Our thoughts have a powerful effect on our physical, mental and emotional health. This truth has been proclaimed by the Rishis of India since many thousands of years. They stressed on right living, physical exercises, proper breathing, fresh nutritious food, mantra and meditation to have good health, control the mind and guide the thoughts to achieve maximum results in the material world and also in spiritual life. A thought is only a thought. But when we hold any type of thought in our being, the thought gathers strength and vibrations in us. It colors everything we think, do, see or speak in life. These vibrations also affect those who are near us. We are attracted to positive people and repulsed by negative people even if they are strangers to us. It is important to learn to mind our thoughts. This is beautifully demonstrated by the story of the king and the sandalwood seller:
A king was touring his kingdom on his elephant. The parade passed through the main streets into the market area. Suddenly he stopped in front of a shop and said to his minister that he was overcome by an urge to hang the owner of the shop. Before the minister could ask why, the elephant had moved ahead. The minister was shocked as it was not in the nature of the king to speak in this manner. He decided to investigate the matter.
The next morning, the minister dressed up like one of the locals and went to the shop. It was a shop selling sandalwood. He spoke to the shopkeeper causally and asked him how his business was doing. The owner said that things were bad. He did not have any customers. People would come in, touch the sandal wood and admire the quality and fragrance and go away without buying. He was running in a loss. The only way he could survive and earn quick wealth was if the king died soon. Then there would be a huge demand for sandalwood to perform his last rites. And he was the only sandalwood merchant in that entire area.
The minister now understood why the king suddenly stopped in front of the shop and expressed that strange desire to kill the shopkeeper. The negative vibration of the owner’s wish for the king’s death expressed in his mind over a period of time had affected the king’s mind. In turn, the king too wished for the death of the shop owner. The minister thought deeply for a few minutes. Then he formulated a plan and bought some sandalwood. The owner was pleased. He wrapped it up well and handed it
The minister went back straight to the king’s court and offered the sandalwood bundle to him as a gift from the sandalwood merchant. The king was surprised and pleased. The fragrance and color of the fine sandalwood enchanted him. He sent some gold coins to the sandalwood merchant as a token of his appreciation. The king was a good man and he had also felt remorse in his heart for having bad feelings about a man he had never met or even seen.
When the shopkeeper received the gold coins from the king, he was very overwhelmed. He began to sing the praises of the king to one and all. He had not met the king but somehow the king seemed to know his problems and had helped him out by sending him the gold coins. He recalled the ugly thoughts he had towards the king and repented for having such negative thoughts about the king for his personal gain.
Negative thoughts keep festering in our mind and build up to such levels that they affect not only us but also others around us. We create a negative stench around us and all those who come near us can feel the stink. When we consciously ignore the negative thoughts and judgement in our mind and do mental japa of SitaRam mantra, meditate and follow the teachings of the Guru, we cultivate the fragrances of good thoughts and receive Grace of God and Guru. Let us learn to mind our thoughts!
