Commentary by Ben Williams

In the bright firmament of virtues that Gurumayi has given for Siddha Yogis and new seekers to study throughout the month of June, Gurumayi has revealed to us a new star. For her birthday, June 24, Gurumayi has imparted the virtue vichārshīlatā.

Let’s explore this stellar virtue together, so that it may shine brightly in the night sky of our awareness.

All words have nuances that are unique to their source language. So it is with the Hindi word vichārshīlatā, which is a compound of vichār and shīlatā. The word shīlatā means to “possess a certain quality, disposition, or character.” Vichār denotes reflection, consideration, prudence, reasoning, and discernment. The combined word vichārshīlatā describes a person who is deeply reflective, who navigates life with keen intelligence and an enlivened conscience, who is deliberate in their thoughts and actions.

I enjoy looking at a word from many different angles to better grasp its meaning—especially because it is not always a simple task to find the perfect equivalent for a word when translating it from one language to another. This is certainly the case when translating the word vichārshīlatā.

That said, the English word thoughtfulness gives an elegant approximation of its meaning. Thoughtfulness is a potential that all living beings are born with, but which blossoms forth only through conscious cultivation and studentship.

However, in the ambiance of our contemporary world, thoughtfulness is becoming increasingly scarce.

Have you noticed?

This situation is connected, in part, to the rapid diffusion of technologies and discourses that divide and isolate people and communities. The forging of mutual and harmonious relationships with the earth and our fellow humanity— relationships rooted in patience, receptivity, and understanding—has always been a noble undertaking. And it is also an endeavor that is becoming even more timely.

Our lives are increasingly mediated by technologies that narrow our focus and promote self-absorption: the concept of “me” or “I” can start to take precedence over the courtesy and care we might extend to others. When we are navigating such a situation, it is quite easy to grow weary. In fact, in our daily life, and given all that is transpiring in the world, we may be more acquainted with the opposite of vichārshīlatā—thoughtlessness.

In the Indian tradition of philosophical reasoning, exclusion is a common method to clarify a principle. To properly identify a cow grazing in a pasture, it can help to first confirm that it is not a horse. To fully appreciate what thoughtfulness is and entails, let’s first exclude its opposite.

A thoughtless person forms impressions, instantly. They leap to conclusions, automatically. They size up people, confidently. This is often followed by a series of mental verdicts—seeing others, primarily, as a set of predictable patterns, and judging them accordingly. And while such immediate categorization of people might seem “efficient” on the surface, it in fact exhausts our precious resources of time and energy. This is because thoughtlessness enmeshes us in patterns of suffering as we wrestle with the world as it appears in the mind. Fortunately, this can be contrasted with another way of seeing that we have available to us: thoughtfulness—a compassionate consideration of each person as an evolving human being who is also an embodiment of divine energy.

Thoughtfulness, and all the virtues we are contemplating and putting into action this month, are integral to the goal of the Siddha Yoga path: jīvanmukti, liberation in this life. These virtues come alive on the Siddha Yoga path because our efforts to cultivate them are in a reciprocal relationship with the Guru’s grace, the blessings of the lineage of Siddhas, and the wellspring of wisdom and support within the Siddha Yoga sangham.

In my experience, I have found that when we consciously work with ourselves—through consistent Siddha Yoga sadhana—an extraordinary thing happens. The mind becomes pliable. The breath becomes easy.

The thought patterns that course through the mind and fashion our mental landscape do have a tendency to ossify. But there is a different character to a mind that is vibrating with the mantra, that is permeated by the highest frequencies inherent in its syllables. There is a different character to a mind that is steeped in meditation, in the exquisite power of serenity. There is a different character to a mind that has been purified by the Guru’s teachings, by this incredible gold mine of wisdom and grace. Such a mind becomes an ever-renewable source of energy.

You may have heard this proverb, which draws upon an analogy given by the Roman poet Ovid: “Dripping water hollows out stone, not through force, but through persistence.” With persistent self-inquiry and spiritual practice, we have a way to cultivate a mind that shines with vichārshīlatā, thoughtfulness. We want to restore the mind’s innate pristine nature, and we do it with joy. We want to bring forth the openness and receptivity of the mind, and we do it by listening more deeply. We want to usher in the discernment and curiosity of the mind, and we do that by falling in love with the present moment. Through this process, we become free from self-limiting concepts. Then we can reap an abundant harvest. We can make the most of our innate potential for this radiant virtue.

In time, and in the rhythm of right effort, thoughtfulness becomes second nature to us. And whenever we notice that its presence in our lives has been lessened—when this beautiful virtue has been out of use too long—we can reactivate it. We can make sure that, each day and each night, we continually choose thoughtfulness. As we carry the invaluable virtue of vichārshīlatā within us, and as we implement this virtue, it carries us into a life of depth and meaning. Thoughtfulness magnetizes thoughtfulness; as we extend understanding and goodwill, the world reflects these qualities back to us.

Let us receive Gurumayi’s birthday gift of this virtue with all our hearts. Let us discover and rediscover the power of vichārshīlatā, this shining star within our own firmament of virtues. Let us allow its iridescent light to spread softly through the dark corners of our hearts, all throughout our world at large. One step at a time, one virtue at a time, we can suffuse this world with light.