GOOD THOUGHTS

1. Why should we cultivate good thoughts?

The powers of thought vibrations run round the world. As the heat waves, the electrical waves and light waves radiate, the mental waves too radiate. The thought vibrations are the cause for man’s joy and sorrow, health and disease, woe and weal, birth and death. Man’s life become meaningful if he conducts himself fully aware of the power of thought vibrations. The entire world is suffered with mental vibrations. In fact the whole world is the very manifestation of mental vibrations. Hence it is necessary to direct our thoughts on noble paths. Man’s mind shines with resplendent purity if he cultivates noble thoughts, ideas and feelings. Only by developing the purity of mind, we can ensure the purity of action. Only pure deeds can yield pure results.

Summer Showers 1993, p , 36

If you want to cultivate good thoughts, you must keep good company. You cannot obtain good thoughts through education, wealth, fame, or power. You cannot gain them from without; they have to grow from within, from the heart, free from weeds of pride and greed. If you feel that you are a wealthy person, a strong person, or a scholar, those thoughts will boot your ego. God has not given you education, wealth, strength, power and wisdom to built your ego. God has given these virtues to you so that you will experience joy and share that joy with others. With intelligence, develop goodness; with education, enhance your discrimination; with discrimination, develop humility. These are result from good thoughts.

This is the lesson people have to learn today. Cultivate good thoughts by seeing out and abiding in SATSANG (good company). Planting poisonous seeds, people hope to get delicious fruits. Why blame God when bitter seeds do not yield sweet fruit? It is you who cultivated them. Therefore, sow good seeds and reap good fruit. Understand the tremendous impact of these thoughts; then you will be able to recognise the sacredness of human birth.

Vision of Sai, p , 190

2. How is one to handle bad thoughts arising from envy, hatred, laziness?

No use resisting or fight bad thoughts. If suppressed, they are always ready to spring forth at weak moments-like snakes in the baskets; if the cover gets loose or is removed the snake spring forth. The way to overcome bad thoughts and impulses is by having thoughts of serving the Lord, good conversation with wise people, good actions and words. The weight of good acts and thoughts will bury the seeds of bad actions and thoughts. Both good and bad thoughts and impulses are like seeds in the mind. If buried too deep in the earth, seeds so rot and waste away. Good thoughts and deeds bury bad seeds deeply that they rot and pass away and are no longer ready to spring forth.

Conversations with Bhagavan, p, 59

3. Where do thoughts come from?

They come from food and environment. If you have SATWIC food and have only desire for good, only good thoughts will come.

Conversations with Bhagavan, p, 65

4. Where do thoughts go?

They go no place. Because thoughts do not flow through the mind. The mind goes out and grasps and gets engaged in thoughts. If desire is for God, the mind does not go out. But the best way is not to have the problem of getting rid of thoughts. The best way is to see all thoughts as God. Then only God-thoughts will come.

Conversations with Bhagavan, p,65

5. Are thoughts and desires same?

Thoughts and desires are the not the same. There are many thoughts that are not desires. If thoughts go too deep into objects, desires arise. If there is a desire, there was a thought. But not all thoughts are desires. Dark clouds bring rain, but there can be clouds without rain. They accumulate and then a torrent. If there is a very strong desire for God, even bad thoughts just pass through the mind and are not held on to. Desire directed to God brings the discrimination. Intelligence, which is discrimination, is not the mind, nor the thought. Intelligence is direct ATMA SHAKTHI, a direct force of the ATMA.

Conversations with Bhagavan, p, 59

6. Do thoughts reflect on our face?

Man’s face is an index, a reflection, a photograph of the mind with all of its moods, its decisions, its desires, its thought. Every thought which comes into the mind is reflected on the face. The mind can be compared to a phonograph record. The words, song, and sounds recorded therein can only be heard; they cannot be seen as reflection on the face. Thoughts which emanate from the mind are of two types; bad thoughts and good thoughts. Bad thoughts such as anger, hatred, envy, despair, and pride, are reflected as ugliness on the face. Good thoughts, such as truth, love, patience, compassion, kindness, and empathy, are reflected on the face as radiance and supreme peace.

The face is like a mold of the mind. Every single thoughts accepted and acted upon is reflected on the face as streak or line. Everything that happens inside the mind is also reflected on the face. Some people try to hide these reflections, but that is impossible. All attempts in this direction are as foolish as the ostrich’s behavior when pursued. It buries its face in the loose sand and considers itself safe, even through huge body can easily be seen.

Thoughts are projected through the eyes. There is a special connection between eyes and mind. Normally we think that we are able to see things because of the eyes; but, in reality, eyes are not seeing things. It is because of the connection with the mind that the eyes are able to see. Similarly, ears are able to hear only when they come in contact with the mind.

If you look at the face of a person who has committed wrong, commited theft, or uttered a lie, you will notice the signs of confussion and fear. The anxiety makes the nerves weak and damages blood cells;

Vision of Sai, p , 183

7. How can we get rid of bad thoughts?

Only through SATSANG (keeping good company). If you are in the midst of a foul odour, you have to light incense to get rid of it. Similarly, by developing good thoughts, you can ward off bad thoughts. When a thought arises, inquire about the impact of such a thought on your future.

Don’t listen to bad words. Don’t look at bad things Don’t speak evil of others. Don’t perform bad deeds. You must see good, be good, do good, and hear good, so that evil intentions do not arise.

Vision of Sai, p , 187

8. Can the creation be changed by thoughts?

The noble minded people befriend only the noble minded ones. Even our noble thoughts undergo an evil change in the company of evil people. Even the creation can be changed by thoughts. The thoughts are full of might and danger. Thoughts are not only capsules of danger, but also capsules of immorality and nectarine sweetness as well.

There is no end to the waves in an ocean. Similarly, there is no end the thoughts as long as the mind exists. Our love and hatred, pain and pleasure, life and death are based on mind. Even the five elements, the five senses, the five sheaths and the five vital airs draw substance from the mind.

Summer Showers 1993, p , 37