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"If a pebble in our shoe torments us, we expel it. Once the matter is understood, it is just as easy to expel an intruding and obnoxious thought from the mind. Thoughts are the sources of all actions - they are real karma, real action. If, right at the beginning, you can root out all evil thoughts, you will not do any evil actions. You will be free from misery and anxiety.
Watch the thoughts with vigilance. Once the tossing of the mind vanishes, the mind will be very calm and you will get good meditation. Free yourself from the clutches of the mind, and liberation will come by itself. Those who have even a little control over their thoughts and speech will have a calm, serene, beautiful face, a sweet voice and brilliant, lustrous eyes.
Conserve all mental energy. Use it for spiritual purposes. Do not store useless information in your brain. Learn to unmind the mind. Then only you can fill the mind with divine thoughts. As all the dissipated mental rays are collected you will gain new mental strength. Useless thoughts impede your spiritual growth; obnoxious thoughts are stumbling blocks to spiritual advancement.
In untrained persons four or five kinds of thoughts occupy the mind at one time. These may be thoughts of the household, of business, of the office, of the body and so on. If you watch carefully you will see that many thoughts are inconsistent and that the mind wanders aimlessly.
Entertain only thoughts that are useful and helpful. These are the stepping stones to all spiritual progress. Every thought must be of a constructive nature; it must be positive and definite. Mental images must be well-defined. Every thought must bring peace and comfort to others and never bring pain or unhappiness. Then, you are a blessed soul on earth.
Always watch your mind. Be vigilant. Be alert. Do not allow waves of irritability, jealousy, anger, hatred and lust to arise in the mind. These are the enemies of meditation, peace and wisdom. Suppress them at once by entertaining sublime thoughts. Evil thoughts which have already arisen may be destroyed by originating and maintaining good thoughts, by repeating any mantra, by doing any good actions, by abstracting the mind and by enquiring, "Who am I?" or by will-force."
-Swami Sivananda
Watch the thoughts with vigilance. Once the tossing of the mind vanishes, the mind will be very calm and you will get good meditation. Free yourself from the clutches of the mind, and liberation will come by itself. Those who have even a little control over their thoughts and speech will have a calm, serene, beautiful face, a sweet voice and brilliant, lustrous eyes.
Conserve all mental energy. Use it for spiritual purposes. Do not store useless information in your brain. Learn to unmind the mind. Then only you can fill the mind with divine thoughts. As all the dissipated mental rays are collected you will gain new mental strength. Useless thoughts impede your spiritual growth; obnoxious thoughts are stumbling blocks to spiritual advancement.
In untrained persons four or five kinds of thoughts occupy the mind at one time. These may be thoughts of the household, of business, of the office, of the body and so on. If you watch carefully you will see that many thoughts are inconsistent and that the mind wanders aimlessly.
Entertain only thoughts that are useful and helpful. These are the stepping stones to all spiritual progress. Every thought must be of a constructive nature; it must be positive and definite. Mental images must be well-defined. Every thought must bring peace and comfort to others and never bring pain or unhappiness. Then, you are a blessed soul on earth.
Always watch your mind. Be vigilant. Be alert. Do not allow waves of irritability, jealousy, anger, hatred and lust to arise in the mind. These are the enemies of meditation, peace and wisdom. Suppress them at once by entertaining sublime thoughts. Evil thoughts which have already arisen may be destroyed by originating and maintaining good thoughts, by repeating any mantra, by doing any good actions, by abstracting the mind and by enquiring, "Who am I?" or by will-force."
-Swami Sivananda
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Re: Training of the Mind
Sun, July 22, 2007 - 9:53 AM<<Om Namah Shivaya>>
Dear Cynthia,
Thank you very much for posting this.
Once I was told by a renouned jyotisha that my mind is causing the torment in my life.
In other words, I think too much and draining the spirit.
It works well when I do research, give lectures, or 'preparation' for my artistic activities, but for the everyday life, it is not pleasant.
I have to constantly remind myself to become more meditative in my mind.
It is very interesting that East does meet West in expressing the similar views about our mind.
W. Emerson says that "we are what we think (all day)."
Zen saying: "Catch the vigorous horse of your mind."
"Be master of mind rather than mastered by mind."
Blessings,
Hikaru
<<Om-Tat-Sat>> -
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Re: Training of the Mind
Sun, July 22, 2007 - 10:58 AMI definitely agree that thinking too much can drain the spirit. Especially in these trying times, we need to get into our hearts. Starting with loving ourselves, instead of beating ourselves up.
Hari
Om! -
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Unsu...
Re: Training of the Mind
Sun, July 22, 2007 - 1:26 PMO Cynthia, you have so many wonderful things to offer. I read your post and I feel it is time for me to be much more conscious of my thoughts. Hare Krsna -
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Re: Training of the Mind
Sun, July 22, 2007 - 8:52 PMJust passing it on, Tara. I find Sivananda's words to be so clear and so helpful in my own life that I want to share them with you all.
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