Thought-control by Practice of Concentration

Silence the bubbling thoughts. Calm the surging emotions. Concentrate on a concrete form in the beginning. Concentrate on a flower, on the form of Lord Buddha, on any dream picture, on the effulgent light of the heart, on the picture of any saint, or your Ishta Devata.

Have three or four sittings; early morning, 8 a.m., 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. Devotees concentrate on the heart, Raja Yogins on Trikuti (the seat of the…

Mean Thoughts and Moral Development

Uncontrolled thoughts are the roots of all evils. Each thought by itself is extremely weak, because the mind is generally distracted by countless and ever-varying thoughts.

The more the thoughts are restrained, the more is the mind concentrated, and consequently the more does it gain in strength and power.

It demands patient work to destroy mean and base thoughts; but the entertainment of sublime thoughts is…

The Gamut of Thoughts

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 kinesthetic thoughts (thinking in terms of movement, as in playing a game). There are emotional thoughts. Thoughts change from the visual stage to auditory stage and from auditory to…

Right Thoughts for Wrong Thoughts

Thoughts of passion and lust, should be conquered by an earnest practice of Brahmacharya, by intense aspiration to realize the Truth, to know God, by meditating on the great advantages of purity.

Thoughts of hatred and anger should be controlled by generating thoughts of love, forgiveness, mercy, friendliness, peace, patience and non-violence.

Pride and thoughts connected with pride must be controlled by a systematic…

Reflect Over Illuminating Thoughts

If you want to develop your thought power, if you want to build up your personality and become great, always keep with you some books of inspiring and illuminating thoughts. Read them over and over again, until they become part of your daily action and living.

Here is a list of some illuminating thoughts, for reflection:

1. A clean conscience makes a stout heart and a strong mind.

2. Poverty is…

Gather Inspirational Thoughts

The goal of life is the attainment of divine consciousness. This goal is the realization that you are neither this perishable body nor that changing and finite mind, but you are all-pure, ever-free Atman.

Remember always this inspiring thought—Ajo-Nityah Sasvatoyam Purano: Unborn, Eternal, Permanent is this Ancient One. This is your real nature. You are not this little passing personality hooked on to a name and form. You are not…

Lessen the Number of Habitual Thoughts

Generally, in untrained persons, four or five kinds of thoughts occupy the mind at a time. Household thoughts, business thoughts, thoughts of office, thoughts of body, thoughts of food and drink, hope and anticipation, some kind of planning to get money, some kind of thoughts of revenge, some habitual thoughts of answering calls of nature, bathing, etc., occupy the mind at a time.

When you are studying a book with interest at 3.30…

Transform Instinctive Thoughts

Thinking is of four kinds, viz., symbolic thinking, instinctive thinking, impulsive thinking and habitual thinking.

Thinking through words is symbolic thinking. Instincts are more powerful than impulses. Thoughts of body, food, drink, bath, etc., are habitual thinking.

You can stop easily symbolic thinking. It is difficult to stop instinctive and impulsive thinking.

Mental poise and calmness may be…

Triumph Over Unimportant Thoughts

Do not try to drive away the unimportant and irrelevant thoughts. The more you try, the more they will return, the more they will gain strength. You will tax your energy and will.

Become indifferent. Fill the mind with divine thoughts. They will gradually vanish. Get yourself established in Nirvikalpa Samadhi through constant meditation.

Removal of tension in the muscles of the body brings repose and calmness to the…

Overcome Habitual Thoughts

All sorts of habitual thoughts, concerning the body, the dress, the food, and so on, must be overcome through the Atma-Chintana, or reflection on the Nature of the divine Self within one’s own Heart. This is an uphill work. It demands patient, incessant practice and inner spiritual strength.

Srutis emphatically declare: “This Atman cannot be obtained by weak persons.” Sincere aspirants dedicate their whole being to contemplation of…

Subdue Negative Thoughts

Learn to subdue, to purify, to order all your thoughts. Fight against all negative thoughts and doubts. Let sublime divine thoughts come to you from every side.

Thoughts of depression, failure, weakness, darkness, doubts, fear, etc., are negative thoughts. Cultivate positive thoughts of strength, confidence, courage, cheerfulness. The negative thoughts will disappear.

Fill the mind with divine thoughts, by Japa, Prayer, Dhyana…

Conquer Impure Thoughts

When you are very busy in your daily work, you may not harbour any impure thought; but when you take rest and leave the mind blank, the impure thoughts will try to enter insidiously. You must be careful when the mind is relaxed.

Thoughts gain strength by repetition. If you entertain an impure thought or good thought once, this impure thought or good thought has a tendency to recur again.

Thoughts crowd together just as the birds…

Master Worldly Thoughts

Worldly thoughts will trouble you a lot in the beginning  of your new life of thought-culture. They trouble you, also when you take to the practice of meditation and spiritual life. But, if you are regular in your cultivation of spiritual thoughts and in your meditation, these worldly thoughts will gradually die by themselves.

Meditation is a fire to burn these thoughts. Do not try to drive all worldly thoughts. Entertain positive thoughts…

Drive Away Obnoxious Thoughts

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…

Victory Over Intrusive Thoughts

In the beginning of your practice of thought-control you will experience great difficulty. You will have to wage war with them. They will struggle their level best for their own existence. They will say, “We have every right to remain in this palace of mind. We have a sole monopoly from time immemorial to occupy this area. Why should we vacate our dominion now? We will fight for our birthright till the end.”

They will pounce upon you…

Get Over Gloomy Thoughts

Very carefully watch all your thoughts. Suppose you are assailed by gloomy thoughts. You experience depression. Take a small cup of milk or tea. Sit calmly. Close your eyes. Find out the cause for the depression and try to remove the cause.

The best method to overcome the gloomy thoughts and the consequent depression, is to think of inspiring thoughts and inspiring things. Remember again, positive overcomes negative. This is a grand effective…

Supernormal Powers by Thought-discipline

A powerful occultist hypnotizes the whole audience collectively through his power of concentration and will and performs the rope-trick. He throws a red rope in the air, gives suggestion to the onlookers that he will climb in the air through this rope and disappears from the platform in the twinkling of an eye. But nothing is recorded when a photograph is taken.

Understand and realize the powers of thought. Unfold the…

Develop Individuality: Resist Suggestions

Do not be easily influenced by the suggestions of others. Have your own sense of individuality. A strong suggestion, though it does not influence the subject immediately, will operate in due course. It will never go in vain.

We all live in a world of suggestions. Our character is daily modified unconsciously by association with others.

We unconsciously imitate the actions of those whom we admire. We…

Acquire Creative Thought Power

Thought is a vital living force—the most vital, subtle and irresistible force that exists in the universe.

Thoughts are living things; they move; they possess form, shape, colour, quality, substance, power and weight.

Thought is the real action; it reveals itself as a dynamic force.

A thought of joy creates sympathetically a thought of joy in others. The birth of a noble thought is a potent…

Meditation for Applied and Sustained Thinking

Being a great force, thought carries tremendous power. It becomes a matter of great moment to know how to use this power in the highest possible way and to the greatest possible effect. This can best be done by the practice of meditation.

Applied thinking applies the mind to the object and sustained thinking keeps it continually engaged; rapture brings about the expanding and bliss of the developing mind whose…