The path of self-improvement is rarely a straight line. There are ups and downs and our speed varies from time to time. Sometimes we come to a standstill. Some people become dejected and give up. The main reason for this is waste thoughts. Why do they occur? Due to lack of spiritual knowledge, which leads to many questions, doubts, and negative thinking. Even if we know a lot, often we are unable to use that knowledge in the right manner, at the right time. We become happy when we learn new things.
However, the joy is short-lived, because what we have learnt soon recedes to the back of the mind. We do not apply that knowledge in life, so we neither realise its value nor acquire the confidence, the strength, that comes from the experience of using it. Then, when confronted by a challenging situation, we find ourselves unable to cope. That causes disappointment and sorrow, which is multiplied when we see others succeeding where we failed. The keys to becoming wise and powerful are honesty and a clean intellect, both of which enable us to recognise and accept spiritual truths and reduce unnecessary thinking, which drains our energy.
Having a clean intellect means following spiritual principles as they are, without adulterating them with our ideas, which is something we tend to do when we are attached to our way of thinking. As long as we are attached to what we consider is ‘mine’, there will be waste thoughts.
We may like what we learn and, on the basis of that, wish to become a better person, but at the same time we hold on to our old ways. When we think in terms of ‘my nature’, or ‘my view’, we are leaving the door ajar for waste thoughts to enter. This is a subtle form of attachment. The mind is attracted or subservient to the object of our attachment. Such subservience, manifested in our thinking, speech, and interactions, consumes our time and energy against our conscious wish. Unwanted thoughts disturb us when the mind is pulled by what we are attached to.
If our objective is self-improvement and we have adopted spiritual principles to achieve it, it is damaging to persist in old ways that are incompatible with our goal. Another reason for waste thoughts is violation of the disciplines we are supposed to follow for our own benefit. The disciplines are meant to keep the mind clean and safe from harmful influences; ignore them, and waste thoughts will follow. We can be free from waste thoughts by remaining engaged in high thinking and charitable actions. Using our time and energy in this way brings great joy and contentment, and deliverance from sorrow. This is true liberation.
B.K. Geeta is a senior Rajyoga teacher at the Brahma Kumaris headquarters in Abu Road, Rajasthan.