Thought for the Day

Wednesday 15 July

If one wants to abide in the thought-free state, a struggle is inevitable. One must fight one’s way through before regaining one's original primal state. If one succeeds in the fight and reaches the goal, the enemy, namely the thoughts, will all subside in the Self and disappear entirely.

— Ramana Maharshi

Eknath Easwaran's Commentary

Let me continue the metaphor of filling in the Grand Canyons of craving. When we learn to toss in our little cravings, every rock we throw in will precipitate an avalanche. Soon, before we even realize it, the Grand Canyon of that particular craving may be completely filled in. But there is another very practical suggestion I can make here.

It is necessary to dam up the old streams down which our love is flowing, but if we do nothing but block the flow, there is always the danger that the dam may break or the water may simply overflow. So instead of giving all of our attention to throwing rocks, we can do our best throughout the day to dig a new channel straight to the Self in those around us – by being patient, by being loyal, by always keeping our eyes on their welfare rather than our own. For a long time this new stream may flow with only a trickle, but if we keep trying, it will begin to drain off a little of the love that is now flowing down other channels. Finally, all our desires will be unified in love.

The Thought for the Day is today's entry from Eknath Easwaran's Words to Live By.