Understanding and Removing Negative Thoughts: A Closer Look Through the Ofudesaki

In the Ofudesaki, God tells us to remove our negative thoughts. When our minds become pure, only joy will arise from our own souls, and we will feel spirited and full of life.

But as simple as that sounds, it’s not always easy to do. Let me explain with an analogy.

The Mind as a Painting

Imagine standing in front of a beautiful, intricate painting. At first glance, you may feel moved by its beauty, but you may not immediately understand what the artist intended to express. To uncover the painter’s true objective, you must study each part carefully, analyzing color, texture, composition, and symbolism—until the full meaning begins to emerge.

In the same way, God tells us to remove our negative thoughts. We may understand the general idea of what negative thoughts are, but it’s not always clear how to identify them in our own minds, especially when they are subtle, deeply rooted, or disguised as “normal” thinking.

Words Alone Are Not Always Enough

Often, hearing or reading “remove negative thoughts” is not enough to truly transform our thinking or behavior. Words alone may not give us the inner clarity or motivation needed to recognize what we are holding on to. That’s why we must take the time to examine our own thoughts carefully—like analyzing a painting—so that we can recognize, name, and release the ones that cause suffering.

So What Are These Negative Thoughts?

Let us now take a closer look at the specific negative thoughts that God wants us to remove, as revealed in the Ofudesaki. These thoughts are the “dusts of the mind” that cloud our spiritual clarity and cause suffering both to ourselves and others.

By naming them and understanding how they appear in daily life, we can begin the real process of purification—one step at a time.

The Dusts of the Mind (From the Ofudesaki)

Regret (oshii):
This is the feeling of being disappointed in others.
How often does regret arise in our daily lives?
Regret toward a spouse, children, or coworkers?
We must remember: everyone makes mistakes.
This feeling of regret is one of the dusts of the mind that we must work to remove.

Covetousness (hoshii):
This is the strong desire for a person or thing.
Often, this desire comes at the cost of others’ feelings.
Sometimes, people even hurt others in the process of trying to get what they want.
This is another form of dust that clouds our minds.

Self-love (kawaii):
This is the tendency to think only about oneself,
as if the world revolves around you, while forgetting the existence and feelings of others.
It’s a form of self-centeredness that blinds us to those around us.

Greed (yoku):
This is the desire to have more than what is necessary.
It often leads people to seek material gain at the expense of others. Greed, too, leads the mind away from purity and toward suffering.

Arrogance (kouman):
This is the belief that you are superior to others,
leading to a mindset that finds fault in others.
But God reminds us clearly:

“All people are equal.”
We must never forget this truth.

Why Must We Remove These Thoughts?

In the Ofudesaki, God teaches us that:

When these thoughts are in our minds, we will eventually act upon them.

This is why it is so important to remove them completely.
When the mind becomes pure, only joy will come forth from our soul,
and we will be able to live the Joyous Life God intends for all of us.