How Are Thoughts Provoked?

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The Mind Works Like a Radar

Just as there are radars in the airplane, and we can tell from the radar that there are three planes coming this way for a fight; at that time, the one seeing the radar does not get frightened. Things are not seen in the radar to get frightened. It is for the benefit of the one who is seeing, so that he can change the direction; ‘if the plane is coming from this direction, then let us go in the other direction.’

This is how we have to make use of the mind. It’s nature is like a radar! So when it sees fearful situation close by, it will shout out. Just as the radar, here the mind will send fright signals.

The Nature of the Mind is to Think

Thoughts keep on arising in mind, one after another, continuously. The mind is simply performing its dharma or its natural work. If thoughts do not come, the mind is considered to have broken down and finished.

The Science of the Mind Works Just as All these Senses Do

Mind is performing its natural work. Even if you don’t want to, the ears will not refrain from hearing, will they? You have to listen, but whether to accept that ‘phone call’ or not is Your work.

Similarly, thoughts too can neither be provoked nor suppressed; they come automatically as they are subject to the unfolding of karma. The mind was charged in previous life, and in this life, just like a charged battery cell, it keeps discharging by itself. The thoughts could be right thoughts or even wrong thoughts. Today, we don’t have any control over them because it’s a mere discharge (unfolding) of the stock of karma that was accumulated (piled up) in the past life. However, while they unfold, if we become engrossed in the thoughts and proceed into thinking deeper, the karma prolongs.

We’ll try and understand this science with the help of an example

For instance, seeing a mango, a thought arises in your mind, ‘Let’s eat this mango.’ Soon, you pick up a mango and take a bite. The senses readily accept it and the mind relishes the taste and enjoys it. After the mango is eaten, later, you again remember the mango and say, ‘This is really very delicious. I love it and shall eat again and again?’

The science of mind, as explained by Gnani, the Enlightened One, suggests that the reason why seeing the mango, a thought ushered into your mind is, because in your past life, you had bound the opinion, ‘mango is very good to eat.’ If your friend has not charged any such thought in his past life, the sight of mango will not provoke any kind of thought to that effect in his mind.

Secondly, after eating the mango, the senses do not recall the mango; they take whatever is being served. But our past opinions make us harness further attachment or abhorrence (raag-dwesh) towards the object, and accordingly we charge new opinions (causes or karmas) for our next life. Consequently, again in the next life, the moment you see a mango, a thought to eat it will get provoked in your mind. Once the opinion leaves, one becomes natural.

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Let’s Now Understand the Deeper Science as well…

If we take over the credit of someone else’s work, we are bound to face its consequences, isn’t it?

Similarly, when we take over the credit of the work of mind and claim that, ‘I am the doer of the process of thinking, I am the one having these thoughts’, we immediately bind karma. This is the root cause of binding any karma.

Our role really is only to keep ‘seeing’ the thoughts that which kind of thoughts are coming at this present moment; just like we see a movie or a film! The moment a thought is seen in the awareness of our real Self, that particular unfolding karma sheds off there and then, its discharge comes to a complete end; also no new karma gets charged then! We do not have to do anything else whatsoever. The film (of chain of thoughts) is running by itself naturally, we simply have to keep watching the film, maintaining the separation between our Self and the thoughts.

What is the relationship between thoughts and You?

Thoughts are to be known (gneya) and You are the One who ‘knows’ (Gnata). While the nature of mind is to relay the thought, the nature of our real Self is to see and know the mind, the intellect, the senses and everything, as separate from the Self.

However, it is possible to come in the nature of the Self only after Self-Realization. Until then, the two big wrong beliefs, ‘I am Chandu (you may insert your own name here); and I am the doer of this thought (it’s my thought)’, do not allow the establishment of this relationship.

The One who ‘sees and knows’ the thoughts is the real Self (the Pure Soul)

After attaining Self-Realization (Atmagnan) from the Living Gnani, it becomes possible to keep our mind separate. We realize, “I am a Pure Soul and my nature is only to see and know.” With this, our belief that, ‘I am indeed the one who is having this thought’ also drops.

Thereafter, following Gnani’s instructions and with the blessings of Gnani, we persevere to remain in the awareness of the Self and see each thought that arises in mind. When is it considered as having ‘seen’ the thought in true sense?… when the thought does not affect us at all; ‘I’ see the thought, ‘I’ say ‘noted its contents’ and proceed to the next thought as it arises in the mind. This is where our real progress as the Self lies.

It is an old practice of the ego to become one with the mind and get affected by the thoughts that arise. But to remain separate from the mind is the real effort that begins after attaining the Self. As this effort increases, the awareness of the Self, awakened by the grace of Gnani, increases!