CHAPTER VIII - THOUGHT
Thought is spiritual vibration, manifestation of intelligence, spiritual power.
When the spirit reaches a certain degree of evolution, it feels the need to expand its knowledge, to widen the horizons of its intelligence, to strengthen more and more the moral principles perfected from incarnation to incarnation along the route of existence.
Thinking means reasoning, creating images, conceiving ideas, building for the present and for the future. Through thought man makes decisions, creates solutions, discovers and resolves life's problems.
The spirit imparts to thought the very power with which it is endowed. Like sound and light, Thought travels all over in vibratory waves which are recorded in the infinite ocean of matter filling the Universe. All spirits can easily become aware of a thought at the very moment it is sent out. Hence the impossibility of altering truth in spiritual life.
The whole process of evolution is faithfully imprinted in the Book of Life. Good and bas deeds, vile as well as elevated thoughts, all are indelibly recorded there. Thought precedes action. Therefore, all dignified or undignified actions are the result of dignified or undignified thoughts. "Do unto others as you would like done to you" - goes spiritual law, like the saying. How true!
A thought remains connected to its source as long as the feeling that generated it persists. Thoughts set up real environmental climates which promote good health or disease, joy or sorrow, success or failure, well or ill-being.
Thoughts form currents crossing in all directions, and are sent out by the incarnate and the disincarnate themselves.
Many of these currents, besides being unwholesome, are terribly overwhelming. Due to the marked spiritual inferiority with which Earth's atmosphere is saturated, they even predominate over beneficial currents.
Through ill thoughts man not only conveys but also picks up, with the same intensity, affinitive thoughts and their effects, whether he likes it or not. Such currents produce the most serious damages consisting of physical as well as psychic disturbances.
Discipline and will-strengthening play a fundamental role in thought control. By learning how to strengthen himself with worthy feelings, man creates around himself a fluidic barrier so solid that the malignant thoughts of obsessor spirits are unable to break through.
Determination is essential for thinking and making decisions. Fear and indecision lead to failure. Reasonably optimistic thinking should always prevail. Combined with action, it is a force capable of overcoming the most serious stumbling blocks.
Thoughts of virtue, courage, and determination attract vibrations of other thoughts of identical formation, thus creating an environment of confidence capable of leading to success.
ADVERSITY
Never should the spirit give way to discouragement. A setback is but a passing incident. It should serve to call attention to something that was neglected or unknown. Sometimes it is even useful.
In any way, from failure there is always experience to be gained and a lesson to be learned.
Nothing in life happens by chance. Everything has an explanation, a cause, a reason to be. Nobody learns solely from success, for failure also teaches a lot. Happiness, good health and well-being would not be as desirable as they are if misfortune, disease and misery were unknown.
Therefore, nobody should lose heart. The lesson is to feel evil in order to avoid it, fight it, and destroy it; to conceive good in order to win it, attract it, integrate it to our everyday life.
This way of being reflects the supreme action of thought which is outstanding because it represents a driving power of amazing capacity to overcome obstacles.
This power of thought varies according to the training of one's will. A weak will inspires frail thinking. A strong will inspires powerful thinking.
Therefore, no one will strengthen himself and solve his problems by giving shelter to the sickly vibration of pessimism, despondency, ill will, envy, ingratitude, hate, revenge, wickedness and laziness. By entertaining such feelings one only benumb his mind and ruin himself.
LEARNING TO THINK
Thought can be cultivated, refined and strengthened by the use of conscious will power. Strong thinking is clear, pondered and well defined.
An idea materialises more easily if one puts into action his spirited thoughts and vigorous determination.
In order to attain absolute grasp of any subject, it is of utmost importance to concentrate on it, giving free rein to imagination with the purpose in mind of scrutinising it, discovering all its nuances, multiples aspects, interpretations and even its misleading features.
In each case, however, the researcher needs to exercise strict control over himself so that his evaluation of facts is not biased by his own preferences, selfish interests or even his own pride and self-conceit, because these feelings invariably present a distorted view of the matter and may lead him to wrong conclusions.
In order to be thoroughly fulfilling, our thoughts need to be clear, transparent, free of the spiritual deformities caused by unmethodical living habits, self-worship and the so-called infallibility of opinions which lead to fanaticism and fixed ideas.
It is frequently said that unity makes strength. Nothing could be more true, both materially and spiritually. The influence of the environment is of the utmost importance for the well being of the spirit. Several individuals of evil inclination and low upbringing together produce many more harmful vibrations than only one.
This shows that everyone should know how to prepare himself mentally whenever the need arises to enter a bad environment. Such preparation consists of thinking with wisdom, self-awareness and self-confidence.
The vigour of thoughts entertained by enlightened, sound individuals grows in proportion to the needs of each particular case. It enlarges, expands and outdoes any current of inferior thoughts because it attracts its affinitive Universal Force, the power of which is infinite.
POWER OF THOUGHT
The power of thought is measured by man's degree of evolution. Its limit is man's capacity to make use of his spiritual attributes.
The power of thought should always be exercised having in mind the common good. As long as man grows up aware of himself and identifies with his powerful innermost abilities, he will find in the power of thought a safe, efficient tool to achieve all his ambitions and aspirations as well as protection of his physical and mental health.
The history of medicine records innumerable instances of serious diseases and their cures. These were considered by many as miraculous, but were due simply to the spiritual reactions of the diseased themselves and to their attraction of Superior Forces.
Purification of thought translates into a state of awareness which is sensitive to the evolution of the spirit and favourable to achievement of inner happiness and the well-being thereby provided.
With the aid of thought, the spirit first creates an image and only then materialises it for a certain purpose. Consider the wonders of universal painting. Observe the richness, the wonder of the works that have immortalised so many artists through the centuries. None of them was put on canvas until the painter had mentally conceived it in all details.
The same happens with the Engineer. Before designing a building, machine, device, instrument, or part, he studies and examines them to the smaller detail.
With the help of thought, he first visualises the outline, then corrects the possible mistakes, until the image of what he wants to express and portray on paper is more or less perfect.
In all human achievements - all without exception - the spirit first creates an image with the aid of thought, and only then does it put it in tangible form. This happens on Earth and, much more so in Space, where the power of creative thought is incomparably greater.
Evolution means, above all, creative power. The more advanced the spirit, the more powerful its thinking and creative capacity.
A backward man, no matter how evil his intentions may be, cannot go beyond certain limits imposed by shortcomings of his reasoning power. On the other hand, if an advanced spirit, like for instance a scientist, uses his intelligence for evil purposes, he may cause devastating harm.
Now, if this can happen on a planet like ours, of such modest, limited spiritual evolution, we can imagine the immense creative power, and extraordinary power of achievement of the highly evolved spirits living in more advanced worlds.
Vigorous thinking emanates from strong, skilled, experienced spirits. In each incarnation which is well taken advantage of, they consciously work to improve more and more their psychic personalities.
The power of thought, as well as the capacity to conceive, create, and accomplish grow in proportion to this progress, making each accomplishment better than the previous one.
The great repository of wisdom lies in Space, not on Earth. The advances of modern technology would still be unknown if many of their components had not been conveyed to man via intuition, that is, by the power of thought which overcomes all barriers.
Among the spiritual values which man must inescapably conquer on Earth, thought is outstanding, since the rational solution of all life's problems depends on the power of concentrated, encompassing thought.