Question 209:
Amma says:
“Become aware of the negative tendencies in you, and weaken them through cultivating good thoughts, rather than fighting with them.”
How do you understand this?
Please make your answer brief and clear (maximum 5 or 6 lines).
some tendencies come from thoughts. fighting thoughts energizes them – being unclutched from thoughts as if they are clouds floating by starves them. Constant if you can, sincere mantra japa and lots of selfless service helps clear the root causes of negative tendencies (i think). Avoid negative and sensational media/ books etc if you can, and for 15 minutes reading saints books before sleep inspires better tendencies to marinade in. i think all this can help when done day after day for enough time.
Amma’s 1st message in this is for us to become aware of the negativeness within us. This already is a very big and delicate task!!
The 2nd message is that if we try to remove these negativeness’ by fighting them and point at them, we will simply build another form of negativity (finding fault, dooming, judging…) in us. Best is to build positive and good thoughts. This way the negativities are peacefully starved and removed, while we become strengthened by positive energy.
As the cleansing process of the mind begins under the able supervision of a Sadguru like Amma, the latent negative tendencies in us start raising their hood. At such times, we should intensify our spiritual practices that will help us gain control of our feelings and negative thoughts, and replace them with positive and noble ones. Gradually, these positive thoughts become so rooted within us that all negativities are eliminated. So we don’t really need to fight negative thoughts!
One’s first response to any given situation is generally governed by unconscious tendencies and senses turned outward. However with the second response, one gains the opportunity to recognize the development of the internal story which can be seen, stopped and brought back to the heart center. In these moments cultivating thoughts about Amma and concern for the well-being of others creates light in the middle of darkness. Focusing the mind’s attention on such good thoughts definitely uplifts it…
When we get into the habit of cultivating shradha(outer and inner)it becomes easier to be aware of negative tendencies and thoughts as they start to arise in the mind and heart. It is possible then to consciously replace them with good thoughts and auspicious mantras. If this process is repeated again and again negativity can be gradually diluted in the waters of positive thoughts as Amma explains it, and no energy is lost in fighting and resisting.
PS: I recommend the mantra of Universal peace when the tendency to criticize and find fault arises.
Think this has to do with something called “law of attraction” …this law in fact states that when you think of good things you actually attract more good things to you-the universe does everything to give them to you-same applies for when you think of bad things also…when you identify your negative tendencies, you have to think of good things and try to develop them within.If you think ” oh I have this bad tendency, I am a sinner” then you attract more of this kind of thoughts and your life will become more miserable.The more you think of such thoughts, the more your mind gets engrossed, the more your mind get engrossed then the more you get attached to this body..so there is no need to keep fighting with those bad thoughts,combat these bad thoughts with good thoughts, keeping the mind focused on the Lord and surrender to Him always….
Negative thoughts and attitudes are our own cultivated habits. They arise because we have developed them through our actions in the past. They can’t be uprooted overnight. If you try to suppress or repress them, they will continue to appear and cause you problems. They have to eventually die away by not being fed anymore. What we can do is build up positive habits instead. Build up loving and peaceful minds, until they are our habitual state and the negative tendencies no longer arise.
thoughts are like clouds? how wonderful to hear this, as i am blinded again by thought. a wonderful reminder of who ‘I Am’ in ‘Truth’.
Beyond all thought. Ah now the body again can rest in that knowing. Thank you Amma and her Children.
With Divine grace we can get over our negative tendencies, to get divine grace one has to be humble and compassionate in actions. When has become humble and compassionate then where are the negatives, In all I want to absorb my self in divine AMMA rto get over my negative tendencies which I do not I( have because my ego justifies them. But my divine darling amma knows my weaknesses and she will for sure bestow her grace on me to get ride of my weaknesses.
Absolutely True. Negativities can be compared to Bali, the inspiring character in Ramayana. When we try to confront negativities, like Bali, the negativities gain strength. Whereas if we can befriend, good tendencies ie. Sri Rama, we will be able to uproot the negative tendencies or Vasanas. In Amma’s ashtothara, one name hails amma as ‘PADASHRITA MANOROODA DUSSAMSKARA RAHOMUSHE NAMAHA’ which means Sadguru Amma is the one who secretely steals innate, hidden, strong, latent tendencies or Dussamskaras of people who take shelter in Amma. So our only aim should be to surrender ourselves totally to Amma.
Q208 and Q209 require deep study of Yoga Sasthras such as Bhagavath Geetha, Patanjali Yoga Suthra, Vasista Darsanam or Yoga Vasistha (also called Maha Ramaayana).
Please pray for my Swadhyaya.
instead of brooding that we have a negative quality, we should accept it after becoming aware of it and try to cultivate good qualities to nullify the negativity in us. If we keep adding water in a glass of salt water, the water will become pure. Similarly, by adding good qualities, negative traits in us will disappear.
ஞான கடல் தன்னை மீன் அளக்கலாமா அளக்கின்ற போது சிரிக்கின்ற தாயே!!
I strongly think that only a SadGuru like our Amma can remove the negative tendencies, and lead us to success whatever our goal is. As our Amma says the effort from our side is also essenial. But even to make that effort we need our Guru’s grace!!
By superimposing negativity with positive thoughts we can surely with AMMAS guidance overcome this most difficult mental activity.I f we are able to see AMMA in all we see and all we interact with (not easy though)we can surely over come negativity and spread positivity around us
I belive that the important thing to do is to “remember who you are”.
It is so easy to forget about this when life gets tough and the ego once again becomes “a (false) point of reference”…
Hold on to Amma’s holy feet and ask for Her grace to help regain your focus.
It reminds me of an analogy AMMA gives. An empty ink bottle can only be cleaned by repeatedly washing it with clean water. Similarly, our negativity can be washed out by pouring in as much positive thoughts as possible.
Chanting of AMMA’s 108 names have helped me to do this most effectively.
It may be explained in simple language as self realization.Understanding your thought process,which may have selfish,egoist,snobbish elements in majority of the populace,by understanding the futility of such negative thoughts,one must be able to nurture good and positive thoughts such as helpful,sympathetic,sharing and humility.Give equal importance to people irrespective of their stature,class,finance,caste or community.Have faith in God and do your Karma without ever expecting any results or rewards out of your Karma.[Duties]
We come to this world with fullness of purity.Soon after we forget and our Samskara of past lives takes us to the world and get entangled in the labryinths of mind wich is a mixture of “yes and NOs” we succumb to the nedgativity of thoughts easily controlled and taken over by mind.By conducting ourselves by accepting our naturure we accept both forces ie.+ and – ness. slowly and consiously we can ignore negativity by infusing satsang to our lives AND GENERATE more positivity in our lives thereby we can win over the negative thoughts and mind. Once mind is under control we win this world and treck to our right path.
My sense is that we have the ability to choose who we want to be inside, but losing ourselves in the fluidity of daily experience our perspective is entangled in a web of self-defeat. By focusing on the structure of positive thought eventually we become its content. It helps, and it’s a form of yoga. Even when we are sick, we can assign ourselves a heroic role and be brave for others and for ourselves.
The negative thoughts and possitive thoughts altogether make a mind. First of all we have to understand or aware of our own mind,from where or why these negative thoughts arise.I think the negative thoght arises because of the impurities of our mind.So then what are the impurities of our mind? Likes ,dislikes,,hatred,jealousy,lust,passion,anger,greed,ego and slefishness so on are the impurities of our mind.In order to weaken our negative tendency or thoughts,we should get rid or come out or conquer these impurities of mind… You can think both possitively and neatively about a half cup of milk… So make the thought possitive you must not fight but to see and satisfy with the fullness but not think about the emptyness.
A Thirumeni and hhis servant was living in a viilage.Genenraly there was a thinking that the Thirumenies are very Svattic in their conduct.While coming back from a sadsang the Thirumeni was condiniously murmering that I understood,I understood” then the servant asked to the Thirumeni what are you murmenring Boss ?Thirumeni answered that I understood that ican’t able to understand any thing in the Sad sangs. This is a way of possitive thinking.Once in a heavy rainy season the Thirumeni happend to ask to the servant about the water condition of the well in the farm .The well was overflowing. Still the servant answered that there is no,no water situation in the well(Illyaya illya). What a negative thinking no?Because he was very Tamasic in his nature..It is just a Joke.We can learn something from this joke also.Thirumeni couldn’t say ‘No’ and the servant couldn’t say’ yes’ in any situation.Like the Thirumeni we should also develop a Svattic qaulity and should approch anything in a possitive way.
“Que tous les êtres de tous les mondes soient en paix et heureux”
I suffered from aggravated child abuse throughout my childhood and I have a hard time not having negative thoughts about my attackers who are my parents. Every day I fight without let go, but this is not the solution because in the end, I’m even worse and I would like to change behavior. I have a choice, I can decide to change these negative thoughts into beautiful flowers starting with a positive thinking and gratitude for the joy that Mother puts in my heart and all that is good, true and beautiful in my life, Thank you
You should not give much importance to negative tendencies, which are borne out of ego and thrive on attention. Also, fighting your thoughts can pull you down from living in the present moment. Instead, be in tune with something higher and let God have the space to work on your negative tendencies. When you resist, the opponent can easily use your tension to defeat you. This is something that martial arts teaches.
I do become aware of negative tendencies. I have also figured out by now that you cannot just remove them. It is not as simple as cleaning a pot with soap and water. Fighting negative tendencies could be like trying to remove darkness with darkness, instead of turning on light in the room or opening windows.
I remember quote from Amma that if you keep adding pure water to glass containing salty water, eventually water in glass will become pure – it will lose its salty taste. That I think should be the power of cultivating good thoughts which will lead us to do good actions. Thus making negative tendencies disappear without our notice.
Cut the root and plant negative will dead or svanish and put seed by love heart that will grow up. Need a lot work as farmer.
But with Guru grace, can be a joy work.
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