This is the prime-most, the most important condition, that we need to keep in our minds. For a sadhak (spiritual aspirant), it is absolutely essential and necessary to make sure that he understands, or she understands, this one condition: anukulyasya aankalpah (accepting what is favourable) or pratikulyasya varjanam (rejecting what is unfavourable). Always practice anukul chintan (favourable thinking). Anukul means favourable thoughts. Chintan is thinking. The mind does the chintan, not your senses.
So, it’s not favourable talk; It’s not what you do that is favourable like offering prasad (sanctified food), mala (prayer beads), or chanting. It’s not what you practice, but what you think, what your mind thinks. It is very important to note what your mind is thinking, how your mind is thinking. Is it doing anukul chintan and pratikulyasya varjanam?
We are absolutely forbidden by our scriptures, in the words of the Supreme Lord Himself, never ever to engage in adverse thinking. We are forbidden from doing adverse thinking, in other words, thinking unfavourably, of our Divine Beloved God and Guru. Since we don’t see God physically, we only worship Him through the help of the deities, or in our minds, we make a form and try to meditate on that form and think about God. So, the chances of engaging in unfavourable thinking are much, much less. But toward the Guru…
Oh yes, every moment the mind will have some unfavourable thinking in between the favourable thoughts. That’s where we need to be very careful with the Guru. But with the Divine Personality, we need to be doing anukul chintan only.
In the Bhagawad Gita (the sacred song of the Lord), Chapter 4, Verse 34, the Supreme Almighty Lord Krishna Himself, through Arjun, is revealing this secret, telling the entire world, all of us, about the practice of our sadhana (spiritual practice).
It begins with guru sharanagati (surrender to the Guru). We have to be very careful when it comes to the spiritual master, the Sadguru (true spiritual master), and always maintain anukul chintan. Because all the work will only be done in the spiritual phenomenon by the Guru, right from the beginning to the end.
तद्विद्धि प्रणिपातेन परिप्रश्नेन सेवया।
उपदेक्ष्यन्ति ते ज्ञानं ज्ञानिनस्तत्त्वदर्शिनः॥Tad viddhi praṇipāten paripraśhnen sevayā.
Upadekṣhyanti te gyānaṁ gyāninas tattva-darśhinaḥ.- Bhagawad Gita 4.34
The Supreme Guru, who is a God-realized Saint, the Guru who is a God-realized personality, remember, not just any Guru you choose and take. The personality has to be Divine whom we accept as our Guru.
