How to Control the Thoughts?

The following are some of the auto-suggestions for controlling your thoughts: (1) I shall not think of anything. (2) I shall get peace, if I do not think of anything. (3) My will is growing strong. I can control my thoughts. (4) I will get perfect peace when I am thoughtless. I eagerly long for that thoughtless state.

Each thought, by itself, is extremely weak, because the mind is distracted into 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. Destroy the evil thoughts one by one. It doubtless needs patient work.

As soon as you slowly wake up in the morning, the first thought that comes is “I”. Then comes the memory of the events of the previous evening. The strong thoughts that float in the mind this evening slowly emerge out the moment you rise from your bed in the following morning and materialize. Then come the thoughts that are to fructify in the course of the day. Watch this carefully. When a thought hovers in the mind, fulfill it. Do not allow it to linger on for a long time. It will frequently recur again and again. It will be a source of great trouble. Whenever a thought flashes out to write a letter to your friend, then and there finish that piece of work. Do not delay or stall it.

There are four ways of destroying evil thoughts. A student of the path of Knowledge (Jnana Yoga) does it by living in OM or Truth. He destroys the evil thoughts by Inquiry and attitude of indifference. He says, “This has nothing to do with me. I am Complete Bliss. These impulses belong to the mind. I am distinct from the mind”. A Devotee (Bhakti Yoga) destroys the same by prayer and self-surrender. He says, “O God! I have surrendered myself, the fruits of all actions and the actions themselves to Thee. Give me strength to drive away and destroy these evil thoughts”. He gets help from God through self-surrender. God sublimes the evil-impulse into Sattva (pure spiritual energy). The student of Royal path (Raja Yoga) destroys evil thoughts either by destroying thought waves as they arise or by substituting opposite, positive thoughts of Sattvic (pure) nature, by supplanting sublime thoughts in their stead.

We will see more on ways to control our thoughts this week. :)

Reference

Mind – Its Mysteries and Control by Sri Swami Sivananda