As I thinketh

The heart wrenching images of the recent chemical attack in Syria haunted me for days together…children gasping and choking for breath, a widowed young mother cradling the body of her lifeless infant, and other gory images of the war-torn nation.

Closer home, the news of the brutal killing of an unarmed young Army officer by militants saddened me. One thought gave way to another, and the moment I found myself inadvertently entering a thought maze, I got up to tidy up our book shelf. While dusting, I stumbled upon a small UNESCO booklet of my school days. I leafed through the pages, and came across a profound statement, “Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that defences of peace must be constructed.” This set me thinking.

Isn’t the human mind at the epicentre of whatever happens in our lives? Think about it, for majority of the events that have shaped our lives till date, there was some thought that took root, and whatever manifested in our lives was a cumulative effect of related myriad thought processes. Of course, karma or destiny could certainly have played a role. But then, who shapes our destiny? To a considerable extent, the thoughts in our mind, and how?

Our mind is the abode of all kinds of thoughts: the good, the evil, and random thoughts-that can neither be categorised as good nor evil. Any thought by itself is powerless unless provided with energy.

How can I say that confidently? A recurring thought in my mind is about a nasty colleague at the work place. I can write voluminous essays about his crude behaviour. If a very dear friend may just probe, “How is the new work place, Sree”? I would just rattle off, “Okay. Most people are okay, except for this one guy. Oh, he is so bothersome. Infact, he is extremely manipulative. I have never met a more unprofessional person in my life…an epitome of unrefined behaviour. Every day he comes up with a new trick to pester me….you know what, because of him, I don’t feel like going to the office. This office sucks…..”

As the reader may see, when I began the description, I was okay with my new work place. However, the moment I turned my thoughts to that bothersome colleague, I was transformed. A closer analysis would reveal that the moment I provided energy to the thought, “I have an extremely bothersome colleague at office”, I had set the stage for a self-sustaining-thought chain reaction. The energised thought gathered momentum and it transferred the acquired energy to related thoughts; thoughts initially sleeping in some deep abyss within me. And, lo and behold! without me realising, I had created a self-sustaining chain reaction of unwanted, negative thoughts.

What good was it doing me anyway? Was thinking this way helping me or the other person some way? Of course not. This implies I have the power to choose; power to choose my thoughts. What a great feeling to get up every morning and realise that the power to choose wrests in me. We are essentially free. But then, how often do we realise that?

Going back to the current state of world affairs, I am no great person to suggest a solution or why certain untoward events happen. However, within my limited understanding, I may say that those responsible for the chemical bombing in Syria or the militants who attack innocent people, provide fuel or energy to the negative thought processes repeatedly day after day, week after week, all of which cumulates and culminates in a negative event.

I believe there is a superior positive hidden force within each one of us. It coexists along with an equally powerful negative force. Now what are the diverse ways to give energy to this positive force. One way could be to chant regularly. Chanting on a holy name is equivalent to constantly dwelling on what is right, what is positive; in turn, providing fuel to the positive energy field within each of us. Now the more we dwell on the positive, the more happiness and meaning would we find in our daily lives. I sincerely believe the world would change for the better if humanity channelled its energy to positive thoughts and positive action. To quote Sri Ramakrishna, “One man may read the Bhagavata by the light of the lamp, and another may commit a forgery by that very light. The sun sheds its light on the wicked as well as on the virtous.” So dear reader, what thoughts are you going to choose and provide energy to? It is a choice I leave up to you.