How to Change our Character

All the actions that we see in the world, all the movements in human society, all the works that we have around us, are simply the display of thought, the manifestation of the will of man. Machines or instruments, cities or man-of-war, all these are simply the manifestation of the will of man; and this will is caused by character, and character is manufactured by Karma. As is karma, so is the manifestation of the will. The man of mighty will the world has produced have all been tremendous workers gigantic souls, with wills powerful enough to overturn worlds, wills they got by persistent work, through ages, and ages.

We are what our thoughts have made us; so take care of what you think. Words are secondary. Thoughts live, they travel far. Each thought we think is tinged with our own character, so that for the pure and holy man, even his jest or abuse will have the twist of his own love and purity and do good.

Great requires great and persistent effort for a long time. Neither need we trouble ourselves if a few fail. It is in the nature of things that many should fall, that troubles should come, that tremendous difficulties should  arise, that selfishness and all the other devils in the human heart should struggle hard when they are about to be driven out by the fire of spirituality. The road to the Good is the roughest and steepest in the universe. It is a wonder that so many succeed no wonder that so many fall. Character has to be established through a thousand stumbles.

The mind, to have non- attachment, must be clear, good, and rational. Why should we practice? Because each action is like the pulsations quivering over the surface of the lake.The vibration dies out, and what is left? The SNSKARAS, the impressions. When a  large number of these impressions are left on the mind., they coalesce and become a habit. It is said, “Habit is second nature”, it is first nature also, and the whole nature of man; everything that we are the result of habit. That gives us consolation, because, if it is only habit, we can make and unmake it at any time. The SNSKARAS are left by these vibrations passing out of our mind, each one of them leaving its result. Our character is the sum-total of these marks, and according as some particular wave prevails, one becomes good; if wickedness, one become wicked; if joyfulness, one becomes happy. The only remedy for bad habits is counter habits; all the bad habits that have left their impressions are to be controlled by good habits. Go on doing good, thinking holy thought continuously; that is the only way to suppress base impressions. Never say any man is hopeless, because the only represents a character, a bundle of habits, which can be checked by new and better ones. Character is repeated habits, and repeated habits alone can reform character.

Source:- "Personality Development" written by Swami Vivekanad Ji.

A Bad and a Good Man

Every moment of the body, every thought that we think, leaves such an impression on the mind-stuff, and even when such impressions are not obvious on the surface, they are sufficiently strong to work beneath the surface, subconsciously. What we are every moment is determines by the sum total of these impressions on the mind. What I am just at this moment is the effect of the sum total of all the impressions of my past life. This is really what is meant by character, each man’s character is determined by the sum total of these impressions. If good impressions prevail, the character becomes good; if bad becomes bad. If a man continuously hears bad words, think bad thoughts, does bad actions, his mind will be full of bad impressions; and the will influence his thought and work without his being conscious of the fact.

In fact, these bad impressions are always working, and their resultant must be evil, and that man will be a bad man; he cannot help it. The sum total of these impressions in him will create the strong motive power for doing bad actions. He will be like a machine in the hands of impressions, and they will force him to do evil. Similarly, if a man thinks good thoughts and does good works, the sum total of these impressions will be good; and they, in a similar manner, will force him to do well even in spite of himself. When a man has done so much good work and thought so many good thoughts that there is an irresistible tendency in him to do good, in spite of himself and even if he wishes to do evil, his mind, as the sum total of his tendencies, will not allow him to do so: the tendencies will turn him back: he is completely under the influence of the good tendencies. Whensuch is the case, a man’s good character is said to be established.

If you really want to judge of the character of a man, look not at this great performances. Every fool may become a hero at one time or another. Watch a man do his most common actions; those are indeed the things which will tell you the real character of a great man. Great occasions rouse even the lowest of human beings to some kind of greatness, but he alone is the really great man whose character is great always, the same wherever he be.

Source:- "Personality Development" written by Swami Vivekanad Ji.