Water has a natural tendency to flow downwords. So is the human nature.Wordly people seek pleasure in acquisition of wealth, wielding power and fulfilment of sensuous desires.They forget the purity of the means and even adopt questionable ways and means for the fulfilment of their desires.The mind of such people goes on accumulating impurities.Action done with impure mind leads to misery for the doer as also for the society in the long run.As milk does not change into curd immediately, so the fruit of action takes time to ripe . Lord Buddha has said in the first verse of Yamaka Vagga ( Twin Verses ) of Dhammpadda :
Manopubbangama dhamma, manosettha manomaya ;
Mansa ce padutthena, bhaasti
va karoti va :
Tato
nam dukkhamanveti, cakkam va vahato padam .
( Mind precedes all mental states. Mind is their chief. They are
all mind -made. If with an impure mind a person speaks or acts, suffering follows him like
the wheel that follows the foot of the ox.)
As against the above, if a man acts with a pure mind, happiness
follows him like never leaving shadow. Purity of mind is most essential for the happiness
in this world as also in the other world.
The question arises asto how to purify the mind which is so essential for peace .Lord Buddha has suggested heedfulness ( appamada ) for purification of mind. As the rain water does not enter well thatched house, so impurities do not enter the well guarded mind.
The aspirant of bliss has to undertake a journey against the worldly current. Saints of Nirgun School have called him gurugami. Opposite to gurugami is manmukhi .Manmukhi person follows the dictates of mind without discernment. A gurugami person drives ill thoughts as soon they appear on the surface of mind. He is always watchful to his thoughts and their nature.As the practice goes on, negative thoughts slowly stop originating.As the mind gets attuned to the process of positive thinking, the power of the mind increases.
Cultivation of the mind to positive thinking brings a great transformation in the person.He is bestowed with happiness as also his effectiveness increases manifold.
In Citta Vagga ( Mind Chapter) of Dhammapada, The Great Buddha has said :
Diso disam yam tam kayira -
( Whatever harm a foe may do to a foe, or hater to a hater, an ill- directed mind can do far greater harm. )
On the contrary,
Na tam mata pita kayira -
anne va pi ca nataka
samma panihitam
cittam -
seyyaso nam tato kare .
( Neither mother, father , nor any other relative can do one greater good than one's own well - directed mind.)
Let us practice transformation of the self by the power of positive thinking.
By- Doman Singh, Anand Vihar
Patna
( India)