Thoughts do not originate in the brain, thoughts are a vibration and the brain is the receiver. If we are too gross we do not intercept higher or subtle thoughts. Thoughts travel through mental matter. We catch moods as well as ideas from thoughts of others and when groups of people are caused to think along one line it is called mass psychology.

Our mental selves get into habits as do our physical selves. When a train of thought becomes habitual it then becomes a trait of character and that sets a destiny. The thing that matters most in life is character, more than capabilities or environment. If one has character one can overcome an unfortunate environment, and even so one of great capabilities will make nothing of himself if he is lacking in character.

Character is not a gift from God. Character building is evolved the same as everything else by our past and our present actions. Character grows by brave and honest facing up to our responsibilities. We are here to learn the lessons of life and if we shirk facing and learning the lessons our character suffers. Sometimes by sheer force we evolve a strong character, but often it becomes cruel and intolerant, then we are taught mercy and compassion through pain in life.

A soul going through life needs both sunshine and rain otherwise life would be too one-sided and no balance would be established. In the sunshine the soul expands, gains power, enjoys happiness, and so forth. Whereas a rain of tears purifies, develops compassion, greater understanding and less selfishness. So, both are necessary for full soul development just as a flower to grow and to blossom needs both the sunshine and the rain. The purpose of life is to forge fully developed humans and not to let us remain just as children of life. The purpose is to shape and evolve a godlike being of great power, peace and bliss. Ignorance and selfishness ends when the pain ends.

It is the human, through free will and by divine guidance, who can do anything he wishes. We can, whenever we wish to, alter our character with imagination and determination and control of our thoughts. On whatever our thoughts dwell we slowly become. Nobody on this earth is perfect; otherwise we wouldn't be here in the school of life. We are on the road to perfection and as meditators we are in the process of perfecting much faster than most of humanity. However, everyone is in various degrees of perfection. Another way of perfecting our character is through our actions. Our actions are constantly affecting us and others as well. Either we are helping others, or we are hindering them. If we help others then in turn we will be helped when we most need it. If, however, we have not been helpful and our actions have been destructive to others then others, as the unconscious agents of the law of retribution, will in turn bring us pain and cruelty. This is justice. This is our karma coming back. We should understand this and if we do then our soul and our character will be greatly strengthened in the fire of life, the same as gold is purified in the furnace.

Much is said about right actions, but we should also remember that right thinking establishes right action. It is also said that actions speak much louder than words. So no matter what we say we are, our actions clearly define what we are. We are never punished for our mistakes. We are punished by our mistakes. It is only in the Western world, where we believe in a one life only, that we believe in an eternal heaven or hell. This came to be because the truth of reincarnation was lost. So, preachers promoted a concept of an eternal, unending result for fleeting and finite causes. The only hell one must endure is the unhappy psychological state one creates around himself while he is here on earth and which he simply takes with him when he leaves.

There will come a time when life on this side or on the other side has no more to teach us. Then we can be considered to be reaching a new state of perfection. This is what Transcendental Meditation is about. However, in the meantime we need to help ourselves along in life as best we know how; we should strengthen our character and all other facets of our lives so that we may grow that much faster and make the way to the goal that much easier.