http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/self-improvement/mind-not-just-monkey-its-drunken-monkey-bitten-by-scorpion-245043
There are so many living beings spread out on this planet earth, each have a different perception on the subject that their mind receives from the senses on the outside world. No two minds agree to the same extent as there always will be some degree of change in the bandwidth of thinking. Even the same individual may project different thoughts about a subject depending on the mood and attitude at the time of perceiving a same subject. Hence many scholars have said that Mind is a Monkey.
Swami Vivekananda feels that a monkey is restless by his own nature. As if that was not enough, if some street urchin feeds it with an intoxicated drink and to make the things even worst and suppose that intoxicated monkey steps on a scorpion and get stung just imagine the way the monkey might behave. This is how our mind behaves when it becomes emotional be it happiness or remorse.
To keep a clam mind it is necessary to have a control on the breath, so says Patanjali Yoga Sutras. Mind and Breath are like a see saw plank pivoted on the single source called Consciousness. To catch hold of the mind which is like the monkey as mentioned above the control over the breath will help.
Many litterateurs have poured out on this subject, and many breathing techniques have been taught but to clam the mind it is never possible with our mind looking always at the outer world and sense expecting joy from them. It is easy to say that we have to turn inward, but the big question is, is it possible for the mind to remain calm while the outside world is luring the senses?
My personal feel is that unless the Yama (Social Ethics) and Niyama (Personal Ethics) are practiced to perfection my Mind cannot go inward. Enjoy the outside world but do not get involved in their whims and fancies. This was the reason for Sri Sri Sankara to give the seeker the prerequisites qualities that has to be developed called Sadhana Chatushtaya (Four means of practice) namely:
Viveka (Discrimination of Real from Unreal)
Vairagya (Detachment from Sense Objects)
Shat Sampatti (Collective group of necessary Six Virtues)
Mumukshuttva (Immense desire to achieve Eternal Bliss)
Without the knowledge of these it will be hard for the Mind to go inward. Just concentrating on the breath will never help, it will only clam the mind until that process is taken up and thereafter for some time. Hence we can see many who go the workshop arranged by the great masters yet fail to retain the same relaxed and clam Mind even after the workshop. Once the session is over and when they head back to their office or their work place the stress and strain is back again, they have to go to the session when it is organized again. There is no use of being clam and compose for a certain period of time, if one has decided to be free from anxiety he has to pluck it out from its root and throw it away. Sri Ramana Maharshi gives the analogy of the dove in the hunters net as to the calmness of the mind while meditating. The dove caught in the net remains still and once the hunter releases it, it will flutter.
How to keep the Mind calm always?
Simplest way is just make the Mind aware of the difference between the Eternal Bliss got from the Inner Self and the momentary happiness got from the Outer World. Make the Mind understand this it is important by taking it into confidence and treating it as a friend. Do not impose strict rules and shake it up by frightening or threaten it about the consequences thereafter. This helps us to relate with Mind in a better manner and get a positive response from it to some extent…… Am I right????
There are so many living beings spread out on this planet earth, each have a different perception on the subject that their mind receives from the senses on the outside world. No two minds agree to the same extent as there always will be some degree of change in the bandwidth of thinking. Even the same individual may project different thoughts about a subject depending on the mood and attitude at the time of perceiving a same subject. Hence many scholars have said that Mind is a Monkey.
Swami Vivekananda feels that a monkey is restless by his own nature. As if that was not enough, if some street urchin feeds it with an intoxicated drink and to make the things even worst and suppose that intoxicated monkey steps on a scorpion and get stung just imagine the way the monkey might behave. This is how our mind behaves when it becomes emotional be it happiness or remorse.
To keep a clam mind it is necessary to have a control on the breath, so says Patanjali Yoga Sutras. Mind and Breath are like a see saw plank pivoted on the single source called Consciousness. To catch hold of the mind which is like the monkey as mentioned above the control over the breath will help.
Many litterateurs have poured out on this subject, and many breathing techniques have been taught but to clam the mind it is never possible with our mind looking always at the outer world and sense expecting joy from them. It is easy to say that we have to turn inward, but the big question is, is it possible for the mind to remain calm while the outside world is luring the senses?
My personal feel is that unless the Yama (Social Ethics) and Niyama (Personal Ethics) are practiced to perfection my Mind cannot go inward. Enjoy the outside world but do not get involved in their whims and fancies. This was the reason for Sri Sri Sankara to give the seeker the prerequisites qualities that has to be developed called Sadhana Chatushtaya (Four means of practice) namely:
Viveka (Discrimination of Real from Unreal)
Vairagya (Detachment from Sense Objects)
Shat Sampatti (Collective group of necessary Six Virtues)
Mumukshuttva (Immense desire to achieve Eternal Bliss)
Without the knowledge of these it will be hard for the Mind to go inward. Just concentrating on the breath will never help, it will only clam the mind until that process is taken up and thereafter for some time. Hence we can see many who go the workshop arranged by the great masters yet fail to retain the same relaxed and clam Mind even after the workshop. Once the session is over and when they head back to their office or their work place the stress and strain is back again, they have to go to the session when it is organized again. There is no use of being clam and compose for a certain period of time, if one has decided to be free from anxiety he has to pluck it out from its root and throw it away. Sri Ramana Maharshi gives the analogy of the dove in the hunters net as to the calmness of the mind while meditating. The dove caught in the net remains still and once the hunter releases it, it will flutter.
How to keep the Mind calm always?
Simplest way is just make the Mind aware of the difference between the Eternal Bliss got from the Inner Self and the momentary happiness got from the Outer World. Make the Mind understand this it is important by taking it into confidence and treating it as a friend. Do not impose strict rules and shake it up by frightening or threaten it about the consequences thereafter. This helps us to relate with Mind in a better manner and get a positive response from it to some extent…… Am I right????
