If we throw a piece of stone in a pool of water, it will produce a succession of concentric waves travelling all around from the affected place. The light of a candle will similarly give rise to waves of ethereal vibrations travelling in all directions from the candle. In the same manner, when a thought, whether positive or negative, crosses the mind of a person, it gives rise to vibrations in the manas or mental atmosphere which travel far and wide in all directions. Every thought that you send out is a vibration that never perishes. It goes on vibrating every particle of the universe.
Thought moves. Thought is a living, dynamic force. Thought is a thing. If your thoughts are noble and positive, they set in vibration every sympathetic mind. All people who are like you unconsciously take the thought you have projected and, in accordance with the capacity they have, send out similar thoughts. The result is that, without your knowledge of the consequences of your own work, you are setting in motion great forces which will work together and put down the negative thoughts generated by others.
What is the possible medium through which thoughts can travel from one mind to another? The best possible explanation is that manas or mind substance fills all space like ether and serves as the vehicle for thoughts, just as prana is the vehicle for feeling, as ether is the vehicle for heat, light and electricity, and as air is the vehicle for sound. While light travels at the rate of 186,000 miles per second, thoughts virtually travel in no time. Thought is finer than ether, the medium of electricity. In broadcasting, a singer sings beautiful songs in Calcutta. You can hear them on the radio set in your house in Delhi. All messages are received through the wireless. Your mind is also like a wireless machine transmitting thoughts.
A saint with peace, poise, harmony and spiritual waves sends out into the world thoughts of harmony and peace. They travel with lightning speed in all directions and enter the minds of many, producing in them similar thoughts of harmony and peace. He who entertains good, sublime and divine thoughts does immense good to himself and to the world. He can radiate joy, hope and solace even to those living at long distances. If you allow your mind to dwell on a sublime thought, it will attract good thoughts from others. You pass that good thought on to others. However, if you entertain a negative thought, it will attract negative thoughts from others. You pass on those thoughts to others also.
He who entertains negative thoughts causes great harm to himself and to the world at large. A worldly man whose mind is full of jealousy, revenge and hatred sends out discordant thoughts which enter the minds of thousands and stir in them similar thoughts of hatred and discord. He pollutes the thought world. His negative thoughts enter the minds of others living at long distances. Negative thoughts are the direct cause of all sorts of diseases.
Thoughts are solid things, more solid than a lump of sugar-candy. They have tremendous force or power. Utilize this thought power carefully. It can serve you nicely in a variety of ways. Do not misuse this power at random. If you misuse it, you will have a quick downfall or a terrible reaction. Utilize it to help others.
Even as energy is wasted in idle talk and gossip, so also energy is wasted in entertaining useless thoughts. Therefore, you should not waste even a single thought. Do not waste even an iota of energy in useless thinking.
Conserve all mental energy. Utilize it for higher spiritual purposes and divine contemplation. Conserve all thought energy and utilize it for meditation and helpful service to humanity. Drive away from your mind all unnecessary, useless and obnoxious thoughts. Useless thoughts impede your spiritual growth; obnoxious thoughts are stumbling blocks to spiritual advancement. You are away from God when you entertain useless thoughts. Substitute them with thoughts of God. Entertain only thoughts that are helpful and useful. Useful thoughts are the stepping stones to spiritual growth and progress. Do not allow the mind to run into the old grooves and have its own ways and habits. Be on a careful watch.
Each of you should have an ideal which is suited to your temperament and capacity, and realize it with great enthusiasm and dynamic action. The ideal of one person will not suit another. If one holds an ideal that he cannot realize, an ideal that is beyond his reach and capacity, he will face disappointment. He will give up his effort and become tamasic.
You should have your own ideal. You may realize it this moment or after ten years with faltering steps. It does not matter much. You should endeavour your level best to live up to this ideal. Your whole energy, nerve force and will must be put into the realization of the ideal. You can chalk out your ideal according to your standards. If you are unable to do this, ask your guide or guru and he will select for you the ideal that is suitable for you. However, you should not treat a person who has a lower ideal with contempt. He may be a baby soul who is just crawling on his path. Your duty is to help him in all possible ways in the realization or accomplishment of his ideal. You should provide him every encouragement in his endeavour to live up to his ideal.
It is highly deplorable to note that the vast majority of people have no ideal at all. Even educated people do not cherish any ideal. They lead an aimless life and therefore drift hither and thither like a piece of straw. They make no progress in life. It is very difficult to get a human birth and yet people do not realize the importance of keeping up an ideal and living up to the ideal.
The idea of “Eat, drink and be merry” is adopted by Epicureans and gluttons. However, the school of thought power has countless followers and the number is increasing daily. Blessed is the one who elevates his thoughts, keeps up an ideal and struggles hard to live up to it, for he will soon attain God-consciousness.
Thought makes man. Man makes civilization. There is a powerful thought force behind every great event in life and in the history of the world. Behind all discoveries and inventions, behind all religions and philosophies, behind all life-saving or life-destroying devices is thought. Thought is expressed in words and executed in deeds. Word is the assistant of thought, and deed is the end result. Hence, the saying, “As you think, so you become.”
A new civilization can be built by generating a new thought force. A civilization that will ensure peace for humankind, prosperity of society and salvation of the individual can only be built by generating a thought force that will instil in the heart of people the divine virtues of compassion, service to fellow beings, love of God and an intense desire to realize Him.
If but a fraction of the wealth and the time spent on wasteful pursuits and destructive activities is devoted to the creation of a good thought, there will be a new civilization right now. Atomic and hydrogen bombs, and a host of other inventions drive humankind inevitably to destruction. They waste your wealth, destroy your neighbours, pollute the atmosphere of the whole world, and generate fear, hatred and suspicion in your heart so that the mind is imbalanced and the body is subjected to diseases. Stop this trend. Promote research in spirituality and all the good things of life. Support the philosophers and saints, the real benefactors of humankind. Encourage them in their study of religion, research in ancient spiritual literature, and the projection of a great thought force for the good of all.
Flood young brains with healthy thoughts, ideas and ideals. The law punishes those who commit murder, steal or cheat, but this crime is insignificant when compared to the crime committed by the intellectual who instils a negative idea in the mind of youth. The law of the new civilization will deal severely with such demonic beings. The new civilization will give every encouragement to those who wish to study philosophy, religion and spiritual thought. It will confer prizes and titles on those who conduct researches in religion and philosophy. The deepest urge in man – the spiritual urge – will be given the fullest scope to realize its goal.
The fruits of the new civilization are well worth all that everybody can do towards building it up. In such a civilization, people will want to lead righteous lives, they will be eager to serve their fellow-beings and share with them what they have. They will love all, realizing that their own Self dwells in all; they will be devoted to the welfare of all beings. What an ideal society it will be, where people share with others all that they possess and serve everybody! Where will be the need for taxes and duties in such a society in which everyone will voluntarily work for all? Where will be the need for police and the army when people are devoted to virtue?
This then is the ideal. Towards this end, let everyone strive to generate a thought force. May God bless you all.