Do my thoughts define what I am? Should I be punished for inappropriate thoughts?

In the ignorant state (where there is ignorance of the Self), our thoughts do define who we are. But when we get ‘Self-Realized’, our thoughts then do not define us anymore. Isn’t that amazing?!

Our mind is just a reflection of thoughts from the past life. In our past life, we happened to get totally engrossed in certain thoughts, and those formed a tuber in the mind. Then, in this life, the same thoughts arise from the tuber and once again we get engrossed and bind further new karmas!

When we get engrossed in good thoughts, we bind merit karmas and we get good results in the next life; whereas when we get engrossed in bad thoughts, we get punished for those in the next life. This is how the law of karma works! Now at a later point, if we repent for the bad thoughts that came, this helps wash off the bad karma and we instead bind a mind which is full of positive thoughts and which shall make us feel peaceful and happy in the next life. And if we just observe the arising good and bad thoughts and not get engrossed in them at all, we do not bind any new karma at all. But this becomes possible only after Self-Realization.

Let’s understand with the help of an example. Suppose we see a person donating for a good cause, and instantly a thought sprouts in our mind, “Vow, he is doing such a good act. How I wish I too could donate so generously.” Now if we become one with such a thought, we sow a new seed of karma which shall give fruit in the next life. And if we continue to remain engrossed in this thought over and over again, consequently, in next life, we will have the same or even more liking towards the act of donation.

It depends upon the intensity of our engrossment - more the engrossment, more intense shall be the attachment for it.
People shall define you to be a generous person and shall praise and reward you for what you are. On the other hand, if in our past life, we’ve harnessed a bad intent of making fast money by cheating people through smart tricks, we shall have such thoughts in our present life and accordingly people shall define us to be a cheater and we’ll be punished in different ways for our acts of cheating. This is how our thoughts define what we are, and we are punished for inappropriate thoughts at the hands of Nature.

However, when we attai
Self-Realization and gain the right knowledge of ‘who am I and how I am separate from the worldly self (known by your name)’, then the thoughts, good or bad, belong to the worldly self, and we, as the pure Self (the Pure Soul), shall observe and know each thought that crops up in mind as a discharging karma of past life. The thoughts will not bind us in anyway then for the next birth. Therefore, we should attai
Self-Realized and avoid the bondage of new karma!

Pure Soul is the real Self and that is what we ought to realize.
The Soul remains Pure in all situations, irrespective of whether the thoughts arising in one’s mind are good or bad. Pure Soul is immortal, and full of happiness and love.
Pure Soul is our real and permanent identity and its function is to only know and see everything. After Self-Realization, we stop charging new karmas for we now have the real knowledge of who am I. In the awareness of the real Self, as we know and see the thoughts of the worldly self, the old karma too get discharged and exhaust one after another. Finally, when the entire stock of karmas finish, we attain ultimate liberation (Moksha) from all kinds of punishments and sufferings.

Through Akram Vignan, anyone can attai
Self-Realization in just 2 hours time without any effort from their end. We don’t need to leave our family or Guru for it nor do we have to spend a penny over it. We attain the knowledge of the Self simply with direct grace and great compassion of the Self-Enlightened Spiritual Master. That’s the beauty of this Akram Science!

To know more please visit: https://www.dadabhagwan.org/self-realization/