the vagrant mind..
A worthy quote from the encyclopaedia of wise sayings in Sanskrit...Subhashitaratnabhadaagaaram.
मनो धावति सर्वत्र मदोन्मत्तगजेन्द्रवत्।
ज्ञानाङ्कुशसमा बुद्धिस्तस्य निश्चलते मनः॥
सुभाषितरत्नभण्ढागरम् पृष्ठम् १७३ श्लोकम् २७६
mano dhāvati sarvatra madonmattagajendravat|
jñānāṅkuśasamā buddhistasya niścalate manaḥ||
subhāṣitaratnabhaṇḍhāgaram pṛṣṭham 173 ślokam 276
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Like a rowdy elephant at the peak of its rut, the mind runs all around pointlessly..
That mind is to be kept in control by using the goad in the form of knowledge..
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Human mind seems to be crafted originally to react to situations impulsively and without much discretion..
Maybe that attitude has remained in us because
Fight or flight are the safest two modes for escape, safety or preservation in the primitive life.
But human thought and social environment has progressed and reached great heights of understanding, tolerance, empathy, mutual affection, and so on, even though the basic foundation of anxiety and resistance even without reasonable cause is always there..
We have acquired knowledge, and we have realized that there are better methods of existence that fighting with one another..
But such ideas would arise in our minds only if the initial base tendencies are kept in check or just put down with force..
It is like controlling a wild elephant with a goad..
The animal instincts and tendencies are very strong in us
And the method to control such tendencies is just using sharp and effective weapons..-- here the weapon of knowledge and discretion.
Pranams
k v ananthanarayanan