THOUGHTS—THEIR
VARIETIES AND THEIR CONQUEST.
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 law of
nature.
Now think strongly of the opposite
thoughts, the opposite of gloom. Think of those things that elevate your mind;
think of cheerfulness. Imagine the advantage of cheerfulness. Feel that you are
in actual possession of this quality.
Again and again repeat the formula:
OM CHEERFULNESS, mentally. Feel, “I am very cheerful.” Begin to smile and laugh
several times.
Sing: sometimes this can elevate
you quickly. Singing is very beneficial to drive off gloom. Chant OM loudly
several times. Run in the open air. The depression will vanish soon.
This is the Pratipaksha Bhavana method
of Raja Yogins. This is the easiest method.
The method of driving gloom by
force—by willing, by assertions, by command—taxes the ‘will’ very much although
it is the most efficient. It demands great strength of will. Ordinary people
will not succeed. The method of displacing or dislocating the negative feeling
by substituting the opposite, positive feeling, is very easy. Within a very
short time, the undesirable feeling vanishes. Practice this and feel. Even if
you fail several times, continue. You will be successful after some sittings
and some practice.
You can treat in the same manner
other negative thoughts and feelings as well. If there is the feeling of anger
think of love. If there are thoughts of jealousy, think of the advantages of
charitableness and magnanimity. If there are thoughts of gloom, then think of
some inspiring scenery that you saw some time ago, or recall to mind some
inspiring passage.
If there is harshness of heart,
think of mercy. If there is lust, think of the advantage of celibacy. If there
is dishonesty, think of honesty, integrity. If there is miserliness, think of generosity
and generous persons.
If there is infatuation or Moha,
think of discrimination and Atmic Vichara; if there is pride, think of
humility. If there is hypocrisy, think of frankness and its invaluable
advantages. If there is jealousy, think of nobility and magnanimity. If there
is timidity, think of courage, and so on.
You will drive off the negative
thoughts and feelings and will be established in a positive state. Practice of
a continued type is essential. Be careful in the selection of your companions.
Talk
very little and that, too, on useful matters.
~
Sri Swami Sivananda, Thought Power
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