The Challenge-Part V

Between the thought and the mind there is a relationship, thought alone, however, is not the mind. For many ages the great Rishis pondered over these matters and after analyzing and carefully contemplating upon them - just as the scientist contemplates and discovers things in the outer world - these yogis of India discovered and declared that thoughts and the mind have a relationship as do water and the river.

We, too, can think carefully and understand this. Water by itself is not a river. Twenty thousand buckets of water does not make a river. A tank full of water also is not the river. It is just water. It is when flowing continuously that there is a river. In a river, water flows. This flow is the relationship between thoughts and the mind. When thoughts flow through us, there is the mind.

Now, if the waters of a river are muddy, the river is called muddy. If the water is clean, the river is clean. If the water is fast, the river is fast. As the water so the river. As the thoughts, so the mind. If the thoughts are good, the mind is good. If the thoughts are bad, the mind is called bad. A man may have a handsome face, a big car and a million dollars, but if his mind is bad, he is bad. If the mind is good, the whole world is attracted towards him.

You remember Mahatmaji. He lived under a tree, clad only in rags, in the sweepers' colony. The whole world made a pilgrimage to Delhi, not for his external appearance, but because of the glory of his mind. It was the glory of his thoughts which made his mind glorious. Look throughout history at the biographies of great men, who are admired generation after generation and who are revered and respected. They possessed the right kind of mind. It is not those who have bigger buildings and longer cars. You may work in whatever profession you like. Yet your greatness in the society and your contribution to the world depends upon the quality of your mind.

Out of these observations, the great Acharyas concluded - and this is very necessary for us to know - that a man is only what his mind is. If the mind is good, the man is good. If the mind is bad, the man is bad. A man is good or bad only according to his thoughts. As the thoughts, so is the mind. As the mind, so is the man. It is a slogan, an English mantra. It is the truth that has been demonstrated by thousands of mighty men. See the life of Buddha. What is it that he achieved? From a naive prince, he became a prince of compassion. How did it happen? He did not change his skin, nor dye his hair, His mind changed.

If my mind changes, my thoughts also change. Earlier Siddartha lived only as the son of a king. He could have said,"I shall rule the kingdom". But he wished to conquer himself. His thoughts changed. His mind changed. He became the Buddha.

To be continued

About the author

Swami Chinmayananda

Swami Chinmayananda the great master's lectures were an outpour of wisdom. He introduced the Geetha Gnana Yagna. He wrote a lot of books on spirituality, commentaries to Vedantic texts, children books etc. He then started spreading His teachings globally.....