Learn To Use Your Thoughts And Be Happy

By Kate Loving Shenk


"We begin from the recognition that all beings cherish happiness and do not want suffering. It then becomes both morally wrong and pragmatically unwise to pursue only one's own happiness oblivious to the feelings and aspirations of all others who surround us as members of the same human family.

"The wiser course is to think of others when pursuing our own happiness."

Dalai Lama : The current Dalai Lama, 14th Dalai Lama Source: Tibetan Lamaism. Regarded as vice-regent of the Buddha & the reincarnation of the previous Lama.

The practice of Mahayana Yoga is not about the elimination of problems, but rather, to enable you to use the problems you experience to train the mind to welcome them; to train the mind to recognize aversion to suffering and surrender to it; and to train the mind to welcome problems and see them as the friends that they are.

The practice of Mahayana Yoga Thought Transformation is mind training that teaches us to see all experience as teachings and lessons; to view all experience as beneficial and supportive.

As I remind myself constantly that my only authority is to my own life, minding my own business, I also lean on the strength of my higher power, Divinity and the angels.

I ask Divinity to teach me to detach my mind from what others say and do except to draw helpful lessons and guidance from them.

I adapt a pattern of only working on myself. I stop interfering with others. I mind my own business.

I didn't cause it.
I can't control it.
I can't cure it.


Peace of mind is an attitude of "Hands Off."


Peace of mind is letting go of all that has gone before.


Paradoxically, the awakened mind, in a state of utter detachment, learns to see that all disturbing thoughts and apparent problems are essential for the achievement of happiness and freedom.


This is what Mahayana Yoga Thought Transformation is all about.


Another practice is to consciously become a Bodhisattva: just love all people and beings, adapting gratitude and appreciation for all the people and all the experiences in your life. It's the act of loving others and yourself with an attitude of service and humility that all the apparent "problems" will vanish from your life.
The single practice of fostering a loving heart immediately stops

all confusion regarding life situations.


Another Mahayana Thought Transformation practice in the face of insurmountable problems is called "taking and giving."


Simply visualize taking all the suffering of other people into your heart and imagine giving everything: your body, your possessions, your happiness, your merit to all the suffering in the universe.


Imagine that whatever problem you are experiencing is due to willingly taking upon yourself the problems of others, thereby relieving them of all their suffering.


In this way, you experience your problem for the benefit of others.


Because you are experiencing your problem on behalf of all those with similar problems as well as every conceivable problem, your experience becomes a purification.


Mahayana Yoga teaches that all sickness and disease is the broom that sweeps away negative karma and obscuration. Thus, when ill, we can say: "The fruit of the negative karma I've created in the past is ripening with this experience of sickness, in this life, at this moment.


"If I were not experiencing the results of my past negative karma now, the suffering I would experience in the future would be much greater. By experiencing it now, I have the opportunity to purify myself."


Thinking like this allows you to live your life with a relaxed and happy mind. You do not get upset or depressed about your health or any problem.


As your mind relaxes, external conditions are not disturbing.


When faced with problems you can say: "If I didn't have this problem, I would become lazy. I would lose this precious opportunity to purify my past negative actions and in the process, develop great virtue."


Also say: "I am experiencing this problem on behalf of all suffering beings so that they may be free of suffering."


Also say: "How fantastic that I am actually able to take upon myself the suffering of all living beings at this time."


Then, when your mental capacity is more advanced, you may actually pray to receive even more of the suffering and problems of other beings.


You may wish that all harms, all undesirable experience, disease, failure: All of it!! comes to me rather than others, thus seeking to experience all the so-called bad conditions on behalf of all other living beings.


Pray in this way: "Please grant me blessings so that I can take all karmic debts, obstacles and suffering of all other beings without exception upon myself, and dedicate my body, possessions and love to them, thus may I lead all sentient beings to bliss."


This is the Bodhisattva path.


The power of Bodhisattva is the best protection you can have, infinitely better than spending life after life after millions of eons protecting yourself with Karate.


The power of atomic bombs is completely insignificant when compared to the power of one good heart.


Nurturing the good heart keeps all enemies away, fostering the migration of friends from the seen and unseen realms.


The obstacles to happiness fall away.


The conditions that once appeared miserable now appear auspicious.


Suddenly everything in life is fortunate and good.


People can't see your mind but what they can see is a manifestation of your attitude in actions surrounding your body and your speech.


So pay attention to your attitude all the time, guard it like a parent caring for a child, or as if you are a guru and your mind, the disciple.


The Bodhisattva way is a process.


A teacher is most certainly needed.


But true happiness is the undeniable result.


Kate Loving Shenk is a writer, healer, musician and the creator of the e-book called "Transform Your Nursing Career and Discover Your Calling and Destiny." Click here to find out how to order the e-book: http://www.nursingcareertransformation.com/ Check Out Kate's Blog:

http://www.nursehealers.typepad.com/