Right thinking and right living

All our dignity consists of thought. By this must we raise ourselves, not by space or duration which we cannot fill? Then let us make it our study to think well; for this is the starting point of morals-Pascal.

“Right thinking is your best light in this dark universe; it is your best hope in your worst hopelessness! Right thinking leads to a right attitude which leads to right living.”

It is thought which moulds our character. Of all factors, it is the mightiest in shaping human life and destiny and unless we pay proper attention to our thought, it is impossible to accomplish anything. Those who have not roused themselves from the slumber of ignorance, no matter what they may try to do, they will not succeed. The power of right thinking must be awakened; that is the first step. We all think; but the thought is of two kinds: one kind is constructive, the other is destructive, yet the same mind is used for both. The mind can either go down or it can go upward, whichever way we choose to direct it. It is ready to serve us and lead us, if we are not discriminative, we may make mistakes which will prove our ruin.

The power of right thinking and right living go together, it comes from right thinking and right living, for peoples who appear to have complete control over their mind. Only the man who lives in the right way, whose thoughts do not betray him, whose mind and mouth are one, as spiritualists have said, that is, whose inner thought and outer activity are in perfect harmony. He alone will be able to accomplish great things. Right thinking means that we do not wish to hurt anyone; we may want to progress, but not at the cost of another. There cannot be any selfish idea in it. No one can really grow who thinks wholly of himself or even of those who stand closest to him.

Unless we take all mankind into consideration, our growth cannot be far-reaching, we cannot become great. That is the reason why all religious teachers have been to hate no man, to conquer everything through love because love is constructive. All are related to us in spirit, and if we hate anyone we are hating something which is part of ourselves. This realization of universal oneness in spirit destroys what we call evil.

A man who is weak cannot attain the truth, he must first wake himself from the sleep of ignorance, therefore let him be strong. Shake off all weakness, all fear. A child of God should not be afraid of anything. If you want to rise make yourself strong. But you must do it for yourself and you can only do it by right thinking.

The mind is the instrument by which we accomplish everything. Our mind thinks that thought creates, and what it creates we see in the external activity of our life. So we must train this mind. We must not let it run wild. The human being should not run after shadows. We are superior to animals in just this, that we have the power to discriminate, and only as we use it, shall we learn the secret of right thinking and right living. When our thought’s re free from impurity and self-consciousness, our light will shine. But how often we forget this and try to gain our selfish ends, even by unworthy means. We believe too much in things which are temporary and neglect that which is lasting. When, however, our thoughts become connected with our inner nature, then not only will the light shine in the spiritual realm which now seems dark to us. But our life he will also be filled with clearness, directness and fearlessness.

The religious life does not mean devoting certain hours to the study of the religious or some other sacred scripture, it means continuous life in accordance with the higher law.

According to Vedanta, the truth is the common property of the whole human race, and whoever is wakeful, whoever applies the truth, whoever lives the life, he is a follower of the truth, whoever lives the life, he is a follower of truth, whether he comes from east or west. A flower is a flower wherever it grows, it gives the same fragrance to the one who tramples on it as to the one who cherishes it. That is the nature we should develop. The flower does not refuse its fragrance to anyone it gives what it has to give. Similarly, our higher nature should be so unfolded that we can feel for all and give without asking anything.

When that comes, we can truly be called children of God with the power for right thinking and right living.

“You are under no commitment to be the same person you were a year, month, day or even 5 minutes ago. You have the right to grow. Every new moment is a chance to look at yourself.”