Cheerfulness, peace or bliss is the most natural condition of any mind. Watch a child, his mind does not project violence, fear or any negative thought. See how gleefully he gurgles, shouts and screams in play as he runs around with his arms stretched out in sheer joy and abandonment. The sorrowful adults “allow” this treasure of the calm peaceful mind to be looted by fearful negative thoughts, generated by their own imaginations that have sprung up from the conditioning of their own minds.
Happy or unhappy, honoured or insulted, sad or mad are the reactions of our own mind. Each mind reacts to the same situation in different ways depending on how we understand, misunderstand or interpret the situation. Why do martyrs go gladly to the gallows? They are facing death, but they are proud and happy to sacrifice their lives! On the other hand haven’t we all seen rich yet unhappy people? Have we not heard so often about celebrities committing suicides? How happy or sad I feel is determined by how I think. Most of us keep struggling to change the outer world situations because we feel that our joy depends on outer happenings. When we contact the world with positive thought energies we become choicelessly happy. It is a habit to cultivate. It comes with a little practice, but once you have learned the art, your cheerful mind radiates positivity and cheer wherever you go. Gurudev used to say that we can test our own spiritual growth by the energies we radiate. A pure mind lifts the despondency of whosoever it contacts, whereas an impure mind full of anxieties and negative emotions repels people. A spiritually advanced person has a centripetal force around him, and a negative person displays a centrifugal force. Hordes of people are attracted to a saint and repelled by a depressive mind.
Prarthna Saran, President Chinmaya Mission Delhi. Email: prarthnasaran@gmail.com