Part V — Negative thoughts

Question: You have suggested that we think of people's divine qualities rather than their negative ones, but I haven't been able to do this successfully.

Sri Chinmoy: I am most proud of you for your sincerity. Here is something that will help you. If people have good qualities, feel that you have those qualities more than they have, only right now those qualities have not come forward or perhaps the Supreme is not utilising those divine qualities in you right now. If you do not see good qualities in your own outer life, you should feel that you have them but the time has not yet come for those qualities to come forward.

But if you feel that someone else's bad qualities are entering into you instead of their good qualities, then immediately you can use two weapons. The weapon of compassion makes you see their bad qualities as a heavy load on their shoulders. You will think, "I am running the fastest and I shall reach my goal, but see what a heavy load this poor fellow has on his shoulders! I pity him. But I have my own goal to reach, and when the time comes he will also reach his goal." In that way we can sympathise with him.

Our other weapon is to think, "I have no time to waste in contemplating all his bad qualities. My time is very precious. If I spend time thinking of this or that person, I am a fool. By thinking of them or being jealous of them I will never reach my goal. I will be running towards a new, self-created goal, which is all wrong."

We run the fastest when we don't look to this side or that side. If we let ourselves become distracted by thinking of the person who is either beside us or behind us but not at the goal itself, we will fail to reach the goal. We are running towards the goal for peace, light and bliss. Since we cannot get these things from the imperfect person we are thinking of, why should we waste our time thinking of him? Always think of the goal and your problem will be solved.

From:Sri Chinmoy,Problems! Problems! Are they really problems? part 2, Sri Chinmoy Lighthouse, New York, 1974
Sourced from https://srichinmoylibrary.com/pat_2