Art of Positive Thinking

SR No.: 006586
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Mahapragna Acharya
Publisher: Health Harmoney
Publication Year: 2010
Total Pages: 246
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 11 MB

Page 148

EXPERIMENTS IN HEART-PURIFICATION
135
perception of breath, we shall find our restlessness on the wane. Restlessness can thus be decreased by means of breath-perception. The man who starts observing his breath, gradually gets rid of restlessness altogether. As the practice of breath-perception grows more perfect, concentration increases. To say that one could completely get rid of one's disquiet by practising breath-perception for 4-5 days would be an idle exaggeration. But this can be truly asserted that breath-perception leads to greater control. About this there can be no doubt.
In the meditation camps various methods of breath-perception are practised; the meditators practise those whole-heartedly. But if their practice is limited only to the duration of the camp, whatever gain they might have acquired during that period is so lost. But if the practice is continued at home after the camp is over, self-realization is gradually attained until the devotee can rightly claim that he has full control over his restless mind, and that thought comes to him only if he invites it; it does not pester him otherwise. He is then able to utilize memory and imagination to good purpose in perfect freedom, without being in any way used by them. He enters a state of mind which transcends thought.
Breath-perception is one infallible method of ending the mind's restlessness.
I have no faith in mere doctrine. A doctrine without the technique of practising it is of littlc use. To talk about change without suggesting how to bring it about would be utterly futile. The man who does not want to be caught in futility has to discover the way. We talk about the necessity of change and we also suggest a method,
A saint delivered a long discourse on bringing about transformation in oneself. He said, “We must speak the truth, we must shun anger, we must cultivate forgiveness, and we must be simple and non-acquisitive, etc." One of the audience said, "Sir! What you say is all very good. But how do we go about achieving it?" To this the saint had no answer. An uneasy silence prevailed.
There is a good deal of talk about changing oneself, but no method is suggested. It merely leads to hopelessness. I have no faith in such useless talk. Only when the path is clearly indicated, does the talk of bringing about a change become useful. Mere theory without practice leads nowhere.
We find ourselves in a muddle. But there is a way out of it. We must discover it and make use of it.
The question arises as to how we can diminish the effects of like and dislike in everyday living. Our living is made up of these two elements -- like and dislike - either we approve of a situation and want it to continue or we disapprove of it and want it to end. Each