Satsang 17 : Review of ‘A-1’, ‘A-2’ and ‘A-3’ autosuggestion methods

Until now, under the Personality Defect Removal process, we have learnt about the ‘A-1’, ‘A-2’ and ‘A-3’ autosuggestion methods and the precautions to be taken while framing autosuggestions. We are going to take a review session for the A-1, A-2 and A-3 autosuggestion methods.

We will work on few incidents which are given as examples. You can study and analyze these incidents and try to frame autosuggestions for them. We will try to frame the autosuggestions without harboring any negative thoughts like ‘Will it be possible for me to frame autosuggestions? Will the autosuggestions be wrong?’ Try framing the autosuggestions with a positive mind that we have to learn and that there is happiness in learning.

The A-1 autosuggestion method is used for our own inappropriate actions, inappropriate thoughts and emotions. For the inappropriate reactions that come to the mind or are expressed that last for a short duration, A-2 method is used, whereas for removing defects like fear, inferiority complex, and lack of confidence autosuggestion is framed using A-3 method.

Examples to practice framing autosuggestions

1. Situation

The situation is – Mrs. Seema feels lazy about cleaning the kitchen platform at night after dinner, so she leaves the leftover food and utensils as they are on the platform. Therefore, the utensils sometimes remain open throughout the night and the food gets spoilt many a time.

Since this is a mistake on the action level, we should use the A-1 method. This mistake can be a result of defects like laziness, taking liberty, or forgetfulness. Let us see what is the appropriate autosuggestion in this case.

Autosuggestion

‘Whenever I feel lazy about cleaning the kitchen platform at night after dinner, I will realize that the platform looks untidy if the waste is left just like that and that the leftover food might get spoilt too and so I will chant and clean the platform’.

We had learnt about the various steps of giving autosuggestion. In the beginning, each one of us has to give autosuggestions only of the first level. Once the autosuggestion of the first level is instilled in the mind, we can give autosuggestions of further levels. It should be noted that as of now, while framing autosuggestions, we have to frame those of the first level.

2. Situation

The situation is regarding thinking unnecessarily! When I sat in the morning to chant, I started getting unnecessary thoughts like, ‘I have to go shopping tomorrow. If I go to the bank after my office, I may not be able to withdraw money, so I have to go to the bank before going to the office. For that, I have to leave the house early tomorrow….’
These are unnecessary thoughts. They keep interrupting the chanting. Since this is a mistake on the level of inappropriate thoughts, we should use the A-1 method in this situation. Let us see how an autosuggestion is framed with respect to thinking unnecessarily or having meaningless thoughts.

Autosuggestion

‘Whenever I am thinking unnecessarily regarding withdrawing money from the bank while chanting, I will realize that I will be deprived of the chaitanya received during chanting and I will chant with concentration’.

Analysis of Situation 2

In the autosuggestion, we don’t have to mention all the unnecessary thoughts that come in the mind nor should we make a general autosuggestion, rather we have to mention the unnecessary thoughts in short. Therefore, we have framed a sentence like ‘Whenever I am thinking unnecessarily regarding withdrawing money from the bank while chanting …..’. We can also incorporate a suitable perspective regarding realization of the consequences that is acceptable to our mind. Here, we have incorporated the perspective that ‘I will be deprived of the chaitanya received during chanting’ because of unnecessary thoughts. Instead of this, we can also incorporate a perspective like ‘I will fall short of getting the desired benefits of chanting’ or ‘I will realize that my time is getting wasted in these unnecessary thoughts’.

An important point that we have to note is that whenever unnecessary thoughts come to the mind while chanting and we become aware of them, we have to implement solutions on the level of action as well. We can either increase the speed of chanting, we can write down the chant in a notebook with a pen, we can chant with the spiritual emotion that we are offering flowers unto the Holy Feet of God along with each chant, or we can write down the thoughts that come to the mind while chanting and write down the solutions to overcome them.

3. Situation

Let us look at the next situation now. Shri. Omkar is depressed because even though he has graduated with excellent grades two years ago, he still does not have a job.

Since this is an inappropriate emotion, we should use the A-1 method for this situation. Let us see how the appropriate autosuggestion can be for this.

Autosuggestion

Whenever I feel depressed due to difficulty in getting a job despite graduating with excellent grades, I will realize that by thinking negatively, my efforts for securing a job may be affected and I will introspect the reasons behind the difficulties in getting a job and will seek guidance from experienced people to overcome the difficulties.

4. Situation

The next situation is as follows. When my husband was sitting and reading the newspaper for a long time in the morning, I was severely distressed thinking that he should understand and help me in household activities and felt bad thinking that nobody helps me.

Since this is an inappropriate reaction occurring in the mind regarding husband, we are going to use the A-2 autosuggestion method.

Autosuggestion

Whenever I see my husband reading newspaper in the morning and I feel that he should help me in household matters, I will realize that he only gets this free time in the entire day and that he too gets tired and I will decide priorities of household work and plan to do it accordingly.

Analysis of Situation 4

Here we have given autosuggestion according to the A-2 method. As we have seen earlier, while doing so, we have not included in the autosuggestion inappropriate reactions occurring in the mind, like ‘nobody understands me’ or ‘nobody helps me’. During such times, most of the time, we think that the person in front of us is the one who is committing the mistake and that we are right. It is this thought process that we have to reverse in the personality defect removal process and introspect. We are not trying to change the situation or people, but trying to change ourselves. Have you all understood these points? You can also try on the action level by practically communicating openly with tbe husband about the extra household work or you can also plan out your work.

5. Situation

The Senior in office praised colleague Shri. Rajesh for an assignment but did not praise Shri. Sumit who did the work. So, Shri. Sumit felt jealous of his colleague Shri. Rajesh.

Let us try to frame an autosuggestion on this situation. Since this is a situation with an inappropriate reaction occurring in the mind, we are going to use the A-2 autosuggestion method. Let us see how the appropriate autosuggestion can be for this.

Autosuggestion

Whenever my senior in office praises my colleague Shri. Rajesh instead of me, I will realize that ‘working selflessly is going to aid my spiritual practice and that God knows everything’ and I will accept the situation with sportsman spirit and will concentrate on my next assignment.

Analysis of Situation 5

Working selflessly means doing one’s duty and working without expectations. Bhagwan Shri Krishna has said in the Bhagavad Geeta ‘Karmanye Vadhikaraste, Ma Phaleshu Kadachana’. The meaning of this is ‘It is your duty to perform your actions, but don’t expect any reward in return’. This is a spiritual perspective that is very useful in our day-to-day life. If we can impress this upon our mind through various incidents, then it will help us to live life spiritually in the true sense.

6. Situation

Let us try to frame autosuggestion with respect to yet another situation. Suppose someone is afraid of crossing the road alone, or afraid of traveling alone in bus or train. Try to frame autosuggestion for the situation wherein one is afraid to cross the road.

Autosuggestion

I am walking along the side of the road and have reached the junction. I am waiting at the zebra crossing in order to cross the road. I am carefully looking at the vehicles. On seeing the red signal and making sure that the vehicles have stopped, I am crossing the road along with chanting. On reaching halfway, I am checking if there are any vehicles coming from the other direction. I am crossing the road amidst chanting, after confirming that no vehicles are coming. I am offering gratitude to God because I was able to cross the road carefully all alone.