How can contemplation change emotional patterns?

Devotee: How can contemplation change emotional patterns? 

Guru: Through contemplation, you become aware of the causes and effects that you set in motion with your emotions. That reminds you to say to yourself, “I have been behaving in a particular way, which has caused a lot of disturbance within myself and with my partner or friends. I have the power to change it so I am going to change my whole attitude.”

You are the architect of both pain and pleasure. You can change your whole aura and attitude. Nobody else but you alone can do that. Look at it every day for ten minutes.

Sit down and say, “Right, from the moment I got up what was my behaviour pattern? What were the vibrations I set in motion? What did I do? How did my friends react? Was I critical? Was I aggressive? Was I understanding? Was I acting with loving-kindness?”

Create harmonious vibrations

So through that process of understanding that you have set in motion, you can correct yourself. That must be the way. Then your emotions are mastered by you and not the emotions mastering you. Alright? That is contemplation. Then any mistakes you have made, and all of us make mistakes, you can correct and change. 

When you proceed on this journey [initially] only your mind is working. Then you come into partnership with the Divine and the Divine will then say to you, “You made an effort. I will take over your ship and run it for you.”

Then I will have to come to another guru. You will be my guru because you have wisdom! Bring out the wisdom from within you. Your intellect has been pushed aside and you are mindless, that is why it behaves in that fashion. Be mindful and let the intellect say to the mind, “Now, come on, you can’t behave like that. You have to be orderly and you must create vibrations that are harmonious.”

That is how I want you to develop yourself. Each day say to yourself, “Where am I going? What do I want? Am I achieving my goal?” These are the questions you must ask. You must answer them with absolute honesty. 

Self-belief helps us to become calm

‘Satyam, dharma, shanti, prema.’ Absolute truth. God is the embodiment of truth. God is a mirror holding it in front of you and saying, “Come on.” Through your discovery of absolute truth, you will know who you really are and what you really want to do.

I want you to develop that feeling inside, “I know who I am. Nobody needs to tell me who I am.” That is what spirituality is for me. You must follow dharma. Dharma means your philosophy of life. I’m not going to change it or say what you must do. But you must have a philosophy of life that you have developed through your own reasoning.

You could be Christian, Hindu, Muslim, anything you want to create but start and get on and do it. Do it you must for that is your base on which you will establish your work and your spiritual advancement.

If you have no beliefs whatsoever but inside, you believe in yourself, that is sufficient. But believe in yourself. If you have no belief in yourself then begin to question and ask yourself, “Where am I going and what do I want after this life? What do I want to leave behind when I go for the benefit of humanity and all the world?” These are the foremost questions that must be in your mind. 

All experiences of life form our character. You must never get involved in the emotions that surround you, whether it is a member of your family or your loved ones. Love the mind to become mindless.

When you are in control of your ship and the ocean is beating on your decks, you have failed if you desert that ship and are unable to steer it to calmer waters. Your ship is going to be bounced in the ocean of samsara – beaten regularly – but you must have that inner power and conviction within yourself, “I am the master of my ship. I am going to steer it into calm waters, and I am going to help others to do the same.”

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