of satisfying the desires. So when a person is impressed with this, a contrary thought will help him to destroy his desires and passions.
Think of a person as a good friend of yours and there the thing is created as a reality.
Think of him as your foe, then also the mind perfects the thought into an actuality. He who knows the workings of the mind and has controlled it by practice is really happy.
Similar Thoughts Attract Each Other
In the thought-world also, the great law “Like attracts like”, operates. People of similar thoughts are attracted towards each other. That is the reason why the maxims run as follows:
“Birds of the same feather flock together,” “A man is known by the company he keeps.”
A doctor is drawn towards a doctor. A poet has attraction for another poet. A songster loves another songster. A philosopher likes another philosopher. A vagabond likes a vagabond.
The mind has got a ‘drawing power’.
You are continually attracting towards you, from both the seen and the unseen sides of life-forces, thoughts, influences and conditions most akin to those of your own thoughts and lines.
In the realm of thought, people of similar thoughts are attracted to one another. This universal law is continually operating whether we are conscious of it or not.
Carry any kind of thought you please about with you and so long as you retain it, no matter how you roam over the land or sea, you will unceasingly attract to yourself, knowingly or inadvertently, exactly and only what corresponds to your own dominant quality of thought.
Thoughts are your private property and you can regulate them to suit your taste entirely by steadily recognizing your ability to do so.
You have entirely in your own hands to determine the order of thought you entertain and consequently the order of influence you attract and are not mere willowy creatures of circumstances, unless indeed you choose to be.
Spanish Flu and the Contagion of Thoughts
Mental actions are real actions. Thought is the real action; it is a dynamic force. It may be remembered, thought is very contagious; nay, more contagious than the Spanish Flu.
A sympathetic thought in you raises a sympathetic thought in others with whom you come in contact. A thought of anger produces a similar vibration in those who surround an angry man. It leaves the brain of one man and enters the brains of others who live at a long distance and excites them.
A cheerful thought in you produces cheerful thoughts in others. You are filled with joy and intense delight when you see a batch of hilarious children playing mirthfully and dancing in joy.
A thought of joy in us creates sympathetically a thought of joy in others. So do sublime elevating thoughts.
Keep a good and honest man in the company of a thief. He will begin to steal. Keep a sober man in the company of a drunkard. He will begin to drink. Thought is very contagious.
The Application of a Psychological Law
Keep the heart young. Do not think: “I have become old.” To think “I have become old” is a bad habit. Do not entertain this thought. At 60, think “I am 16.” As you think, so you become.This is a great psychological law.
“As a man thinketh so he becometh.” This is a great truth or truism. Think, “I am strong,” strong you become. Think, “I am weak,” weak you become. Think, “I am a fool,” fool you become. Think, “I am a sage or God,” sage or God you become.
Thought alone shapes and moulds a man. Man lives always in a world of thoughts. Every man has his own thought-world.
Imagination works wonders. Thought has tremendous force. Thought as already said, is a solid thing. Your present is the result of your past thoughts and your future will be according to your present thoughts. If you think rightly, you will speak rightly and act rightly. Speech and action simply follow the thoughts.
Understand the Laws of Thought
Every man should have a comprehensive understanding of the laws of thought and their operations. Then alone can one live in this world smoothly and happily. He can utilize the helping forces to serve his ends in the best possible manner.
He can neutralize the hostile forces or antagonistic currents. Just as the fish swims against the current, so also he will be able to go against the hostile currents by adjusting himself properly and safeguarding through suitable precautionary methods.
Otherwise he becomes a slave. He is tossed about hither and thither helplessly by various currents. He is drifted like a wooden plank in a river. He is very miserable and unhappy always, although he is wealthy and possesses everything.
The captain of a steamer who has mariner’s compass, who has knowledge of the sea, the routes and the oceanic currents can sail smoothly. Otherwise his steamer will be drifted here and there helplessly and wrecked by dashing against some icebergs or rocks. Likewise, a wise sailor in the ocean of this life who has a detailed knowledge of the Laws of Thought and Nature can sail smoothly and reach the goal of his life positively.
Understanding the laws of Thought, you can mould or shape your character in any way you like. The common saying, “As a man thinketh so he becometh,” is one of the great laws of Thought. Think you are pure, pure you will become. Think you are noble, noble you will become.
Become an embodiment of good nature. Think good of all. Do always good actions.
Serve, love, give. Make others happy. Live to serve others. Then you will reap happiness. You will get favourable circumstances or opportunities and environments.
If you hurt others, if you do scandal-mongering, mischief-mongering, backbiting, talebearing, if you exploit others, if you acquire the property of others by foul means, if you do any action that can give pain to others, you will reap pain. You will get unfavourable circumstances or opportunities and environments.
This is the law of thought and nature. Just as you can build your good or bad character by sublime or base thinking, so also you can shape your favourable or unfavourable circumstances by doing good or bad actions.
A man of discrimination is always careful, vigilant and circumspect. He always watches carefully his thoughts. He introspects.
He knows what is going on in his mental factory what Vritti or Guna is prevailing at a particular time. He never allows any evil thought to enter the gates of his mental factory. He at once nips them in the bud.
By his good thinking, by watching the nature of his thoughts, by introspection, by active noble thinking, the man of discrimination builds his noble character, forms his high destiny. He is careful in his speeches. He speaks little. He speaks sweet loving words. He never utters any kind of harsh words that can affect the feelings of others.
He develops patience, mercy and universal love. He tries to speak truth. Thus he puts a check on the Vak-Indriya and the impulses of speech. He uses measured words. He writes measured lines. This produces deeply profound and favourable impression on the minds of the people.
He practices Ahimsa and Brahmacharya in thought, word and deed. He practices Saucha and Arjava (straightforwardness). He tries to keep up balance of mind and to be always cheerful.
He keeps up Suddha-Bhava. He tries these three kinds of Tapas (physical, verbal and mental), and controls his actions. He cannot think any evil. He cannot do any evil action.
He prepares himself to get always favourable circumstances. He who spreads happiness will always get such favourable circumstances as can bring him happiness. He who spreads pain to others will, doubtless, get according to the law of thought such unfavourable circumstances as can bring him misery and pain. Therefore, man creates his own character and circumstances, by the manner of his own thinking.
Bad character can be transmuted into good one, by good thoughts, and unfavourable circumstances can be changed into favourable circumstances by doing good actions.
The Laws Implied in Higher Thoughts
As you think, so you become. As are your thoughts so must be your life. Improve your thinking. Better thoughts bring better actions.
Mere thinking of the objects of this world is pain. Bondage is caused by the very act of thought. Pure thought is a mightier force than electricity.
The mind which is attracted by objects of sense, tends to bondage, while that which is not so attracted tends to emancipation. Mind is a dacoit. Slay this mind-dacoit. You will be happy and free for ever. Manifest all your strength in the task of conquering your mind. This is true manliness or Purushartha.
Self-denial is a means to the purification and refinement of mind. Purify and still the thoughts. The layers of ignorance covering knowledge, will not be removed without a calm mind.
The subtle part of food forms the mind. Mind is manufactured out of food. The subtle part of food is transformed into mind. Food does not mean merely what we eat, but what we gather through all our senses.
Learn to see God everywhere. This is real food for the eye. Purity of thought depends upon purity of food. You can see better, hear better, taste better, think better, when you entertain sublime divine thoughts.
Look at an object through a green or red glass; the object appears green or red. Even so, the objects are coloured by the desires through the mirror-mind. All mental states are transitory; they produce pain and sorrow.
Have freedom of thought. Free yourself from the slavery of prejudice that blunts intellect and dulls thoughts. Think of the immortal Atman. This is the right method of direct, original thinking. The Atman reveals Itself after the purification of thoughts. When the mind is serene without any want, without any motive, without any craving or desire or thought, without any compulsion, without hope, then the supreme Atman shines. There is the experience of Bliss. Live the way in which saints live.
This is the only way to victory over thoughts, mind and the lower self and until you have conquered mind, there can be no sure and permanent victory.
Thought—A Boomerang
Be careful of your thoughts. Whatever you send out of your mind, comes back to you. Every thought you think, is a boomerang.
If you hate another, hate will come back to you. If you love others, love will come back to you.
An evil thought is thrice cursed. First, it harms the thinker by doing injury to his mental body.
Secondly, it harms the person who is its object. Lastly, it harms all mankind by vitiating the whole mental atmosphere.
Every evil thought is as a sword drawn on the person to whom it is directed. If you entertain thoughts of hatred, you are really a murderer of that man against whom you foster thoughts of hatred. You are your own suicide, because these thoughts rebound upon you only.
A mind tenanted by evil thoughts acts as a magnet to attract like thoughts from others and thus intensifies the original evil.
Evil thoughts thrown into the mental atmosphere poison receptive minds. To dwell on an evil thought gradually deprives it of its repulsiveness and impels the thinker to perform an action which embodies it.
Thoughts and the Waves of the Sea
Thoughts are like the waves of an ocean. They are countless. You may become desperate in the beginning of your attempt to conquer them.
Some thoughts will subside while some other thoughts will gush out like a stream. The same old thoughts that were once suppressed may again show their faces after some time. Never become despondent at any stage of practice. You will surely get inner spiritual strength. You are bound to succeed in the end. All the Yogins of yore had to encounter the same difficulties that you are experiencing now.
The process of destruction of mental modifications is difficult and long. All thoughts cannot be destroyed in a day or two. You should not give up the practice of destroying the thoughts in the middle when you come across some difficulties or stumbling blocks.
Your first attempt should be to reduce your wants and desires. Reduce your wants and desires; then, the thoughts will decrease by themselves. Gradually all thoughts will be extirpated.
Colour and Influence of Saintly Thoughts
The Buddha declared, “All that we are is made up of our thoughts.” It is our thoughts that cause the round of births. So, we should always strive to purify our thoughts.
When we go and sit near a sage, we feel a unique calmness; but if we are in the company of a bad and selfish person, we feel uneasy. It is because the vibrations of peace and calmness emanate from the aura of the sage, whereas from the aura of the selfish person emanate vibrations of evil and selfish thoughts.
The second effect of thought is the creation of a definite form. The quality and the nature of a thought determine, the colour and the clearness of that thought-form. A thought-form is a living entity and it has a strong tendency to carry out the intention of the thinker. Blue thought-forms denote devotion.
The thought-form of self-renunciation is of the lovliest pale azure with a white light shining through it. Thought-forms of selfishness, pride and anger are of grey-brown, orange and red colour, respectively.
We are always surrounded by these thought-forms and our minds are seriously affected by them. Not one-fourth of our thoughts are our own, but are simply picked up from the atmosphere.
Mostly they are of evil nature. So we should always utter God’s name mentally. It will always protect us from their evil influence.
Aura and Dynamics of a Developed Mind
Particularly around minds of highly developed thought power, we sense the manifest phenomenon of a powerful aura.
The palpable influence of a highly developed mind over a less developed mind, needs to be specially marked. It is not possible to provide a description of what it is like to be in the presence of a Master, or a developed adept.
To sit in his presence, though he hardly speaks a word, is to feel a thrilling sensation and discover the impacts of new inspirations that it wields on our minds.
Mind carries aura—mental aura or psychic aura. The Sanskrit term for aura is Tejas. It is brilliance or halo that emanates from the phenomenon of mind. In those who have sought the full development of their minds, we find it extremely effulgent. It is capacitated to travel long distances and affect in the most beneficial manner a large number of persons who are privileged to come under its influence. It must be noted that the spiritual aura is far more powerful than either psychic or Pranic or mental aura.
Dynamics of Thoughts and Moods
People of gloomy moods attract to themselves, gloomy things and gloomy thoughts from others and from the Akasic records in the physical ether.
Persons with hope, confidence and cheerful spirits attract thoughts of similar nature from others. They are always successful in their attempts.
People with negative moods of depression, anger, and hatred do positive injury to others.
They infect others and raise these destructive Vrittis in others. They are culpable. They do great damage in the thought-world.
People with happy and cheerful moods are a blessing to society. They bring happiness to others.
Just as a young, beautiful lady covers her face and does not like to come out to mix with others in society when she has a nasty festering sore on her cheeks or nose, also you should not come in public and mix with your friends and other people when you have a mood of depression, a mood of hatred or jealousy. For, you will infect others with these moods. You will be a menace to the society.
Thought-dynamics in Universal Environs
Thought actually leaves the brain and hovers about. When a thought, whether good or evil, leaves the mind of a person it gives rise to vibrations in the Manas or mental atmosphere, which travel far and wide in all directions.
It enters the brains of others also. A sage living in a Himalayan cave transmits a powerful thought to a corner of America. He who tries to purify himself in a cave, really purifies the world, helps the world at large. Nobody can prevent his pure thoughts coming out and passing on to those others that really want them.
Just as the sun goes on continuously converting into vapour every drop of water that is on the surface of the earth and just as all the vapour thus rising up gathers together in the form of clouds, all the thoughts that you project from your own lonely corner will mount up and be wafted across space, join similar thoughts projected by those who are like you and, in the end, all these holy thoughts will come down with tremendous force to subjugate undesirable forces.
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NAMASTE'
~ SOPHIA ~
- THOUGHT POWER - Chapter 1 - ITS PHYSICS AND ITS PHILOSOPHY
- THOUGHT POWER - Chapter 2 - ITS LAWS AND ITS DYNAMICS
Thought actually leaves the brain and hovers about. When a thought, whether good or evil, leaves the mind of a person it gives rise to vibrations in the Manas or mental atmosphere, which travel far and wide in all directions.
It enters the brains of others also. A sage living in a Himalayan cave transmits a powerful thought to a corner of America. He who tries to purify himself in a cave, really purifies the world, helps the world at large. Nobody can prevent his pure thoughts coming out and passing on to those others that really want them.
Just as the sun goes on continuously converting into vapour every drop of water that is on the surface of the earth and just as all the vapour thus rising up gathers together in the form of clouds, all the thoughts that you project from your own lonely corner will mount up and be wafted across space, join similar thoughts projected by those who are like you and, in the end, all these holy thoughts will come down with tremendous force to subjugate undesirable forces.
- THOUGHT POWER - Chapter 2 - ITS LAWS AND ITS DYNAMICS