The Use Of Spiritual Power

We must eliminate the idea that the metaphysical process requires hard work and strenuous effort on our part. We must also eliminate the idea that the cure is performed by the exercise of personal power. The higher Spiritual forces coming into personal expression perform all of this work; but our personal selves do not produce those forces; neither will hard personal work bring them into evidence. It is the consciousness of the Spiritual side of life that produces true emancipation and the absolute health and wholeness we have in view; and this is natural because the Spiritual alone contains absolute wholeness. That which is not health and wholeness cannot produce health and wholeness, but since Spirit is health and wholeness, perfect health and wholeness must manifest wherever the power of the Spiritual is expressed.  

It can truthfully be said that the Spirit is at hand waiting at the gate of every Mind. All that is required of us is to open, and the Spirit will come in, filling the entire mansion of man with its peace, its power, its healing and its light. But to open the door for the Spirit to enter does not require hard work, agonizing prayers, nor efforts that tear both Mind and body, as so many of our personal efforts do. To place ourselves in the consciousness of the Spiritual attitude is the secret of the highest and the most perfect form of healing, and when we place ourselves in that attitude we shall find that peace, health, freedom and power will inevitably come; because the Spirit is peace, the Spirit is health, the Spirit is freedom, and the Spirit is power.  

When you are in the Spirit of health you cannot be sick; and to be in the real life of the Spirit is to be in the Spirit of health, because Spirit is health. When you are in freedom you cannot be in bondage; and to be in the Spirit is to be in freedom, because everything that is in the Spirit must necessarily enjoy absolute freedom.  

When we try to help others with these higher powers, we frequently begin as if it were hard work.  

We think that we have to do this personally. We forget that it is the Spirit and the Spirit alone that has the real power. Our work is to place the matter in the hands of Infinite Wisdom, Infinite Power, Infinite Love; and we do this, not through hard personal efforts, but through pure Spiritual faith.  

It is not the will of the Infinite that any one should suffer pain or distress of any kind, but it is the will of the Infinite that all should be in the perfect freedom of Spirit and Truth. It is the will of the Infinite that everybody should be well now; therefore, whoever is placed in the hands of the Infinite now will be healed this very hour.  

In this connection we may ask if we are not already in God's care, since we live and move and have our Being in His Spirit; and what more, then, can we do to place ourselves in His hands? To answer this question, we will simply say that we are in the Spirit of the Infinite now, but we do not all know it; and we must know the Truth before the Truth can make us free. To place ourselves in the hands of the Supreme, is to enter consciously into Divine presence, so that we do not simply believe in God, but also feel the life and the power of His Spirit in every fiber of our Being. Where the Spirit is felt, there peace, health and power will also be felt, because where the Spirit is felt, there the Spirit is; and where the Spirit is, there peace and power are also. When you enter the Spirit you feel what you desire to have done is being done, and it is being done by a power that can do all things.  

When you actually and sincerely believe that healing and emancipation is taking place in your system, you open the door for the Spirit to enter; and when the Spirit comes in, the Spirit will do at once whatever we desire to have done. While the Spirit is at work, we are simply to be silent and receive, that the power of the Spirit may take full possession and make us every whit whole.  

Whatever we desire the power of the Spirit to do, that the Spirit will now proceed to do, provided we do not interfere; but we do interfere with that work whenever we think about it, or whenever we become strenuous, trying to push the power.  

To leave all things in the hands of the Supreme is to leave all things in those hands that will do things right, and that will do just what is best for us. What the Supreme thinks is best for us will give us far more good than anything that we could have planned for ourselves. And here we should remember that the Supreme does not think it is best for us to be sick or in trouble. God thinks it is best for us to be as He is, and He knows neither sickness, nor pain, nor sorrow. Therefore, when you place yourself absolutely in Divine hands, you will positively regain perfect health and wholeness. 

Many a parent thinks, "If I place my sick child in the hands of God and ask His will to be done, He may desire to take my child away"; but do not believe this for a moment. God wants you to have your child. He does not wish to give you sorrow; and if you are perfectly willing, He will heal your child so that both your child and your joy may remain. But you must be perfectly willing and have no doubt. We all have the privilege to live our own lives so that not even the Infinite will interfere with our individuality; and in order to enjoy this privilege it is necessary that we remain here for a long time and continue in health and freedom during that entire period. 

In this connection, we should remember that we do not have to leave the body in order to go to God. God does not have to take us out of the body to take us to Himself, because He is everywhere. 

We may go to God and be with Him absolutely and completely while still living in the visible form. When we understand this, we realize how absurd it is to believe that God wants to take us away from our grieving friends in order to have us to Himself. The Truth is, God does not wish to deprive any one of anything, and His way will never give sorrow to a living creature.  

The Infinite is radiant with supreme joy, and it is His will that we should be as He is; but as we are individualized Beings, we of course have our own will in all these matters. Nevertheless, the sooner we combine our will with Infinite will, the sooner we shall have freedom and gain possession of the highest and best that life can give. When we take this step, we soon discover that the ways of pleasantness and the paths of peace are found only when we place ourselves unreservedly in His hands, and open the door for the Spirit to come in and make all things right.  

To clearly discern this conception of the Infinite is of extreme importance if we would heal with the power of the Spirit, because the more completely we enter the Spirit, the greater is the power of the Spirit in us; and when the Spirit is strong in us, then it is that we reach that state where our prayers are extremely beneficial. Every word of Truth that we speak while in this power has healing on its wings; and every just desire that we may express at such times will surely be fulfilled.   

When the Spiritual physician is confronted with threatening failure, there is a tendency to become anxious, and the belief that harder work is required will almost invariably arise; but such beliefs should be put away at once. It is not harder work on our part that is required; it is more faith in the power of the Spirit that should be sought; and that faith is never disturbed by appearances, but remains beautifully calm, because it knows.  

It is the power of the Spirit that gives health and emancipation. We are the instruments through which that power is to find expression, therefore we should place ourselves in that high, silent, Spiritual state through which the unbounded power of the Spirit may find full and free expression. 

Our anxiety is always a hindrance. Our intense personal effort takes us out of the hands of the Spirit, and we cease to be instruments of its power. In this way failure is usually the result, though remarkable demonstrations of healing could easily have been attained. When we know that the power of the Spirit is always at hand, always ready to do anything that we may wish to have done; when we know that the power of the Spirit is limitless and can do all things; and when we know that it is the will of God that all should be healed now, what have we to fear or to be anxious about? What more do we need than this sublime Truth to give us unbounded faith? And as our faith is, so shall it be; therefore when our faith is unbounded every prayer will be answered, every desire will be fulfilled.  

When we are in this perfect faith we find the real secret. We discover that it is the power of the Spirit that heals; that the Spirit will heal whenever we enter into the Spirit; and that we enter into the Spirit whenever we pass through the door of pure Spiritual faith and place ourselves absolutely in the hands of Infinite Wisdom, Infinite Power, Infinite Love.  

To become a good Spiritual physician, or to apply the Spiritual powers within us in gaining and maintaining health, there are several fundamental essentials to which we should give our fullest attention. These are peace, love, faith, Spiritual consciousness, and the understanding of Truth. To cultivate these five essentials to the very highest possible degree, is to gain possession of that something within us that will not only give us the power to realize and express the power of the Spirit, but will also give us the power to help others in the same way. 

The necessity of perfect peace is evident, because without such a peace we cannot enter into the deeper realization of Truth and life. The disturbed Mind dwells on the surface and has little or no knowledge of absolute reality, therefore cannot understand that something within that is perfect and well at all times. What we realize in the within we express in the without. For this reason, everything that is necessary to our realization of the perfect health within must be fully supplied; and peace is one of these essentials. 

A metaphysical treatment should never begin until we have become absolutely still in Mind and Thought, though this stillness must not simply be a passive stillness. It must be a state wherein you feel very still and very strong. When you feel that the power within is awakened in peace, you are ready to begin. During the treatment, the same peaceful attitude should be maintained, and the feeling of a strong calm should permeate all Thought and effort. 

The attitude of real peace is one that can be cultivated to a very high degree, because it does not consist in simply being quiet. It is a living peace, and since life is boundless this living peace can be deepened, and deepened for an indefinite period; and the greater the peace the greater the power when the power is surely awakened, because to enter that peace that is a living peace is to enter the higher life and the greater power of the Spirit. 

Before we can help anyone through Spiritual and metaphysical means, we must realize a Spiritual oneness between ourselves and those whom we desire to help. We must enter their world, so to speak, and must feel that we are in perfect touch with their inner and true selves. We must be able to Spiritually touch the perfect life within them before we can awaken that life, and it is the awakening of that life that we have in view. The perfect life within is health and wholeness, therefore when the inner life, the life more abundant, takes possession of the person, every phase of sickness or pain must vanish.  

To enter into Spiritual oneness with another Mind, or to produce perfect oneness between the outer life and the inner life in ourselves, love is the secret, because love is Spiritual unity. No one can heal to any extent, or realize the power of the Spirit in himself, unless he loves much; loves everybody, and loves with the whole heart and soul. But in this connection we must remember that pure Spiritual love is not in any way related to ordinary sympathy. Ordinary sympathy sympathizes with sickness and distress, and enters into the world of discord and pain, thereby making evil more real than it previously seemed to be. This, however, is never done through real Spiritual love. This love sympathizes with the Divine in man, and this makes the Divine seem more real and far stronger than it ever seemed before. The result is that the true and the perfect side of man is recognized and accepted as real. 

When man recognizes the Divinity within, he admits Divine qualities into his consciousness; and whatever is admitted into consciousness is expressed in the person. Consequently, by recognizing the Divine that is within us, all that is true, all that is real, all that is wholesome, and all that is perfect in the soul of man will be brought forth into actual, tangible expression. The new life thus enters the body, and as this new life is health, all disease must vanish. When health comes, disease is no more; and health does come whenever the inner life is awakened and expressed. 

The mission of true Spiritual love is therefore very high, and what is more, it is indispensable to this great work. You cannot heal any one without entering into a Spiritual unity with that one's soul life; and this unity is attained only through pure Spiritual love. The love that we speak of is impersonal, a love that can love every creature without effort, and regardless of appearance or present conditions of life. The person, therefore, who has such a love, is a perpetual benediction to everybody, and could heal at any time by simply wishing to do so.  

The necessity of faith in this connection is so evident that nothing need be said as to why we must have faith in order to heal; but a great deal could be said and should be said concerning the real meaning of faith. Faith is not a mere belief, but a gift. It is a high state of Mind that transcends all limitations and discerns the real, the perfect and the good everywhere. Faith knows that all things are possible, because it has the power to see and understand the limitless life and power that is working in man and all about man.  

Faith makes all things possible because it awakens the greater, the larger and the superior in man. No one can fail who has faith, because faith gives to the Mind all the wisdom and all the power that is necessary to realize the object in view. Faith has constantly greater things in store, and keeps the Mind on the verge of higher revelations and more beautiful experiences every day. To have faith is to live on the heights, and to constantly ascend to greater heights. When faith comes, all despair; all discouragement and all disappointments disappear for all time. No dark conditions can remain after faith has taken possession, because faith positively proves to the Mind that all things are possible, that we can accomplish what we have undertaken, that destiny is in our own hands, and that the future is just as bright as we may desire to make it. 

In metaphysical and Spiritual healing, faith is not disturbed about threatening symptoms, because it knows that there is a power at hand that can put to flight all kinds of symptoms and diseases at once. In this conviction faith works, consequently it cannot fail. Faith sees the real man and knows that the real man is well, therefore there is nothing to fear, nothing to cause anxiety or unrest. What we inwardly know, that we become conscious of; and what we become conscious of, that we express in Mind and body. Therefore, to know that the real man is well, is to bring the health and the power of the real man into the personal man; and since faith does know that the real man is well, anyone who has faith will accordingly be healed through faith.  

Spiritual consciousness is the consciousness of the soul, the Divine in man, or that which is created in the image of God. The value of this consciousness, not only in the work of healing and emancipation, but in all important or higher attainments, as well as the further development of man, becomes very evident when we realize that it is only those things that we become conscious of that find expression through us.  

The great truth that man is created in the image and likeness of the Infinite, is the foundation of pure Spiritual metaphysics; and from this great truth we conclude that man is in reality what God is. Not that man is equal with God, because God is infinite while man is individualized; but the same attributes and qualities that exist in the Infinite exist also in man - the real man. To be conscious of the real man, and to know and feel that you yourself are the real man, is to have Spiritual consciousness. 

You are spiritually conscious when you know that you are a Spiritual Being. Many people believe that they have souls; others believe that they are souls; but this is not sufficient. You should actually feel that you are a soul; and this feeling should be based upon actual conscious realization. When you know that you are a Spiritual Being; when you know that you are created in the likeness of God; when you know that you are living in a Spiritual world; when you know that you are one with the Infinite, and that you are in your real Being perfect, good, true and absolutely whole, as God is, then you have attained Spiritual consciousness. This consciousness is not mere intellect, but a realization that is felt and known without the aid of ordinary intellectual processes. It is not something that is arrived at through logical reason, but comes as a special illumination to the Mind that has been developed up to that necessary state. 

When you become fully conscious of your Spiritual nature, you enter into the wholeness, the life, the peace and the power of the Mind. You no longer live in conditions of discord, sickness, weakness or confusion. You have entered the perfect world which permeates everything, and have appropriated all the high states of the perfect world. To believe in the Spirit, and to be conscious of the Spirit, are two wholly different states of Mind. Many depend upon the former, and depend in vain. It is the latter that we must secure. 

To be conscious of the Spirit is to be in the Spirit; and to be in the Spirit is to be in peace, health and power, because the Spirit is peace, health and power. When you attain Spiritual consciousness, you know that you are one with the Infinite, and to know this is surely the greatest thing in the world. To know that you live, and move, and have your Being in the Supreme; that you are so near to God that God is closer than breathing; to know that you are inseparable from God; and that you shall never, never be separated from His life or presence, but continue to be one with Him through all eternity - to know this is to know that which is greater than all other things in the world. It is a Thought too beautiful for tongue to ever describe, and many believe this Thought because it is so beautiful; but when you enter Spiritual consciousness you will absolutely know that this Thought is the Truth; and that realization alone should be sufficient to inspire every Mind to seek the Spiritual heights this very day. 

The value of Spiritual consciousness in healing is found in its power to illuminate the Mind with the light of real Truth, and thus reveal man to himself. The average man looks upon the body and calls that himself. He looks upon the beliefs and the opinions that he has inherited and calls them his light and his understanding. The result is the blind leading the blind, mental illusions and false beliefs creating more illusions and false beliefs, and thus perpetuating discord, sickness and failure.  

When Spiritual consciousness comes, man discovers that he is not the body or the Mind, but that he is an eternal soul, a Spiritual Being, the exact likeness of the Infinite. He discovers that he is neither sick, nor weak, nor depraved, but that he has in the reality of his Being the purity of God, the health of God, the power of God, the light of God. He finds that though he is manifesting himself in a visible Universe, he is actually living in a Spiritual Universe; and he learns that this Spiritual Universe is the kingdom of heaven that is within everybody and within everything. In other words, it is God's own true world, where all is well - always well.  

When man discovers that he is actually living now in a Spiritual world where everything is perfect and absolutely good, he realizes that everything must be well with him; and this is the Truth that can make him free. When man becomes conscious of the great Truth that all is well with him now because he is the image of God, and is living in God's world, where all is well, the counteracting evidences of the senses must be dealt with. The real and the seeming frequently contradict each other. At any rate, they seem to do so; and to establish perfect peace throughout the system, harmony between the without and the within must be secured.  

This requires a clear understanding of Truth, both Spiritual and intellectual, because what is true to Spiritual consciousness must be true to objective reason; and it will be true to objective reason when the Mind can see Truth so clearly that a perfect and immediate discrimination between the true and the false is made possible. When we see the Truth clearly, the light of Truth so fills the Mind that there is no room for darkness. Even reason becomes illumined, accepting conclusively what the Spirit has to reveal. 

One of the greatest essentials in securing emancipation for the personal man is to be able to prove to the senses and the outer Mind that the real man is well, because as soon as the outer man receives this Truth there will be nothing to perpetuate disease. Disease and discord can live in the human system only so long as we continue to recognize their existence. Disease does not exist by itself or from itself. It is an effect; and the underlying cause of disease is the belief that man is a material Being, subject to all kinds of ills. 

Therefore, when it is demonstrated through the intellect, and to every phase of consciousness, that man is a Spiritual Being, and that he is always absolutely well, the outer Mind will no longer create false beliefs; and when false beliefs cease to be, the effect of false belief, that is, disease, must also cease to be.   

False beliefs, created by the outer Mind, are the causes of the conditions of disease that fill the body; consequently, when the outer Mind discerns the Truth, that the real man is well, false beliefs about man will no longer be created. The result is that the cause of disease is taken away, and therefore the disease itself must of necessity disappear also. 

It has been said that the senses must be blinded if we are to see pure Spiritual Truth, and that reason must be held in abeyance when we try to comprehend the reality of the Spirit; but this is not true. The physical senses can be trained to work in harmony with the Spiritual senses and reason can be educated to corroborate the revelations of Spiritual consciousness.  

The Universe is one with many parts but within each part we find Spirit; - pure, perfect, eternal Spirit. The Being of man is one with many parts and all parts are necessary to each other, and each part has a Spiritual basis. When all the faculties of man are trained to function properly, they will all work together to demonstrate the one Truth. The Spiritual faculties will recognize the physical side of all things, and the physical faculties will be able to demonstrate the reality of the Spiritual side of all things. This is the true harmony of Being, when all parts of being work together for the larger life and the greater good. 

The senses should not work against the Spirit; neither should we imagine that the senses are nothing in the eyes of the Spirit. When the senses refuse to recognize the Spirit they are not properly trained; and that reason that cannot logically demonstrate the existence of the Spirit lacks true cultivation. 

In the understanding of the Truth, therefore, three things are implied: First, to know the real, that which is eternal and absolutely perfect; second, to know the nature and the exact purpose of the temporal; and third, to know the Law through which the within and the without may work as one for the greater good of man. 

To combine these three essentials in the understanding of Truth may seem to be an undertaking too large for the average Mind; but it is very simple, and when it is accomplished, man's entire world is illumined. Everything becomes clear, for he can see things as they are. To see things as they are in themselves is to know the Truth; and to know the Truth is to gain freedom, harmony, health and peace.  

To simplify the understanding of Truth we should base all Thought upon the statement that man is a Spiritual Being, created in the likeness of the Infinite, and that every part of the Mind and body of man is created for the purpose of perpetually unfolding the Divine qualities and attributes that are inherent in the Spirit of man. By realizing that man himself is perfect, absolutely good, and every way whole, all Thought will be the Thought of Truth, and will produce only true conditions in the life of man.  

By trying to unite all the senses and faculties, physical and Spiritual, upon the one purpose of building a larger life, complete harmony will be established throughout the human entity, and the within and the without will become as one. The result will not only be perfect health and wholeness to body and Mind, but also the unfolding of a greater and more beautiful soul.   

The Magnetic Power Of Your Mind

Our Mind is immensely powerful. Just like a magnet attracts some and repels some objects, our Minds too have similar characteristics. You can confirm this by examining the people around you. They pass through some common and some dissimilar circumstance and events. Some of these events or tasks can be completed by some of them easily and some find it extremely tough to accomplish those tasks.  

Our Mind is nothing but a generator of Thoughts. These Thoughts become magnets and send out magnetic currents. Any action or idea will be perceived by you as you see and think about it. The more optimistic you are, the event becomes good for you. On the contrary, if you develop a negative attitude, you are sure to attract negative things into your life.  

The more you think about a certain issue, the higher are the chances that they will get attracted into your life. Having said that, it does not mean that all you think will become real. Thoughts need a particular strength to materialize. Weak magnets do not attract much, and so do weak Thoughts.  

All of us aware about the fact the magnet can attract metals. The stronger and bigger the magnet, the bigger objects get attracted. Another characteristic typical of magnets is that while one side attracts, it can repel objects too.  

Attraction, is an unbiased or neutral power. The magnet attracts everything that is iron, irrespective of whether it is useful or not. Same is the case with our Mind and Thoughts. Be positive and optimistic if you want good things happen in your life, and if you act otherwise you are sure to end up with a lot of negative things in your life.  

Like I mentioned earlier, our Brains are like magnets. If they can attract, they can repel too. Any negative Thoughts like incompetence, fear, inferiority complex, self-doubt will drive a lot of good things away from your life.  

You can definitely train your Brain to have positive energy. Concentration, passion and belief are some of the tools you can use and apply to charge up your Brain with positive Thoughts and energy.  

For many, powering up Mind becomes a constant activity. They are not even aware that their Minds are charging up. It becomes so much part of their daily routine. You just have to know the correct method and you too can empower your Brain so as to change your life in a positive way.  

There are many techniques you can try out to empower your Mind. Visualization, passion, repeating Thoughts, focusing on Thoughts are some. Whatever you think, they get transmitted and may match waves transmitted by other people. This may lead to collaboration between you and people who have Thoughts similar to yours. You will find numerous opportunities that come up your way. You will find such experiences very positive and will boost your confidence a lot.  

Isn't it prudent to channel your Thoughts to be positive and beneficial to you. This will make positive things get attracted into your life. Believe me, your Mind has a lot of untapped magnetic power which you can utilize to attract positive people, circumstances and opportunities into your life.  

The basic rule is pretty simple. Whatever you think about with great desire and focus will invariably get attracted to you. It may something Spiritual or materialistic, but it will come into your life. The power of concentration is Omnipresent and applicable to all. It is one of the prime sources due to which our world exists today. 

THOUGHT CULTURE by Swami Sivananda

This is also another vital subject. Very few people know this art or science. Even the so-called educated people are unaware of this fundamental education. All have random thinking. All sorts of loose Thoughts of diverse kinds come and go in the mental factory. There is neither order nor harmony. There is neither rhythm nor reasoning. There is neither concord nor organized working. There is neither system nor discipline. All is in utter chaos and confusion. There is no clarification of ideas. You cannot think of one subject even for two minutes in an orderly and systematic manner. You have no understanding of the Laws of Thought and the Laws of the mental plane. There is a perfect menagerie inside. All sorts of sensual Thoughts fight amongst themselves to enter the Mind of a sensualist and gain the upper hand. The eye Indriya struggles to bring its own Thoughts. It wants to have sight-seeing. The ear Indriya wants to hear radio music, and so on. In the vast majority of persons, only base Thoughts, lustful Thoughts, Thoughts of hatred, jealousy and fear, exist. They cannot entertain a single sublime Divine Thought even for a second. Their Minds are so framed that the mental energy runs into sensual grooves.  

Every man has got his own mental world, his own mode of thinking, his own ways of understanding things, and his own ways of acting. Just as the face and voice of every man differ from those of another man, the mode of thinking and understanding also differs. That is the reason why misunderstanding easily occurs between friends. One is not able to understand rightly the views of another. Hence friction, rupture and quarrel occur within a minute even amongst fast friends. The friendship does not last long. One should be in tune with the mental vibrations or Thought vibrations of another man. Then only one can easily understand another. Lustful Thoughts, Thoughts of hatred, jealousy and selfishness, produce distorted images in the Mind and cause clouding of understanding, perversion of intellect, loss of memory, and confusion in the Mind. 

Every Thought has got image, form, dimension, weight, shape, colour, etc. Thought is as much matter as a piece of stone. Thought moves, and passes from one man to another. Thought influences people. A man of powerful Thought can influence readily people of weak Thoughts. Telepathy is a branch of occult science wherein the Yogi can transmit messages to any man in any part of the world. Telepathy is the first telegraphic or telephonic system in this world, known to Yogins and occultists of ancient days.  

A Thought of anger or hatred sends arrows from the mental factory towards the person aimed at, harms the individual, sets up discord and disharmony in the Thought-world, and comes back again to the sender and harms the sender also. If one can understand the effect and power of Thought, he will be very careful in the manufacture of his Thoughts in his mental laboratory. One should develop the faculty of producing only pure Sattvic Thoughts by protracted mental discipline, dietetic adjustments, repetition of good Slokas with meaning, good company, study of Divine books, Japa, meditation, Pranayama, prayer, etc. A good man can help his friend, even though he lives at a long distance, by good Thoughts. You must not allow any evil Thought to enter your mental factory. Watch always your Thoughts. Avoid useless and base thinking, and reserve or conserve your mental energy. Energy is wasted in idle thinking.  

Keep yourself always occupied in doing virtuous actions and the study of religious books. You can thereby cultivate good and sublime Thoughts. Destroy random thinking. Take a subject, and think on its different aspects and bearings. When you think so on one subject, never allow any other Thought to enter the Conscious Mind. Again withdraw the Mind to the subject on hand. Take for instance: you begin to think on the life and teachings of Jadadguru Adi Sankaracharya. Think of his birthplace, his early life, his character, his personality, his virtues, his preachings, his writings, his philosophy, some of the important utterings in his works or Slokas, the Siddhis that he exhibited from time to time, his Digvijaya, his four disciples, his four Maths, his commentary on the Gita, the Upanishads and the Brahma Sutras. Think of these items one by one, in order. Exhaust them. Again and again bring the Mind to the point. Then take up another subject. By this practice, you will develop organized thinking. The mental images will gain intense strength and force. They will become clear-cut and well-defined. In ordinary persons, the mental images are distorted and undefined. Every Thought has got an image. A table is a mental image plus some external something. Whatever you see outside has got its counterpart in the Mind. The pupil is a small round thing in the eye. Retina is a small structure. How is it that the image of a big mountain seen through a small aperture or structure is cast on the Mind? How does the big form of a mountain enter a tiny hole in the eye? This is a Marvel of marvels. The image of a mountain already exists in the Mind. The Mind is like a big, vast sheet of canvas cloth that contains all the pictures of the objects seen outside.  

You must have a knowledge of the Mental Laws, viz., the Law of Association, the Law of Relativity, and the Law of Contiguity. Then you can develop Thought-culture very easily. You can remember things through the "Law of Association". Brahmacharya and pure Sattvic diet are essential for Thought-culture. Get up at 4a.m. Sit on Virasana or Padmasana or Siddhasana. Repeat your Mantra-Om or Ram or Hari-Om for ten minutes, and then practice Thought-culture. Have another sitting at night. When you think on one subject, do not allow other Thoughts to enter. When you think of rose, think of the different kinds of roses only. Do not allow other Thoughts to enter. When you think of mercy, think of mercy and mercy only. Do not think of forgiveness and tolerance. When you study the Gita, do not think of tea or a cricket match. Be wholly occupied on the subject on hand. 

Napoleon controlled his Thoughts in this manner: "When I want to think of things more pleasant, I close up the cupboards of my Mind revealing the more unpleasant things of life, and open up the cupboards containing the more pleasant Thoughts. If I want to sleep, I close up all cupboards of my Mind!". 

Thought is both force and motion. Thought is dynamic. Thoughts move. There are various kinds of Thoughts. There are instinctive Thoughts. There are visual Thoughts. There are auditory Thoughts (thinking in terms of hearing). There are symbolic Thoughts (thinking in terms of symbols). Some Thoughts are habitual. There are kinaesthetic Thoughts (thinking in terms of movement, as in playing a game). There are emotional Thoughts. If there is mental fatigue, the processes of Thought change from visual to auditory, and from auditory to kinaesthetic. There is intimate connection between thinking and respiration, as there is close relation between Mind and Prana. Where the Mind is concentrated, breathing becomes slow. If one thinks fast, the respiration also becomes fast. There is a Thought-reading machine, known as psychograph, which registers correctly the type of Thoughts. 

Spiritual Life - A Perspective

Most significant journeys in a human life begin at a certain point at which the person recognizes the need to undertake the journey, assesses his or her available resources and accounts for the possible difficulties as well as the potential rewards. The journey into the Spiritual life can sometimes begin in mysterious ways. A profound thought may suddenly appear in the Mind, one may read a great book, a stunning sight in nature may strike one dumb with awe, an insightful comment from a friend may touch a part in the person that had never been previously reached, meeting with a great Saint or a word of wisdom from them may occur, a meaningful glance, a bit of inspiring music - any number of apparently random things can get a person thinking about the ultimate meaning of life.  

The true Spiritual path is an attempt to seek out and find definitive and non-relative ideals. The sections that follow are meant to serve as a possible catalyst that can spur a person to begin the Spiritual journey. The first section is, "What is the Spiritual Life?" and introduces a beginner to the psychological, social and personal circumstances that help lead a person to search for meaning. The second section is "Spiritual Practices", and various practical approaches to the Spiritual life are suggested and explained. The third section is "Suggested Books", and some reading material from Swami Sivananda, Swami Chidananda, Swami Krishnananda and Swami Venkatesananda is described for the benefit of the interested reader.  

Source:- The Divine Life Society 

CHAPTER 12 - Thought-Power For A New Civilization

Pure Thoughts - Their Impact On The World 

The western psychologists and occultists lay great emphasis and stress on the purity of Thoughts. Thought-culture is an exact Science. One should cultivate right thinking and should drive out all sorts of vain and worldly Thoughts.  

He who entertains evil Thoughts causes great harm unto himself and to the world at large. He pollutes the Thought-world. His evil Thoughts enter the Minds of others who live at a long distance, because Thought moves with a tremendous lightning speed.  

Evil Thoughts are the direct cause for all sorts of diseases. All diseases take their origin at first from an impure Thought. He who entertains good, sublime and Divine Thoughts does immerse good unto himself and to the world also. He can radiate joy, hope, solace and peace to his friends who live at a distance.  

Thought-Power For World-Weal  

Karma is action and also the Law of Cause and Effect. All kingdoms below the human kingdom are "Mindless". Therefore, they cannot generate Thoughts. Further they have no idea of right and wrong, what ought to be done and what ought not to be done and so they cannot create Karma. 

Thoughts are solid things, more solid than a lump of sugar-candy. They have tremendous force or power. Utilize this Thought power carefully. It can serve you nicely in a variety of ways. But do not misuse this power at random. If you misuse this power, you will have quick downfall or a terrible reaction. Utilize it to help others.  

Thought Power For Cultivation Of Courage And Love 

Destroy ruthlessly the fear-Thoughts, selfish Thoughts, the hate-Thoughts, lustful Thoughts, and other morbid negative Thoughts. These evil Thoughts induce weakness, disease, disharmony, depression and despair.  

Cultivate positive Thoughts such as mercy, courage, love and purity. The negative Thoughts will die by themselves. Try this and feel your strength. Pure Thoughts will infuse in you a new exalted life. 

Sublime Divine Thoughts produce tremendous influence in the Mind and drive away evil Thoughts and change the mental substance. Mind is wholly changed into light by entertaining Divine Thoughts.  

Thought Power For An Ideal Life 

Entertain loftiest Thoughts. Your character will be exalted. Your life will be noble and ideal.  

But, different people have different mental backgrounds. People vary in their capacities, mental and intellectual, and in physical and mental strength to do things. Therefore each of you should have an ideal which is suited to your temperament, your capacity, and realize it with great enthusiasm and dynamic action.  

The ideal of one person will not suit another. If one keeps an ideal that he cannot realize, an ideal that is beyond his reach and capacity, he will get disappointment. He will give up this effort and become Tamasic.  

You should have your own ideal. You may realize it this moment or after ten years with faltering steps. It does not matter much. Everyone should endeavour his or her level best to live up to this ideal. Your whole energy, nerve-force and will must be put in the realization of this ideal.  

You can chalk out your own ideal yourself according to your own standard. If you are unable to do this, have your guide and he will select for you the ideal that is suitable to your capacity and standard.  

One should not treat a man, who has a low ideal, with contempt. He may be a baby-soul, who is just crawling now in his moral or Spiritual path. Your duty is to help him in all possible ways in the realization or accomplishment of his ideal. You should give him all sorts of encouragement in his sincere endeavour to live up to his own highest ideal.  

It is highly deplorable to note that the vast majority of persons have no ideal at all. Even educated persons do not cherish any ideal. They lead an aimless life and therefore are drifted hither and thither like a piece of straw.  

They make no progress in life. Is this not a very sad plight? Highly lamentable indeed! It is very difficult to get a human birth and yet people do not realize the importance of keeping up an ideal and living up to the ideal.  

The idea of "Eat, drink and be merry", is adopted by the Epicureans, the gluttons and rich people. This school of Thoughts has countless followers and the number is increasing by leaps and bounds daily.  

This is the ideal of Virochana. This is the ideal of Asuras and Rakshasas. This ideal will lead a man to the dark region of misery and sorrow.  

Blessed is the man who elevates his Thoughts, keeps up an ideal and struggles hard to live up to his own ideal, for he will soon attain God-consciousness.  

Thought-Energy For Service And Spiritual Progress 

Even as energy is wasted in idle talk and gossiping, so also energy is wasted in entertaining useless Thoughts. Therefore, you should not waste even a single Thought. Do not waste even an iota of energy in useless thinking.  

Conserve all mental energy. Utilize it for higher Spiritual purposes, in Divine contemplation, Brahma-Chintana and Brahma-Vichara. Conserve all Thought-energy and utilize it for meditation and helpful service to humanity.  

Drive away from your Mind all unnecessary, useless and obnoxious Thoughts. Useless Thoughts impede your Spiritual growth; obnoxious Thoughts are stumbling blocks to Spiritual advancement.  

You are away from God when you entertain useless Thoughts. Substitute Thoughts of God. Entertain only Thoughts that are helpful and useful.  

Useful Thoughts are the stepping-stones to Spiritual growth and progress. Do not allow the Mind to run into the old grooves and have its own ways and habits. Be on the careful watch.  

Help The World By Good Thoughts 

Like attracts like. If you entertain an evil Thought, that Thought attracts all sorts of evil Thoughts from other people. You pass on those Thoughts to others also.  

Thought moves. Thought is a living dynamic force. Thought is a thing. If you allow your Mind to dwell on a sublime Thought, this Thought will attract good Thoughts from others. 

You pass on that good Thought to others. You pollute the world with your bad Thoughts. 

Thought-Power And The Conditions Of A New Civilization  

Thought makes man. Man makes civilization. There is a powerful Thought-force behind every great event in life and in the history of the world.  

Behind all discoveries and inventions, behind all religions and philosophies, behind all life-saving or life-destroying devices is Thought.  

Thought is expressed in words and executed in deeds. Word is the handmaid of Thought, and deed is the end-result. Hence, the saying, "As you think, so you become". 

How to build a new civilization? 

By generating a new Thought-force.  

How to build a civilization that will ensure the peace of mankind, the prosperity of society, the salvation of the individual?  

By generating a Thought-force that will invariably result in man enjoying peace of Mind, that will instill in his heart the Divine virtues of compassion, of service to his fellow-men, love of God, and of an intense desire to realize Him. 

If but a fraction of the wealth and the time spent on wasteful pursuits and destructive activities is devoted to the creation of a GOOD THOUGHT, there will be a new civilization right now.  

Atomic and hydrogen bombs, I.C.B.M. and a host of other inventions drive mankind inevitably to destruction.  

They waste your wealth; they destroy your neighbours; they pollute the atmosphere of the whole world, and generate fear, hatred, and suspicion in your heart, the Mind is unbalanced and the body is subjected to diseases. Stop this trend.   

Promote research in Spirituality, in religion, in all the good things of life. Support the philosophers and Saints - the real benefactors of Mankind. Encourage them in their study of religion, researches in ancient Spiritual literature, and the projection of a great Thought-force for the good.  

Ban all literature that pollutes the Thoughts of the young. Flood the young Brain with healthy Thoughts, ideas and ideals.  

The man who commits murder, the man who steals your purse, the man who cheats you - Law punishes him. But this crime is insignificant when compared to the crime committed by the wicked intellectual who instills a wicked idea into the Mind of youth.  

He is the author of many murders that take place on earth; he steals your greatest wealth, viz., wisdom; he cheats you by presenting you with poison in the name of sweet elixir. The Law of the new civilization will deal very severely with such Asuric Beings.  

The new civilization will give every encouragement to those who wish to study philosophy, religion and Spiritual Thought. It will make their study compulsory in schools and colleges. It will award scholarships to students of philosophy. It will confer prizes and titles on those who conduct researches in religion and philosophy. The deepest urge in man - the Spiritual urge - will be given the fullest scope to realize its goal.  

The fruits of the New Civilization are well-worth all that everybody can do towards building it up. In the New Civilization man will want to lead a righteous life, he will be eager to serve his fellow-Beings and share with them what he has; he will love all, realizing that his own Self dwells in all; he will be devoted to the welfare of all Beings.  

What an ideal society it will be, where people share with others all that they possess, and will serve everybody! Where will be the need for taxes and duties in such a society in which everyone will voluntarily work for all? Where is the need for police and the army when people are devoted to virtue? 

This then is the ideal. Towards this end, let everyone strive to generate a Thought-force.

May God bless you all! 


Other Chapters Of THOUGHT-POWER By Sri Swami Sivananda:- 

Chapter 1: http://mhafyz.blogspot.com/2013/12/chapter-1-thought-power-its-physics-and.html

Chapter 2: http://mhafyz.blogspot.com/2013/12/chapter-2-thought-power-its-laws-and.html

Chapter 3: http://mhafyz.blogspot.com/2013/12/chapter-3-value-and-uses-of-thought.html

Chapter 4: http://mhafyz.blogspot.com/2013/12/chapter-4-functions-of-thought-power.html

Chapter 5: http://mhafyz.blogspot.com/2013/12/chapter-5-development-of-thought-power.html

Chapter 6: http://mhafyz.blogspot.com/2013/12/chapter-6-thought-their-varities-and.html

Chapter 7: http://mhafyz.blogspot.com/2013/12/chapter-7-positive-methods-for-thought.html

Chapter 8: http://mhafyz.blogspot.com/2013/12/chapter-8-patterns-of-thought-culture.html

Chapter 9: http://mhafyz.blogspot.com/2013/12/chapter-9-from-thoughts-to-thought.html

Chapter 10: http://mhafyz.blogspot.com/2013/12/chapter-10-metaphysics-of-thought-power.html

Chapter 11: http://mhafyz.blogspot.com/2014/01/chapter-11-thought-power-for-god.html 

CHAPTER 11 - Thought Power For God-Realization

Life - An Interplay Of Thoughts 

The Thought that you hold, will manifest in your life. If you are courageous, cheerful, compassionate, tolerant and kind then these qualities will manifest in your physical life. The only impurity of the Mind is base Thought and desire.  

Guard your good Thoughts as an alert watchman guards the treasury. When there is not the "I"-Thought then there will be no other Thought.  

Life is an interplay of Thoughts. Duality ceases when the Mind stops its function. Thinking is bound by the time-factor. Thinking must cease. Then alone you will attain the Timeless. Be still.  

Let all the waves of Thought subside. In that stillness, when the Mind melts, there shines the self-effulgent Atman, the pure Consciousness. Watch the Mind. Watch the Thoughts. Pursue serenity. Make your heart a fitting abode for the Lord.  

Thought Results In Spiritual Experience 

The molten gold, which is poured into a crucible, assumes the shape of the crucible. Even so, the Mind assumes the form of object which it pervades.  

The Mind assumes the shape of any object it intensely thinks upon. If it thinks of an orange, it assumes the shape of an orange.  

If it thinks of Lord Krishna, it assumes the form of Lord Krishna. You must train the Mind properly, and give it proper Sattvic food for assimilation. Have a Sattvic background of Thought or mental image. 

The same Thoughts which are entertained by the man during the day, occupy his Mind during dream also. If you have purity and concentration, you can make the Mind assume any Bhava you like. If you think of mercy, your whole Being will be saturated with mercy. If you think of peace, the whole Being will be pervaded with peace.  

It is the mental Bhava or attitude that determines the nature of an action and brings its fruits. You may embrace your mother or sister of your wife. The action is the same but the mental Bhava is different.  

Watch your Bhavana, ideas and feelings always. Your Bhavana should always be Sattvic. You should always entertain Brahma-Bhavana. Watch the Bhavana during the meditation. You need not watch the breath.  

The Thoughts you create in your Mind and the images you form in your daily life will help you in making what you are or what you want to become. If you constantly think of Lord Krishna, you will become identical with the Lord. You will abide in Him forever.  

Thoughts Of God 

Your Mind must be empty of all worldly Thoughts. It must be filled with Thoughts of God and with nothing else. 

Keep your Mind filled with good, Divine, sublime lofty Thoughts, so that there will be no room for evil Thoughts. Never speak any unnecessary word. Never allow any unnecessary or vain Thought to occupy your Mind.  

Divine Thoughts For Freedom From Diseases 

The best medicine or panacea for all diseases and for keeping good health, is the entertaining of Divine Thoughts. The waves released by Divine Thoughts, by Kirtan, Japa and regular meditation, will electrify, rejuvenate, vivify, energize the cells, tissues, nerves.  

Another cheap and potent drug is to keep oneself always joyful and cheerful. Study the Gita daily, one or two chapters with meaning. Keep yourself fully occupied which is a remedy to keep off Thoughts of worldliness. 

Fill the Mind with Sattva and enjoy wonderful health and peace. Obtain an association with the wise, cultivate faith, serenity, truthfulness, courage, mercy, devotion, love, cheerfulness, confidence, Divine Thought and Divine virtues.  

Allow the Mind to run in the Spiritual direction, in Divine grooves; your Mind will be peaceful and generate harmonious vibrations. You will enjoy excellent mental health and have no physical disease. 

Thought-Culture By Knowledge And Devotion 

Sit in a solitary place and watch your Thoughts carefully. Allow the monkey Mind to jump in its own way for some time. After some time it will climb down. It will become quiet. Be a Sakshi or witness of the menagerie of various Thoughts in the Eternal circus or show. Become a spectator of the mental bioscopic film. 

Do not identify with the Thoughts. Take an indifferent attitude. All Thoughts will die by themselves one by one. 

Repeat mentally, "Om I am Sakshi. Who am I? I am thoughtless Atman. I have nothing to do with these false mental pictures and Thoughts. Let them roll on. I have no concern with them". All Thoughts will perish. The Mind will perish like the gheeless lamp. 

Fix the Mind on the form of Lord Hari or Lord Siva or Lord Krishna or your Guru or any Saint like Lord Buddha or Lord Jesus. Again and again try to call this mental image of the picture. All Thoughts will die. This is another method, the method of Bhaktas.  

Thoughts And Yoga Practice Of Mental Quietude 

Sit peacefully. Discriminate. Dissociate yourself from Thoughts and the Mind which is the thinking principle or entity. 

Identify yourself with the innermost Self and stand as a silent witness or Sakshi. Gradually all Thoughts will die by themselves. You will become one with the Supreme Self or Para Brahman.  

Continue the practice of mental quietude. It does require, doubtless a direct effort to annihilate the Mind. 

You should annihilate the Vasanas first. Then alone you will be able to do the Sadhana of mental quiet vigorously. Without producing Vasana-Kshaya, no mental quiet or annihilation of the Mind is possible. 

Winning Friends By Practice Of Yoga  

"Win friends and influence people": This Dale Carnagie principle is but a leaf out of the ancient Indian volume on psycho-Spiritual science. Practice Yoga; the entire world will worship you. You will unconsciously attract to yourself every living Being; even Gods will be at your beck and call. 

Even among wild beasts and bloody brutes you will "win friends". Serve all; love all. Unfold your inner powers through the practice of Raja Yoga, through the control and conquest of Thought Power. 

Through the practice of Yoga, you can make the whole humanity and all living Beings members of your own family. Through the practice of Yoga you can overcome all difficulties and can eradicate all weaknesses. 

Through the practice of Yoga pain can be transmuted into bliss, death into immortality, sorrow into joy, failure into success and sickness into perfect health. Therefore, practice Yoga diligently. 

The Yogic State Of Thoughtlessness 

Generally there is no genuine Spiritual awakening in students. There is mere curiosity for getting some psychic or Yogic powers. That students is far from God as long as he retains some hidden desires for Siddhis. Strictly observe the ethical rules. 

Transform the worldly nature first. If you become absolutely desireless, absolutely Thoughtless, absolutely Vrittiless, if the mental Vrittis are destroyed in toto, Kundalini will ascend by itself, without effort, through the force of purity. Remove the dross of Mind. You will yourself get help and answer from within.  

Yogi Of The Developed Thought-Power 

The Yogi who has developed his powers of Thoughts, has a magnetic and charming personality. Those who come in contact with him are much influenced by his sweet voice, powerful speech, lustrous eyes, brilliant complexion, strong healthy body, good behaviour, virtuous qualities and Divine Nature.  

People derive joy, peace and strength from him. They are inspired by his speech and get elevation of Mind by mere contact with him. 

Thought moves. Thought is a great force. A Yogi or Sage can purify the whole world with his powerful Thoughts though he remains in a solitary cave in the Himalayas. 

It is not necessary that he should appear on the platform and deliver lectures and discourses to help the people. Sattva is intense activity. The wheel that revolves very rapidly appears to be at rest. So is Sattva. So is a Sattvic man.  

Thought-Boats To Infinite Strength 

Life is a journey from impurity to purity, from hatred to Cosmic Love, from death to immortality, from imperfection to perfection, from slavery to freedom, from diversity to unity, from ignorance to Eternal wisdom, from pain to Eternal bliss, from weakness to Infinite strength. 

Let every Thought take you nearer the Lord, every Thought further your evolution. 


Other Chapters Of THOUGHT-POWER By Sri Swami Sivananda:- 

Chapter 1: http://mhafyz.blogspot.com/2013/12/chapter-1-thought-power-its-physics-and.html

Chapter 2: http://mhafyz.blogspot.com/2013/12/chapter-2-thought-power-its-laws-and.html

Chapter 3: http://mhafyz.blogspot.com/2013/12/chapter-3-value-and-uses-of-thought.html

Chapter 4: http://mhafyz.blogspot.com/2013/12/chapter-4-functions-of-thought-power.html

Chapter 5: http://mhafyz.blogspot.com/2013/12/chapter-5-development-of-thought-power.html

Chapter 6: http://mhafyz.blogspot.com/2013/12/chapter-6-thought-their-varities-and.html

Chapter 7: http://mhafyz.blogspot.com/2013/12/chapter-7-positive-methods-for-thought.html

Chapter 8: http://mhafyz.blogspot.com/2013/12/chapter-8-patterns-of-thought-culture.html

Chapter 9: http://mhafyz.blogspot.com/2013/12/chapter-9-from-thoughts-to-thought.html

Chapter 10: http://mhafyz.blogspot.com/2013/12/chapter-10-metaphysics-of-thought-power.html

Chapter 12: http://mhafyz.blogspot.com/2014/01/chapter-12-thought-power-for-new.html