This is a vast subject. If you practise earnestly my instructions on
Thought-Control, Will-Culture, and take the Meditation Exercise I am
going to give you, you will realize greater strength than average
humanity. But you must study and think hard for yourself before any
considerable benefit can be derived from even these. Remember please, you
alone can teach yourself through intuition. Intuition is tuition from
within. Follow strictly the general rules I give you and you cannot but
unfold your Inner Soul Vision which includes intuition in its fullest
sense.
_(a) What is Thought-Force?_
"Thoughts are things." Thought is a dynamic energy. Just as the food that
you eat feeds your body, exactly similarly your thoughts and feelings
nourish your soul. Matter is nothing but a concentration of Thought-Force
or Mind-Substance. The entire universe is seen objectively. This is on
the cosmic scale. On the individual scale--"As a man thinketh in his
heart, so he is." This is a literal truth. Your body is nothing but a
Thought-Form. Control your modes of thinking and shape them to lofty
ideals. So will you infallibly, positively and immediately control your
destiny. Control your thoughts and you can control the thoughts of all
other men. The tone of your thoughts must always be lofty. You must
change your Thought-Habits and shift your plane of consciousness from the
lower to the higher life. I am going to give you hints on same. Pay
attention please.
_(b) Thought-Forms._
Every one of us, as he thinks, feels and wills, sends forth Thought-Forms
and Thought-Waves of greater or lesser intensity. This force once set
into motion persists, for a greater or lesser period of time, in
Ether. Thought-Force is the concentration of a high form of vibratory
energy in the Akasa (universal ether) and the ether, as you know,
permeates all space, interpenetrates and pervades all forms of matter,
from atom to the sun and the stars. Just as the light-waves of a star
exist and move on centuries after the star has ceased to be, just as the
heat-vibrations remain in a room even after the producing cause has been
removed, similarly mentative energy and its corresponding Thought-Forms
persist in the ether even after the originating impulse has been
withdrawn.
_(c) Thought-Atmosphere._
In this way places, houses, cities and temples have peculiar
Thought-Atmospheres of their own, imparted by those living there,
exerting an influence upon every one living or going there. These are
positive, animating, purifying and exalting Thought-Atmospheres, and
there are negative, weakening and unholy, morbid Thought-Atmospheres.
The higher and loftier your tone of general Thought-Activity, the
finer and more powerful the vibrational nature of the energy emanating
from you. The quality of the thought determines the rate of vibration.
For instance, photographs have been taken through highly-sensitized
plates, indicating the nature of the energy generated. Tongues of flame,
brilliant and flashing with golden-yellow, were photographed from prayer
and devotion. Rotary forms spreading out in ever widening circles of
intense power appeared from lofty enthusiasm in a noble cause. Dark,
murky, cloudy forms resulted from fear, morbidness and worry, and so on.
_(d) The Human Aura._
Similarly each human organism has an 'Aura' of Thought-Force around it,
having its own peculiar rate of vibration, its peculiar forms of colour,
etc. This 'Aura' is an extension of our physical, mental and spiritual
energies.
_(e) The Adductive Power of Thought._
Now as you think, the quality of your thoughts and feelings sets up
a magnetic centre within your Aura, vortices are created, attracting to
yourself similar forms of thought and mentative energy and combining
with other similar forms of energy, reacting upon you and your
circumstances and also wielding an influence upon all such as may come
within its area, radius or field of Force. Thus you see thoughts of the
'I can and I will', 'I do and I dare' type draw similar ones to you, ever
increasing your own stock and at the same time stimulating and energising
all others vibrating in the same key throughout the world. Hence you see
we owe it to ourselves as well as to humanity in general to generate only
positive, loving and lofty thoughts. Just brace up and send forth
fearless, 'I can and I will' thoughts into the world's great reservoir of
thought forces, and you will be surprised at your power to attract
influence, and energise others.
_(f) Thought-Control._
There are four special classes of thoughts that are poisoning the
lives of almost all humanity. They are:--(1) Fear-thoughts, (2)
Hate-thoughts, (3) Sensual-thoughts, (4) Selfish-thoughts. All worry,
doubt, timidty, lack of self-respect, jealousy, spite, malice, envy,
slander, dirty, vicious, will-weakening, health-destroying,
poverty-breeding, soul-killing influences radiate from one or all of
these four. You must cut at their roots and utterly destroy them. In your
efforts follow assiduously the following four rules. They alone can give
you absolute thought-control. They are infallible:
(1) You can break up old thought-habits and build up new ones
by sheer force of Will.
(2) You can easily become great by associating with some strong-willed,
holy, wisdom-steeped soul. This is absolutely necessary and
means the finding of your Guru.
(3) By auto-suggestion, _i.e._, by impressing upon your passive
mind the particular change you would have it work out.
(4) By thought-absorption, _i.e._, by constant meditation on that
one line of thinking.
Now let me give you a few valuable hints on the above four in detail:
(1) & (3). _Character Building_.
You can accomplish this result by tensing the will and by strengthening
the active function of your mind and thus enabling it to "step in"
and simply 'command' the passive function to drop the old thought-habit
and take up the new one. This is a magnificent feat and in it only the
strongest succeed. You can obtain good results by combining this with
auto-suggestion. Silently concentrate upon your passive mind and impress
upon it your order. Say to it earnestly, confidently, and masterfully:
'You, my mind, I want you to be fearless, pure, loving and unselfish!'
Picture to yourself in imagination as if you were already these,
and again command and impress your will upon your mind. Do so silently
and constantly and never neglect a chance of expressing these qualities
in action because, at first your mind will rebel, but if 'you' keep up
your efforts determinately and firmly and avail yourself of all
opportunities to 'act out' your will, your mind will end up by accepting
your suggestion and manifesting same naturally as a habit. Some of you
will actually go out of your way to 'act out' a thought when you realise
that the easiest and surest way to check and utterly 'destroy' a
thought-habit is to refuse deliberately to let it manifest in action and
to 'create' a new one all you have got to do is to equally deliberately
'express' it in action and thus clinch it into permanent strength. Also
you must aim at 'thoroughness' and guard against all compromise with your
lower nature. Chastity must be perfect chastity and nothing short of
that, and so on in all development.
(4) _Thought-Absorption._
i. Go away by yourself to some place where you will not be disturbed.
Of course, not always and very rarely can you obtain this condition.
Never mind. Do your best where you are and the great law will at least
find for you all necessary conditions. Shut out all distracting
conditions and impressions from the outer world. After a little effort
you will be able to do so anywhere, at any time, and under any condition.
All mental disturbance is within you.
ii. Now relax, go passive, and draw off all tension from your nerves.
Just you relax your mind and your body will follow suit. A few deep slow
breaths will help the beginner.
iii. Concentrate upon your mind inward steadily, calmly and with
undivided attention.
iv. Fix your thought firmly upon your passive mind and mentally
say, 'You, my mind, are quite _pure_.' Think of this word (with all the
ideas associated therewith) as sinking deeply into your mind and making
a deep impression upon it as a die upon a wax. Let the outward form of
the words 'pure,' 'fearless,' etc., sink into your mind.
v. Form a mental picture of yourself as if you already possessed
all 'purity' and 'courage' and act them out in imagination. Make of it
a pleasant 'day dream.'
vi. Intensify your relaxed condition of mind. Grow as 'limp' as a
rag. Then mentally open yourself out to the inrush of all the
Thought-Forces existing in the ether and connected with positive
thoughts. The effort of this imagination to see this tremendous force
pouring into your brain and body will actually put you _en rapport_ with
same.
vii. Now change from negative to a positive condition and say
vigourously I am '_pure_' and '_strong_' Say it distinctly several times.
Actually speak them out.
viii. Then go out and _live your thoughts out_. This last is the most
important condition.
ix. Practise this daily at the same hour and if possible at the same
place, morning and evening. In fact hold the thought in your mind as
often as possible till it becomes second Nature.
x. Use your power for good or you shall weep eternally. To misuse
occult powers for mean, selfish, or low ends and to prostitute it into
enslaving others weaker than yourselves mentally and physically is the
greatest 'sin' man can commit against man.
(2) _Guru Worship_.
You grow by absorption and assimilation. In order to quicken your
progress you need abstract as well as concrete ideals. The secret of all
rapid and startling spiritual development is man-worship. By man-worship
I mean devotion to, reverence, and intense and all-absorbing passion for
the perfect individual man of realization--a Mahapurusha. Christ, Buddha
and Vivekananda were all such-type men. You must constantly and
thoughtfully meditate upon the lives and writings of saints and heroes.
The formative influence and valuable powers of study and meditation upon
lofty ideas and ideals are incalculable. Man grows by the deepening of
consciousness and the acquirement of wisdom. All study, subjective and
objective, is a _Tapashya_ or Austerity directed to the acquirement of
wisdom. It is the worship of Saraswati--the Goddess of Wisdom. This
worship is definable as perfect emotional solitude, close study, absolute
chastity and celibacy, and at last the merging of the personal into the
impersonal. This austere life is the secret of all greatness. You know
how Archimedes when threatened with death by the vandalistic invaders of
his country raised his head and said 'Please do not disturb my circles'
and nothing more. This man was practising Yoga unconsciously. You must be
able to lose all consciousness of this relative personality, the sure
victim of death and impermanence. You must give up the personal ego that
in the words of Walt Whitman 'is contained within your hat and boots' and
then alone will you realise an infinite individuality. Truly in losing
himself man finds Himself. 'Ye must be born anew'. Herein, apart from its
formative and moulding influence lies the greatest value of study. Study
and direct aural influence of a perfected soul are the two objective
means of instilling powerful suggestions into the subjective self or the
inner soul. All knowledge is within the deeps of the eternal subjective.
But the gate is locked. Your Guru gives you the master-key with which to
unlock the door and enter the gate of wisdom and power. Once you are
there all pain and death shall be conquered. You can then help yourself.
Man can only worship such a God as is greater than himself in degree and
not in kind. Such a God he can "grow into." It is the impersonal God of
the Hindu Philosophy that gives you the abstract ideas and the living
Guru (God) in human form that gives you the concrete ideal. The one is
necessary for the soaring intellect; the other for the rousing and
enkindling of tremendous and indomitable motive-power. Seek both and when
you find them worship and serve them with all your heart and soul. 'My
worship for my master is the worship of a dog. I do not seek to
understand his nature. It ever startles with its newness and profound
depth'. So spoke Vivekananda of Ram Krishna. Need I tell you of the
tremendous and world-conquering power that awoke in Vivekananda through
mere Guru worship? In India the Guru asks for nothing short of absolute
worship, obedience, and submission to his will although none values and
appreciates individual freedom more than the master. So long as you are
at the feet of your master be as submissive as a lamb. So will you open
yourself to his great batteries of inner power. Serve him. Please him.
Obey him. Be his slave. No matter what contradictions you may see.
A great and profound nature is full of contrary ways and his character
is a paradox impossible for you to read through reason and observation.
You can only understand him by having perfect faith in him, loving
and serving him like a faithful dog. So will you tap on to his inner
forces. And when he sends you away into the broad world to live out the
great ideal he has set before you, you shall be astonished at your
courage and power. You shall take fearless possession of this world
and every minute you shall realise how only he can command who has
learnt to obey. By commanding I do not mean dominating any one and
forcing your views on others. This is the sign of fools. But you will
find your influence radiating and circling out naturally and
irresistibly, winning souls to the higher life, and you yourself shall
thus stand as a tower of strength, a redeemer of the race, an inspiration
and a living benediction unto humanity. Peace be with you! May you
realise strength of soul!