Thought, Word and Deed = Happiness

Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.
- Ghandi


We have all heard about thought, word and deed.   It seems like it is the trinity of action, much like the trinity of God.


We may even say that God the Father is the thought, God the Son is the word, God the Spirit is the deed.   Thus, we, liek God, are creators and we manifest that creation in terms of:


Thought - we conceptualize, we envision, we put into mental pictures what we wish to have come into our lives.

Word - we utter, make sounds, voice words that bring those thoughts into existence in the form of vibrations and thus they interact with the world.   They are received by others, heard by ourselves, emanate outward in energy which, while it gets weaker with distance, never stops spreading out into the world.


Deed - we move huge amounts of dense energy (physical matter, our bodies, the physical world) in order to build or fulfill that word, put substance to that creative thought.


So why did Ghandi say that happiness is when these three are in conjunction?


Happiness is the accomplishment of realizing the person we wish to be; our highest concept of ourselves.


What happens to short-circuit that happiness is that we change our thoughts by the second, we say things that derail our manifestations and we do things that are in-congruent with the people we wish to be.


Let us say that I had the idea that I am a man of peace.   Sounds simple, right?   

What would a man of peace do?  In all situations, he would ask himself, "is this the way of peace?   Is what I am about to do something that will add to my chaos, discomfort, disharmony, or that of others?   If this is so, I need to change my thought, before it becomes voiced and definitely before it becomes an action.  However, my mind will flit between several interpretations of what it means to have peaceful thoughts.   Does it mean that I must silence those thoughts that have mostly peace but include some non-peaceful components?   How about thinking of a course of action that disarms or incapacitates those people or ideas that detract from peace?   I can't even make up my mind.   


Then the time comes that I voice something.   Is it the well thought out conceptualization of those actions that will lead to peace or do I just say something like, "I don't know!" or "Ummmmm." as I wait for that clarity of thought and word.   Perhaps I just say, "OK.  That sounds good" when someone else offers their opinion on my actions.


Even if that conceptualization of peace and the words of peace match in that instance, what about the deeds?  Let us say that I am determined to be a peacemaker, regardless of my thoughts toward someone else that causes nothing but turmoil in my life.   I approach them and try to communicate the desire for us to make a connection, to bridge a gap, to understand one another better and how we affect each other's lives.   Then they insult us, or push our buttons, and WHAM....My thoughts become defensive, injured, my words burst forth, insulting them back, and I physically distance myself, or perhaps even push the other person away.


The whole thought, word and deed concept, I myself, has changed on each level in this one instance.   As long as I continue to change any part of the three and not stick to those three manifestations, I lack happiness.   I have failed to act on, speak on, and think of myself in the highest conceptualization of myself.   I am not happy.


However, If I have the thought that I am a peacemaker, I continue to speak words of peace and reconciliation, forgiveness and requests for forgiveness, and I take actions to always be available, calm, and open to the other person who may have caused turmoil in my life, then eventually, regardless of the actions of the other person, I am being a peacemaker in relation to that other person.   I am being a peacemaker.   I am being the highest concept of who I wish to be.   This is happiness.