Think Positive and Reap Benefits – A lesson rolling from ages

In the Mahabharata, when Dharmabaka asked, “Who is a true Brahmin?” Yudhisthira replied,”The one who always harbours goodwill and good wishes for all beings in the Universe is a true Brahmin”. This is the power of positive thinking – it can bring about welfare for all beings, create and sustain better quality of life and relationships.


When Gautam Buddha was asked how to sustain a positive attitude towards those who bear ill- will, he answered: “If you don’t take the ill –will people intend to inflict upon you, then that remains with them and you stay unaffected”.



In two ways a person can remain uncontaminated by negativity: By physically or mentally dissociating he self from undesirable vibrations through practice, penance and austerity, achieving a mental state of detachment and dispassion. The second option is simple: By inculcating positive values like peace, love, compassion and cooperation, by broadening one’s attitude, perception and mindset. You have to lift the mind from narrow distinctions of mine and thine, caste creed, community, race, religion. It also involves going beyond servitude to sense organs and sensual pleasures. It requires self-regulations and self-control over your emotions and passions.

When the mind is peaceful, content and full of positive feelings for all beings, then no amount of negative stimulation can disturb or distract it from its benign state. Even wild animals like lions, tigers, serpents are known to have lived peacefully in the habitats of hermits in ancient times because of the powerful spell of pure and positive vibrations emanating from those meditating sages.

A person with positive thoughts is selfless, fearless and eager to serve, share and sacrifice for the welfare of others. By contrast, persons of ill- will are selfish, fearful, sinful and stressful. The slightest disturbance in their way of thinking and living upsets and even uproots them from their vain and illusory pursuits.

Positive people are strongly rooted in the original nature or qualities or religion (swadharma) of the self, such as peace, purity, love, wisdom, and happiness. Nothing can uproot them from their position of peace, tranquility and equanimity by virtue of which they remit strong vibrations of spiritual energy, solace, bliss and gifted of which can be attained by a chosen few only. Rather it is the innate nature or quality of the self in every human being which can be brought to the fore through proper and regular cultivation and practice of our rich and ancient spiritual knowledge, universal knowledge, universal values and divine contemplation or meditation on one’s inner self and on the supreme soul. The real source and sustainer of positive and healthy thinking, outlook, values and powers are spiritual wisdom and meditation which facilitate and foster the process of understanding and experiencing the holy communion of one’s inner self with the supreme soul.

From such daily doses of divine introspection and meditation, eight main positive power emerge and flourish in the self. These are the power of tolerance, adaptability, discernment, decision-making, courage, cooperation, patience and humility which are essential to realize and restore holistic health, harmony and happiness in our life and society.

To inforce and strengthen these powers of positivity and spirituality as a natural force and flow in one’s consciousness, character and conduct, the habits of having holy companionship, godly knowledge, self-control and continence, satvic diet and of rendering selfless socio-spiritual services are indispensable prerequisites.



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