“Resolutely I quell my inclinations, that my mind be open to the wisdom-guidance of my soul.“
(from Affirmations for Self-Healing by Swami Kriyananda)
Discriminating Wisely Ends Suffering!
by Nayaswami Pushpa
I had always thought I was an honest person. If I found someone’s wallet, I would turn it in. I would point out to the cashier if they had given me too much change. But after meditating for about a year, I started listening to my thoughts. And some of them were not pretty! Meditation had brought to light some of my ego’s less-than-pure intentions. But I was determined to know myself and to know Truth . . . and so the journey began.
There are many voices in our heads, perhaps including those of our family, our friends, a teacher, a partner, or an ex-partner. And then there are the voices of our ego and our superconscious. The first thing we need to do is identify which voice is speaking, and then discriminate as to whether it would be wise to listen to that voice.
So I began to practice really listening to my thoughts. If I had the thought that I needed to check my oil, I would check it as soon as possible. I gradually progressed to focusing on people. If the phone rang, I would try to identify who was calling before I answered it. If a person kept coming into my consciousness, I would pray for them—often finding out later that they were dealing with challenges in their life.
The more I committed to knowing Truth, the stronger my intuition became. Throughout the day I paid attention to my accuracy in determining whose voice in my head I was listening to. We cannot hear Master’s “Whispers” if we can’t discriminate between our own thoughts and the thoughts of others!
Introspection is necessary for discrimination. We have to practice going inside ourselves to assess whether our choices did or did not bring more wisdom and peace into our lives. Two questions I have found helpful to remember to ask in making a decision are: Is this Truth? and . . . Will this bring me closer to God?
Prayer
“Guide me, Lord, that in all things I know Thy will, for I know that only by Thy will are all things led to perfection.”
(from Affirmations for Self-Healing by Swami Kriyananda)
A video interview with Swami Kriyananda
Discrimination
by Nayaswami Pushpa
True discrimination comes from soul intuition—which is a direct grasp of Truth. To listen to our intuition, we have to want to know Truth. We have to be willing to put our personal preferences on a shelf so that we can arrive at an unbiased answer. So, in a way, it is an exercise in honesty: Is this what my soul needs, or just what my ego wants?
Discrimination is the ability to distinguish right from wrong. It becomes more and more finely developed with practice. We need to learn the relationship between our thoughts and actions and our suffering. The majority of people have not realized yet that suffering is a choice. We all have karma we are resolving. In life, some pain is inevitable—suffering is optional! Wishing things were different than they are causes suffering, and discrimination rightly attuned can diminish suffering by encouraging wise choices.
The ultimate discrimination boils down to this: Does this thought, this action, move me closer to God or take me farther away? Go deep; be discriminative; be thoughtful; and include devotion always. God wants us to discriminate so that we can end our suffering and be free.
One Comment
Thank you, Pushpa. These are really good thoughts and reminders to practice daily.