Getting rid of unpleasant thoughtsGetting rid of unpleasant thoughtsGetting rid of unpleasant thoughtsGetting rid of unpleasant thoughts
  • Inspirations from Sri Aurobindo
    • Bande Mataram
    • Essays Divine and Human
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    • Letters on Yoga – I
    • Letters on Yoga – II
    • Letters on Yoga – III
    • Letters on Yoga – IV
    • Savitri
    • The Mother with Letters on The Mother
  • Inspirations from The Mother
    • Prayers and MeditationsA record of the Mother’s early spiritual life, from her diaries. Most entries are from 1912 to 1917
    • Questions and Answers 1929-1931Early conversations on various aspects of spiritual life; and commentaries on the Dhammapada
    • Questions and Answers 1953Conversations based on the Mother’s conversations of 1929.
    • Questions and Answers 1950-1951Conversations based on Sri Aurobindo’s book The Mother, the Mother’s essays on education and her conversations
    • Questions and Answers 1954Conversations based on the Mother’s essays on education and three small books by Sri Aurobindo: Elements of Yoga, Bases of Yoga and The Mother.
    • Questions and Answers 1955Conversations based on three works by Sri Aurobindo: Bases of Yoga, Lights on Yoga and The Synthesis of Yoga.
    • Questions and Answers 1957-1958Conversations based on three works by Sri Aurobindo: Thoughts and Glimpses, The Supramental Manifestation upon Earth and The Life Divine.
    • Some Answers from The MotherCorrespondence with fourteen sadhaks and students
    • Words of The Mother Vol. IShort written statements on Sri Aurobindo, herself, the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Auroville, India and nations other than India; and a few conversations.
    • Words of The Mother Vol. IIIShort written statements on various aspects of spiritual life; and thirty conversations.
    • White Roses

Getting rid of unpleasant thoughts

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  • Getting rid of unpleasant thoughts
Memory
02/27/2021
The Mother of Sri Aurobindo Ashram
Beatitude
03/01/2021
Published by M on 02/28/2021
Categories
  • Questions and Answers 1954
Tags
  • concentration
  • rejection
  • unpleasant thoughts

Q: Mother, at times unpleasant thoughts come and disturb us. How can we get rid of them?

A: There are several methods. Generally—but it depends on people — generally, the easiest way is to think of something else. That is, to concentrate one’s attention upon something that has nothing to do with that thought, has no connection with that thought, like reading or some work—generally something creative, some creative work. For instance, those who write, while they are writing (let us take simply a novelist), while he is writing, all other thoughts are gone, for he is concentrated on what he is doing. When he finishes writing, if he has no control, the other thoughts will return. But precisely when a thought assails you, one can try to do some creative work; for example, the scientist could do some research work, a special study to discover something, something that is very absorbing; that is the easiest way.

Naturally, those who have begun to control their thought can make a movement of rejection, push aside the thought as one would a physical object. But that is more difficult and asks for a much greater mastery. If one can manage it, it is more active, in the sense that if you reject that movement, that thought, if you chase it off effectively and constantly or almost repeatedly, finally it does not come any more. But in the other case, it can always return. That makes two methods.

The third means is to be able to bring down a sufficiently great light from above which will be the “denial” in the deeper sense; that is, if the thought which comes is something dark (and especially if it comes from the subconscient or inconscient and is sustained by instinct), if one can bring down from above the light of a true knowledge, a higher power, and put that light upon the thought, one can manage to dissolve it or enlighten or transform it—this is the supreme method. This is still a little more difficult. But it can be done, and if one does it, one is cured – not only does the thought not come back but the very cause is removed.

The first step is to think of something else (but in this way, you know, it will be indefinitely repeated); the second is to fight; and the third is to transform. When one has reached the third step, not only is one cured but one has made a permanent progress.

Ref: Questions and Answers 1954

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