Unseen Passage: Mind Your Thoughts

To make our life a meaningful one, we need to mind our thoughts, for our thoughts are the foundation, the inspiration, and the motivating power of our deeds. We create our entire world by the way we think. Thoughts are the causes and the conditions are the effects.

Our circumstances and conditions are not dictated by the world outside; it is the world inside us that creates that outside. Self-awareness comes from the mind, which means soul. Mind is the sum total of the states of consciousness grouped under thought, will and feeling. Besides selfconsciousness we have the power to choose and think. Krishna says: “no man resteth a moment inactive”. Even when inactive on the bodily plane we are all the time acting on the thought plane. Therefore if we observe ourselves, we can easily mould our thoughts. If our thoughts are pure and noble, naturally actions follow the same. If our thoughts are filled with jealousy, hatred, and greed, our actions will be the same.

Karmically, however, thought or intent is more responsible and dynamic than an act. One may perform a charitable act, but if he does not think charitably and is doing the act just for the sake of gain and glory, it is his thoughts that will determine the result. Theosophy teaches us that every thought, no matter how fleeting, leaves a seed in the mind of the thinker. These small seeds together go to make up a large thought seed and determine one’s general character. Our thoughts affect the whole body. Each thought once generated and sent out becomes independent of the brain and mind and will live upon its own energy depending upon its intensity.

Trying to keep a thought from our mind can produce the very state we are trying to avoid. We can alter our environment to create the mood. When, for instance, we are depressed, if we sit by ourselves trying to think cheerful thoughts, we often do not succeed. But if we mix with people who are cheerful we can bring about a change in our mood and thoughts. Every thought we think, every act we perform, creates in us an impression, like everything else, is subject to cyclic law and become repetitive in our mind. So, we alone have the choice to create our thoughts and develop the kind of impressions that make our action more positive.

Q. On the basis of your reading of the passage, answer the following questions:

1. How can we make our life meaningful?
2. Why does Krishna say, “No man resteth a moment inactive”?
3. How do our thoughts affect the whole body?
4. How can we change our mood when we are depressed?
5. In para 1, the word which means stimulation is __________.
   1. inspiration
   2. effect
   3. foundation
   4. consequence
6. In para 4, the word which means ‘ceaselless’ is __________.
7. In para 1, the word opposite in meaning to ‘discouraging’ is __________.
   1. meaningful
   2. inspiration
   3. motivating
   4. foundation
8. In para 4, the word opposite in meaning to ‘happy’ is __________.

Answer

1. We need to mind our thoughts which are the foundation, the inspiration, the motivating power of our deeds to make our life meaningful.
2. Krishna says this because even when inactive on the physical plane, we are all the time acting on the thought plane. If we observe ourselves we mould our thoughts.
3. Our thoughts affect the whole body. Each thought once generated and sent out becomes independent of the brain and mind and we live upon its energy depending upon its intensity.
4. When we are depressed, if we mix with people who are cheerful, we can bring about a change in our mood and thoughts.
5. inspiration
6. repetitives
7. motivating
8. depressed