Inner Realm: Solving life, the internal sphere of thoughts

As humanity progresses from darkness to the light of knowledge, we will learn to live rightly, aided by faculties of the light of wisdom

Great thinkers remark that all problems of life, whether social, political, or religious, subsist in ignorance and wrong-living. As they are solved in the heart of each individual, they will be solved in the mass of men.

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As humanity progresses from darkness to the light of knowledge, we will learn to live rightly, aided by faculties of the light of wisdom. We will also find our problems ceasing.

Proponents of mind science and masters of spirituality say ardently that we are the makers and perpetuator of our own happiness and misery. These things are not externally imposed; they are internal conditions. Their cause is our Thought.

Our life conditions are the results of deeds,

and deeds are the visible, perceptible aspect of thoughts.

Our deep-seated beliefs and attitudes of mind determine courses of conduct, and from our conduct arise our outer conditions. Be it misery, disease, poverty or greatness. This being so, it follows that, to alter the condition which is only an effect, one must alter the active thought. To exchange misery for happiness, it is necessary to reverse our deep-seated beliefs and paradigms. As these reverse, being causes of misery, the reversed effects will appear in our lives.

Man cannot abrogate effects or life conditions, but he can alter causes. He can purify his nature; he can remould his character.

There lies a profound power in self-conquest;

An enormous joy in transforming oneself.

Each person is encircled with his own thoughts. However, he has the choice to refrain from harbouring thoughts that are dark and hateful, and can cherish those that are bright and beautiful. It is a gradual process, but as a person embarks upon this journey, he will slowly pass into a higher sphere of power and beauty, and will become conscious of a more complete and perfect world.

If a person’s fundamental core is tinged with a belief in darkness, then having no grandeur in himself, he cannot manifest grandeur anywhere. Even the God that he follows is seen by him as a covetous being that can be bribed. Much against the true nature of our creator. As he wears glasses of a dark hue, he judges every act of others to be so.

Now let us peep into the mind of one, pure of heart. He is conscious of some kind of nobility in all creatures. He sees people as true, and to him they are true. In his presence the meanest forget their nature, and for the moment become like himself.

This is the reason why people feel a sense of relief, of upliftment when they meet the one pure of heart.

Their moral insight is contrary. The one is in hell, the other in heaven as truly as they will ever be, and death will not place a greater gulf between them than already exists.

There is no artificial remedy for equalising states of thought of people. Scriptures say that the kingdom of heaven is not taken by force, but by conforming to righteousness and truth. In deep surrender and a spontaneous inner awakening.

The journey to solving the miseries of our lives begins inside each one of us. Not through self-criticism, rather through introspection. A mindful, unbiased look at our deeds of the day.

Was it righteous what I did?

Will it impact someone positively?

In such a delving into our own thoughts, we can identify the weeds in our garden of goodness. Resolve not to plant them again.

We need not perforce remain in the lower realms whose results are miseries. We can lift our thoughts and ascend. We can pass above and beyond into higher realms, into happier habitations. Only when we make a choice and decide to break the carapace of selfish thought so as to breathe the purer airs of a more expansive life.

Within, around, above, below,

The primal forces burn and brood,

Awaiting wisdom’s guidance; lo!

All their material is good:

Evil subsists in their abuse;

Good, in their wise and lawful use.

James Allen

(The author is the principal chief commissioner Income Tax and has written “The Six Secrets of Life”. Views expressed are personal)