Q & A on Positive Thinking

Gauracandra · June 11, 2002

This week’s Srila Siddhaswarupananda program is sort of a continuation of last week’s program- http://www.indiadivine.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/001352.html . In this program Srila Siddhasvarupananda takes questions from the audience during a world tour program.

Question 1 – Do people use positive thinking as a way of doing what they want without guilt?

Response: “Guilt is negative thinking. You shouldn’t have these hang ups like guilt. Don’t let the negativity creep in.” [this was all said in jest]. The positive thinker is interested in his own will, not the will of God. It should be understood that positive thinking has nothing to do with spirituality. True some will pose as religionists, but that does not make it spiritual. Spiritual means to love God and to do His will.

Essentially the positive thinking movement is about selfishness. It is a self-centered world where you seek better health, more money, more enjoyment. You become the most important person in your life. A few of these TV preachers will say “The first and foremost commandment is to love your neighbor. But how can you love your neighbor if you don’t love yourself. Thus the first thing to do is to love yourself.” They say that the teachings of Jesus Christ is to first love yourself. [now is a joking manner] But wasn’t there something about body, mind, soul… about loving God as the first and foremost commandment… yeah…. I think Jesus said first love God with all your body, mind, and soul… But these television preachers reverse it. They say love yourself first, then love God. This is the American translation of the Holy Gospel. And people like to hear this. They want success in business. This one guy has built a giant glass cathedral. Some people build houses on sand at the low tide. Others build Cathedrals of glass on the San Andreas fault [note: I think he might be talking about the Reverend Robert Schuler who has built the Crystal Cathedral, and is known as a positive thinker/motivation preacher].

Materialists will always be in anxiety. They get so wrapped up in their thoughts. But we must transcend positive and negative thinking. The foundation of this positive thinking movement is that this whole world is a manifestation of my mind. As I think so shall it be. But this is simply a delusion of grandeur. Don’t be so puffed up, so arrogant as to think that what you think will happen will. It may be the exact opposite. You are not the controller, God is.

There was a cartoon I once saw. It showed two boxers beating each other up. Finally one of them wins and he exclaims “I won!!!”. Then the cartoon zooms out to a birds eye view of the ring. Then out more to show the stadium from the sky. Then further out to show the city. Then further out to show the planet earth. Then further out into space to show our planet as a dot in the universe. And yet he is saying “I am number one”. [in a joking manner] If you think that your will is true, then think for me to go away… but I won’t. You can turn off your television set, but I’ll still be here. Turn on your TV and there I am.

Question 2 – I agree that the mind isn’t all powerful but doesn’t it affect the body?

Response: Yes it has an effect on the body. We do believe the mind can have psychic powers. And all yoga meditations accept that the mind affects the body. Our point is that the positive thinking propaganda that a person’s limitations are self-induced is not true. The mind has power but it is limited. It is not all powerful. But people want the illusion of Lordship. For all the positive thinking in the world they have yet to surpass death, they can’t stop nature. It ends up being simply a form of atheism. Rather than taking shelter of God, instead they take shelter of their mind. Maybe they are distressed, having some problems, but they don’t turn to God. And even if you develop these powers of the mind, that itself can be a greater trap. Then you may fall even deeper into the idea that you are God. Then they miss the real goal of life – taking loving shelter of God. This is the purpose of life. Do not take shelter of your own mind. It is better to have loving surrender to God.

gHari · June 11, 2002

This is a good theme. A lot of people are just looking for something better, when they have nothing better to do in a bookstore. The self-help books promise some hope for people who have exhausted other avenues including 'religion'.

They will see the program and get interested simply because it is about their favorite self-help scam, or any self-help scam. Then they may see the logic of this God consciousness thing.

Unfortunately Christianity is not being sold very well now. I was certainly never taught about how totally cool religion, God and the soul are.

July 25, 2003

While yes Robert Schuler talks about loving yourself before you can love others there is something you must realize. Many people of all walks of faith have a hard time with self image, negetive thoughts, low self essteem and in reality many of these "believers" are walking in the shadows of life. It is only threw God's grace and humility that we are honored enough to be considered worthy. The cruxed of all of this is, that many "believers" don't believe it, so they never own it as there own! Positive thinking has helped me to be more compassionate and a solution maker to the less fotunate, the starving, and the down troddened. I know of many people of all walks of faith feel the same way! It seems with these posts that have been made so far in the past have all been negitive cooments without a solution? If there is a better way why isn't that told as well with the negetive? Is it because there is none? I wonder?

Be bold and try to find a solution to life's ailements and don't complain about negetive things.

Sharon aka a positive thinker that isn't self centered