Thought 2: Right thinking

Thinking is an action. Any thing that we do with our body organs and limbs is an action too. Similarly, speech is also an action (Karma).

We all know instinctively that there is a right way of speaking and a wrong way of speaking. Decent and cultured persons speak in a way that it does not hurt the person to whom the speech is addressed - no matter what the provocation is. This is the right way of speaking. Crude and indecent persons do not bother to observe such niceties; they do not care how their words hurt the other person. Their words could be very brutal and devastating to the person to whom they are addressed. We can abuse a person (because of anger and hatred) in such a way that the person feels extremely distressed. And that is the wrong way of speaking – no matter what the provocation for such a speech may be.

All activity, including speech, is preceded by thoughts. We think first and then only we act - as directed by our thoughts. Therefore, the thought must be correct before we can act wisely. It is impossible for any one to refrain from evil actions without first paying proper attention to his thoughts.

Mind can be pure or impure. Pure or impure, mind can never be idle; its nature is to generate thoughts. If the mind is pure, it generates good thoughts; and if it is impure, it generates bad or evil thoughts. Since, we are what our thoughts make us, it is imperative that we learn to keep the mind pure; which means that it should be kept busy with healthy and creative occupations at all times. If left idle, mind gets into mischief. If left unrestrained, mind tends to go on the wrong track; it runs after lowly things and gets divided and scattered. They say that the idle man’s brain is a devil’s workshop. We should never allow the mind to follow its natural inclinations. A well directed thought can achieve great things in life. Right thinking puts you on the right path in the life’s journey. A wrong thinking person cannot accomplish much in this world. On the other hand, wrong thinking could harm others – and in the long run, it would harm you too.

You cannot build a house without a strong foundation. Similarly, you cannot develop a strong mind without a foundation provided by certain abiding values. The right thinking persons have values - and they are ready to defend those values. It is for this reason alone, right thinking is not going to be easy. Defending values requires courage – moral courage. Not many people can live by morality. Morality and Dharma are not negotiable for the right thinking persons; everything else is negotiable for them. At the same time, the right thinking persons do know how to compromise – in order to move forward. They are willing to compromise only on trivial issues – and never on vital issues. Wrong thinking persons generally do not have values and even if they have some values, they do not hesitate to sidestep them when the going gets tough. As a rule, they tend to compromise on vital values also.

The next thought also pertains to this topic only.