What are thoughts?

What are thoughts? Where do they come from? Can we stop thoughts from coming? How thoughts get energized and become stronger? How do we eliminate thoughts from our mind? What type of thoughts can be considered worth pursuing? How can we apply our determination to noble thoughts?


Thoughts are basically sudden impulses that appear in our mind with a request for action. They basically originate from encryption in our mind that were created by our thoughts and actions in the prior life. We do not have control to stop those thoughts but we are fortunately blessed with tools to regulate them. When we get a sudden impulse, if we pursue that thought in our mind again and again, it becomes stronger and gets energized to act upon. Slowly, it becomes a determination or will power to do something and it becomes difficult for us to eliminate that thought.



We need to sit early in the morning in a quiet environment to meditate and watch our thoughts when our senses are not at their best. We have to ensure we meditate right after we get up from our sleep as in the deep sleep state, we lose our thoughts and slowly get them all back when we wake up early in the morning. Deep sleep state in Sanskrit is called Shusupti, a state in which we become close to Samadhi or self-realization. At this Brahma Muhurtham, we need to sit in isolation to watch our thoughts. When we do so, they come one after another like a film in a projector. Whatever thoughts we consider as our duty or whatever action we consider as noble should be allowed to remain whereas whatever thoughts we consider as unwanted thoughts such as thoughts to punish a fellow beings, thoughts that generate emotions like anger, jealousy, hate, fear, guilt, etc. should be removed from our subconscious mind. We need to take one thought at a time that generates such emotions and in our subconscious mind we need to keep reminding us that this thought is not required and when we do so, that specific thought loses its vitality and slowly gets eliminated. We need to realize that thoughts that are considered as harmful to us should not be suppressed as it would never go away from our mind.


The noble thoughts are the ones that are natural and inherent in a life such as thoughts that help one to become an expert in a professional area or an art or a musical instrument and thoughts that flows out of feeling such as love and compassion. When we get such thoughts, we need to activate them through intense contemplation in our intellect making them energized as strong thoughts. When we do so, it gets energized and becomes a determination or will power. Once it becomes will power, we need to begin executing them into action. Many a times, a strong will power filled with high energy materializes in the outside world automatically as it affects the environment so significantly. For example, a child who has a strong will to paint will get support from parents automatically. A person who wants to become an architect will get admission in a good school. A person who wants to dedicate his life for the welfare of the fellow beings will get a Guru who would advise him on how to execute his wishes. Even though thoughts that are helping an individual to become a professional are helping the person, they are not considered selfish as they are coming from encryption in the mind. While one has the duty to pursue the profession that he/she is interested in, he or she should not be proud of such skill and should do the action without any expectations.



In Karma, Gnana and Bhakthi Yoga, the steps suggested are withdrawal from the world (detachment and desire less state), concentration or focus on one thought (thought about the Universal Absolute), contemplation of that thought to get the Will Power and finally reach Samadhi (Self-Realization). Similarly, even in execution of any thought, we need to go through the process of withdrawal from all other thoughts, concentration or focus on one thought, contemplation of that thought and finally get to execute it with the power of the Will to get the right results.

 

Thank you for your comments and an excellent summary with quote from William Shakespeare.

Viswa

 

Thank you for the excellent quote of Buddha and for reading this blog. My next blog is about "how our thoughts can shape our life and why what we become depends on our thoughts"

Viswa

 

Dear Workehow,

Thank you for your comments.


Viswa