Change your habits

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CHANGE YOUR HABITS

 

by Swami Sivananda

 

Mind is a bundle of habits. Bad habits and prejudices, hidden in

one's nature, will be brought to the surface of the mind when the

opportunity comes. If you change the habits you can also change your

character. You sow a habit and reap a character. You sow a character

and reap a destiny.

 

Habits originate in the conscious mind but when they become

established, by constant repetition, they sink into the unconscious

mind and become our 'second nature'. Habit can however be changed by

a new, healthy, agreeable habit, of a stronger nature. At present you

are thinking, " I am the body " . Think, " I am Brahman " . In the course

of time you will be established in Brahmic consciousness.

 

Do not be a slave to one idea. Whenever you get new, healthy ideas,

the old ones must be given up. In the mind there is an internal fight

ever going on between 'nature' and 'will', between the old, worldly

habits and the new, spiritual habits.

 

In the case of aspirants, the fight is between the old samskaras of

the sensual world and new, spiritual samskaras. It is a fight between

the good impressions of the past and bad impressions of the past. It

is a fight between viveka (wisdom) and instinctive mind and indriyas

(senses).

 

Eventually will, which is pure, strong and irresistible, is bound to

succeed. There is no doubt about this. As your reason grows and you

become wiser and wiser - by study, by contact with the wise and by

meditation - your mind must be well prepared to take up new, healthy,

rational ideas and eschew the old, morbid ones.

 

Mind is your tool. When emotions arise, separate them, study them,

analyse them - but do not identify yourself with them. Master your

impulses, emotions and moods. Rise from the position of slave to that

of a spiritual king.

 

Just as the repetition of a thought or action leads to perfection, so

also does the recurrence of the same process, or the same idea, lead

to the perfection of abstraction, concentration and meditation.

 

Give your full mind to God. Only then will you have realisation. Even

if one ray of the mind runs outside, it is impossible to attain God-

consciousness. You cannot enjoy peace of mind, you cannot practise

meditation, if there is tossing of the mind. Destroy mundane desires

through dispassion and surrender to the Lord.

 

(Source: http://sivanandaonline.org/html/ )