Wednesday, 4 November 2009

Watch your thoughts...

"Watch your thoughts, for they become words,
watch your words, for they become actions,
watch your actions, for they become habits,
watch your habits, for they become character,
watch your character, for it becomes your destiny."

When I first heard this quote, the words struck me as very meaningful.

How often we were driven into actions by our thoughts, especially negative thoughts that could turn the situation ugly.

We think of something and we kept harping on it, turning it over and over in our minds until it reached a stage where we had to release it by turning it into words or actions.

It would have been better if we could turn negative thoughts into positive thoughts, or alternatively let go of the thoughts.

In online forums, sometimes there would be postings of someone doing an act of cruelty to animals. Frequently, animal lovers who responded would be scolding, cursing or hoping for some bad things to happen to that person.

In situations like this, I find no difference in the respondents and the person who committed the cruel act. True, a person who did wrong lacked awareness and wisdom and will have to face his karma, as he has sinned through his actions. For those who wished bad endings for him would be sinning in thoughts and words, and if they had been face to face with the offender, they would probably have laid their hands on him.

In a scenario like this, there is also cause and consequence. The person who committed an offence (cause) incurred the wrath of others or ended up being punished by the law (consequence). If those others laid their hands on him (cause), they have to face punishment by the law (consequence). It would be a never-ending cycle unless we can break out of it.

Our mind is so powerful that if we do not control it, we would end up being controlled by it.

"Until he has unconditional and unbiased love for all beings, man will not find peace."

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