Power of Positive Thinking

Power of Positive Thinking

Recently, I received a WhatsApp video where a Western speaker discussed the importance of conscience and meditation, emphasizing the illusion of material reality. As I watched the video, I was reminded of the book The Power of Positive Thinking, which I had read long ago. Though I have reservations about such “positive thinking” messages and their view of life, reflecting on this subject led me to realize how, as a devotee of the Lord, “thanksgiving” helps me overcome negative thoughts. It energizes me with positive thinking rooted in the Lord, allowing me to look beyond the challenges I face and accept them as part of life’s reality.

For me, however, matter is not an illusion, and to my understanding, the Muktiveda does not promote this concept. It highlights the reality of the material world as God’s gift, essential for life on earth—and even in the new heaven and new earth. Many scholars have explored this topic in detail, drawing from the Muktiveda. One only needs to read or listen to their works, which are now readily available online, such as Dr. N.T. Wright’s many YouTube videos.

Thanksgiving doesn’t come naturally or easily, even for a devotee, despite hearing about it often. Of course, we have thanked God for many blessings in our lives. But for me, thanksgiving goes beyond expressing gratitude for blessings; it includes giving thanks for the challenges and problems I’ve faced. Naturally, when we are in the midst of a crisis, we don’t immediately thank God for it. I have never done so in my life. Instead, I’ve questioned, doubted, and even vented my anger at God for allowing crises, challenges, and problems into my life. But when the storm has passed—whether it brought damage or spared me—when I look back, I find myself thanking God for those very crises, challenges, and problems.

This, to me, is the difference between the mere “power of positive thinking” that we often hear in the secular world and the thanksgiving that bhakti (devotion) promotes in every sampradaya (spiritual tradition).

We are all familiar with the famous verse from Psalm 119:71: “It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes.”

Even Kunti, the wife of Pandu and mother of the Pandavas, tells Krishna that it was only through her troubles that she grew closer to Him. We can find similar stories from devotees across various religious faiths worldwide.

When I thank God, I express gratitude for all the people He has placed in my life, from my parents, siblings, relatives, friends, neighbors, acquaintances, and even foes. Although crises don’t always arise from people alone, most challenges come when we interact with others. Despite some incidents that left sour feelings in my relationships with others, I never despise anyone as unwanted. While I may maintain a safe distance to avoid further damage to certain relationships, I never consider anyone unimportant in my life.

When a crisis strikes, the one question I ask the Lord is, “What do You want me to learn from this?”

Another guiding principle I hold is, “Everyone is good, except me.” This is not false humility or sarcasm. Though we believe in original sin, I don’t believe anyone is born evil. Circumstances can lead a person to become evil, and in this, no one individual is solely to blame. Others’ contributions to that person’s downfall cannot be ignored.

One practical lesson I’ve learned through my bhakti is that thanksgiving obligates me to pray for others—individually. When I watched the YouTube video Praying the Psalms (https://youtu.be/aSb62xG9o0), I gained even more insight into this practice. I highly recommend it to others as well.

While we can learn many valuable lessons from the concept of “positive thinking,” for a devotee of the Lord, thanksgiving offers a more holistic perspective. It not only promotes positive thinking but also acknowledges the material reality of life, rather than dismissing it as mere illusion or seeking artificial solutions that may not work for everyone. For me, thanksgiving with a positive attitude, as guided by the Muktiveda, is far more helpful—especially for every devotee of the Lord.

Dayanand Bharati 

1-04-2021

Even for consciousness to function, it requires the help of a material brain. The energy that the person in the video speaks about also cannot function without matter. For example, when people gather to meditate for world peace, someone must organize the event, provide a venue, and meet their physical needs so they can meditate through their physical bodies. This doesn’t mean I completely dismiss the existence of non-material realities in life, but celebrating one at the expense of the other doesn’t help. We need both matter and spirit to live a balanced life, and neither should be treated as lesser than the other. They complement each other, not confront.

Though I played the video, I couldn’t find the link. However, the video mentioned this website: Soulhub.com. Since I have limited space for videos on my blog, I cannot share it there. If anyone wants to watch it, I can send it to you separately.

1-04-2021