The Elephant And The Fly
A disciple and his teacher were walking through the forest. The disciple
was disturbed by the fact that his mind was in constant unrest.
He asked his teacher, "Why most people's minds are restless, and only a
few possess a calm mind? What can one do to still the mind?"
The teacher looked at the disciple, smiled and said, "I will tell you a
story. An elephant was standing and picking leaves from a tree. A small fly
came, flying and buzzing near his ear. The elephant waved it away with his long
ears. Then the fly came again, and the elephant waved it away once more."
This was repeated several times. Then the elephant asked the fly, "Why
are you so restless and noisy? Why can't you stay for a while in one place?"
The fly answered: "I am attracted to whatever I see, hear or smell. My
five senses pull me constantly in all directions and I cannot resist them. What
is your secret? How can you stay so calm and still?"
The elephant stopped eating and said, "My five senses do not rule my
attention. Whatever I do, I get immersed in it. Now that I am eating, I am
completely immersed in eating. In this way I can enjoy my food and chew it
better. I rule and control my attention, and not the other way around."
Upon hearing these words, the disciple's eyes opened wide and a smile
appeared on his face. He looked at his teacher and said, "I understand! If my
five senses are in control of my mind and attention, then my mind is in
constant unrest. If I am in charge of my five senses and attention, then my
mind becomes calm."
"Yes, that's right", answered the teacher, "The mind is restless and goes
wherever the attention is. Control your attention, and you control your mind."
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