Of all the words ever written, I think the best, most concise, words ever recorded about the nature and purpose of life were those of Buddha (c.563-c.483 BC):
“The thought manifests as the word. The word manifests as the deed. The deed develops into a habit. And the habit hardens into character. So watch the thought and its ways with care. And let it spring from love, born out of concern for all beings.”
When you break this quote down, it covers almost everything.
“Thought manifests as the word.” – Nothing exists until it exists in thought, and with thought, it becomes expressed with words, either turned over in our minds or tripping off our tongues. Thoughts are things, and they have their own energy, and an enormous amount of power because they are the inception of creation.
“The word manifests as the deed. The deed develops into the habit. And the habit hardens into character.” – Now we have arrived at the heart of things! The habit hardens into character. This may be the one fact of life most overlooked. The habit hardens into character!
“So watch the thought and its ways with care. And let it spring from love, born out of concern for all beings.” – Let the thought spring from love; makes perfect sense if we are all one and connected, which in my world, we are.
I had an epiphany one day in the spring of 2007 when I realized how to put this all together. How to harden my character into what I wanted, through focusing my thoughts, making a habit of controlling my thoughts. But how; how to do that?
Buddha again has the answer: “Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.”
At that point, I had nothing to lose. I was at the end of my rope. My pain was unbearable; it had reached a point where merely standing was more than I could handle. I couldn’t go on as I was. I vowed to throw my entire being into living as Buddha suggested, by watching my thoughts with care, realizing that ultimately it was my character that was at stake.
Coming up in the next few posts, I’ll spell out exactly how I set out to take control of my thoughts.
Till next post, wishing you health and happiness!
I welcome your comment and questions.
Thank You, Dear Reader,
Namaste`
“Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense.” BUDDHA
