Karmic standpoint on unintentional negative thoughts

[Guest guest]

SIR,

I am having many undesirable thoughts in my mind.I try to convert the negative thoughts into positive thoughts but end up having more negative thoughts many times in the process.

What do I do?Should I just ignore the negative thoughts in my mind or should I fight the negative thoughts in my mind in the hope that at some point in time,I will be able to think positively?Will such negative thinking affect others?Also,am I accumulating bad karma for myself even if the negative thoughts are not intentional but are produced as a result of the ferar at the back of my mind that I may have negative thoughts in my mind?

Please help me out as I am losing my peace of mind as a result of negative thoughts in my mind.I genuinely do not want anybody to get punished for any of the thoughts I have.

[Kulapavana]

in Kali yuga bad thoughts do not create bad karma. but they do create a mental disturbance. The best medicine to control your mind is the chanting of the Holy Names. Hare Krishna!

 

 

[jayaisvara]

Hare Krsna, Jaya Guru-Gauranga

 

Dear Guest,

 

Please post the answer to these questions by replying yes/no:

 

Do you or did you in the past have or had doubt about the existence of God?

 

Did you blaspheme against God in your past?

 

Did you committ sinful activities in the past the you now repent?

 

Were you always doubtful about how your physical beauty appeared when you went to public places where there are a lot of people?

 

Did you always criticize others about how they looked in terms of physical beauty?

 

Are you a critic? Even if you don't say your criticism loudly, do you think some criticism when you see something that doesn't agree with you?

 

If you have answered "yes" to most of these questions, then you are having the same illusion as I am, which is pride. Please read on if you answered yes to the above questions, otherwise, the following may not apply to you as it did for me in my case.

 

Pride is very illusory. It is an illusion that makes us think that our judgement is the right judgement. But think about this for a moment. If you criticize someone either by saying words or in your mind, how do you know the other person will actually take your advice seriously? For all we know, that person might have not even cared, and we are being so foolish and under the complete trap of maya thinking that "Oh, that person has listened to me". It is we who suffer, not them. We have to accept superiority. Maya or the illusory energy of God, is constantly making us go into these illusions whereby we are thinking "I am the center of the world, or at least, I am the center of attention, and I must be looking very nice in the society or the people will not respect me" Even as I type this now, its so hard not to resist the temptation of feeling proud that I know this knowledge. But, little do I know, how your reaction would be to this message, whether, you would be benefitted or would call me a foolish rascal. I am already a fool because I thought this message would help you, as if, this message MUST help you. NO. From my perspective, I should never accept any credit to my self, for it is very dangerous as it builds pride. Whatever enlightenment that I have got is from God, and its very hard to always tell the mind that and realize, because just like you, I suffered from negative thoughts and now it seems the reason is pride.

 

The point is, we are so proud and think that just because some negative thought comes to us, or any thought that comes to us, we think it must be true. But I think you are trying to follow Krsna Consciousness, but cannot accept the reality that "How can I think such things and follow God?" Don't worry, just keep chanting, as I've found its the only remedy, and sincerely pray to all the Vaisnavas, Swami Srila Prabhupada and The Supreme Lord for help. For me, it was their mercy that I was fearful of these negative thoughts coming to my mind. But it ended up as a benefit for me because now I somewhat realize my pride, but its very,very deeply rooted in me and very subtle, and only by the mercy of those higher authorities have I realized to my extent the prideness in me. If you want to talk more and have more questions, I will try my best to serve you. My email is: robvdamm@

 

Remember, we are not here to enjoy, as of now, we are here to pray for the mercy of the Lord because only He can save us from our own illusion cast by the demon of pride whom we have accepted into our hearts.

 

I am very sorry if I have not been of any help to you, but this is just what has happened so far to me. I am happy if you got any tips on how to improve your service for the Lord.

 

Hare Krsna, Jaya Guru-Gauranga

[vanamali]

should I fight the negative thoughts in my mind in the hope that at some point in time,I will be able to think positively

 

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Just don't get too worked up, but rather "fight" these negative thoughts by just calming the mind. Kulapavana was right I think. They say the mind is like the temple elephant, always figiting, sticking its trunk everywhere trying to grab at whatever is in its reach. However, if you give the elephant a stick to hold in its trunk, it will no longer reach out to grab whatever it sees, and instead just keeps that stick, and then walks on without disturbance or distraction.

 

The name of God is like that. If you just chant His name mentally, that will pacify your mind, and also you will be thinking of the Lord all the time in the process, and calling on Him, and He will definitely take care of you.

 

Instead of letting every thought that enters your mind take hold of you, you can hold on to the Holy Name and let these other thoughts pass out of your mind as quickly as they pass in. You don't have to own every thought that enters your mind, just let these negative thoughts pass through your mind like a hallway, and not live in it like a home.

 

I will say a prayer for you now. Jaya Sri Krishna! /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[vanamali]

"The point is, we are so proud and think that just because some negative thought comes to us, or any thought that comes to us, we think it must be true. But I think you are trying to follow Krsna Consciousness, but cannot accept the reality that <font color="red">"How can I think such things and follow God?" Don't worry, just keep chanting," </font color>

 

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I agree. If we trust Krishna to look after us, then it makes it much easier for Him to take care of us, because we are not struggling against it. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[theist]

Along with all the good advice that has already been offered, it helps to remeber that we are not the materially conditioned mind and thoughts.

 

Just like we can observe the matter of the body as it constantly changes through metabolism, we can also take the observer role and watch as thoughts come and go through our consciousness.

 

They are external to you. They are impositions from the world of matter. Don't identify with the good ones and try to deny the bad ones. Only concentrate and energize the thoughts of Krsna.

 

Krsna knows those thoughts are not you. He also knows we are powerless to control them without His grace. Just desire that grace.

 

So many angles of approaching the same thing. Just don't fall into the trap of becoming down on yourself and falling into depression. That won't solve anything.

[jayaisvara]

 

Krsna knows those thoughts are not you. He also knows we are powerless to control them without His grace. Just desire that grace.

 

 

 

Being a conditioned soul without a guru, is it alright to ask for the mercy of Krsna and the acaryas even if there is pride remaining in us?

[vanamali]

Being a conditioned soul without a guru, is it alright to ask for the mercy of Krsna and the acaryas even if there is pride remaining in us?

 

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One requires Krishna grace to get a true guru anyway. Yes you simply must ask for His grace, and it is not only okay, but very pleasing for Krishna if you will ask Him. That's what He's there for!! Doesn't matter if you are still full of faults; that's why it's called MERCY and GRACE. Even if we achieve all our goals and clear ourselves of all faults, still we can never compare ourselves to Krishna's greatness. So in this way we can never really *deserve* anything from Krishna, but we can only appeal to Him to have mercy on us, and that He will do because He is an ocean of mercy.

 

As for pride, you know, pride is like a hairy man's beard. You shave it off in the morning, and by evening you are already getting stubble. Pujya Prema Pandurang calls pride "a subtle cancer of the soul." As long as we remember that any of us can become proud, we will be more likely to see it in ourselves and stop it before it becomes a problem.

[Guest guest]

I wrote the question about the eggs and I was wondering about the negative thoughts, however someone else beat me to it.

 

Your answers are helping me a lot.

 

Hare Krishna

[jayaisvara]

Thank you /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[theist]

 

One requires Krishna grace to get a true guru anyway. Yes you simply must ask for His grace, and it is not only okay, but very pleasing for Krishna if you will ask Him. That's what He's there for!! Doesn't matter if you are still full of faults; that's why it's called MERCY and GRACE. Even if we achieve all our goals and clear ourselves of all faults, still we can never compare ourselves to Krishna's greatness. So in this way we can never really *deserve* anything from Krishna, but we can only appeal to Him to have mercy on us, and that He will do because He is an ocean of mercy.

 

 

This cannot be overstated. And as to the idea that one has no guru, I can't accept that. We have Caitya-guru in the heart, we have sastra, we have the acaryas present in their commentaries, we have more advanced godbrothers/sisters and friends and I suspect even unseen help from higher living entities. There is no such state as being without a guru except one where we ignore guru. Then we are without guru. That can be done by a formaly initiated persdona as well.

Prabhupada said "who you hear from, that is your guru."

 

This doesn't negate that the Lord may manifest Himself to you as an enlightened soul in a visible body. He has always come as His devotee and I suspect He always will.

 

As far as praying to Him goes, well we have come from Him. We are part of Him. We are eternally related to Him. He is our Soul. Of course we can talk to Him. Does a small child need formal permission to speak to his own father?

[vanamali]

I'm forwarding your "thank you" to Krishna.

 

Just remember Krishna is a tough guy, He can take care of you /images/graemlins/wink.gif

[Pankaja_Dasa]

 

 

Have you not accepted formal initiation from anyone?

 

Stop fooling yourself and everybody else. The point is some people will make any excuses to not surrender to Guruji.

 

Thats how the Ritivk Doctrine came about. Sorry for being harsh. But there you go.

[jayaisvara]

Dear Pankaja_Dasa,

 

Its unfortunate that I cannot surrender to a living guru because my sorry excuse is that the temple is quite very far and I can't drive there because I don't have license. All I have is the forums by which I can really communicate with the devotees. Its for the best for sure.

[vanamali]

Don't worry jayaisvara. I don't want to get in a discussion over gurus, etc. because people get very hot about this sort of thing. All I'm saying is, don't worry and trust Krishna.

 

 

[theist]

 

Stop fooling yourself and everybody else. The point is some people will make any excuses to not surrender to Guruji.

 

 

When you see that tendancy within yourself you will be making some advancement.

 

[vanamali]

I will not formally accept a guru unless and until I find *my guru* The guru-disciple relationship is so intimate, you tell so many private things about your religious life, and your feelings towards God and such. So I want to find that special person, but if it doesn't happen, so be it.

 

Really, I trust Krishna totally. If He has a guru for me, He will send that person. Until then, Krishna is my guru. That's that; and no worrying allowed. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[jayaisvara]

Since you are trusting in Krsna as a guru, then so will I, and thereby I'll place my faith in you and trust Krsna /images/graemlins/smile.gif