Just
as the arrow-maker straightens his arrows, so also the intelligent man
straightens his thoughts, wavering and fickle, difficult to keep straight,
difficult to master.
Just
as a fish cast out of the water, our mind quivers and gasps when it leaves
behind the kingdom of Mara.
Difficult
to master and unstable is the mind, forever in search of pleasure. It is good
to govern it. A mind that is controlled brings happiness.
The
sage should remain master of his thoughts, for they are subtle and difficult to
seize and always in search of pleasure. A mind that is well guided brings
happiness.
Wandering
afar, solitary, bodiless and hidden in the deep cave of the heart, such is the
mind. Whosoever succeeds in bringing it under control liberates himself from
the fetters of Mara.
The
intelligence of one whose mind is unstable, who is ignorant of the true Law, and
whose faith is wavering will never be able to develop.
If
a man’s
thoughts
are
not
agitated,
if
his
mind
is
not
troubled
by
desire,
if
he
no
longer
cares
for
good
and
evil,
this
man,
wide
awake,
knows
nothing
of
fear.
Observing
that the body is as fragile as a jar, and fortifying the mind like a city at
arms, one should attack Mara with the blade of intelligence and should guard
carefully whatever has been won.
Before
long this body will be lying on the earth, abandoned, as lifeless as a piece of
old wood.
Whatever
an enemy may do to an enemy, whatever a hater may do to a hater, the harm
caused by a misdirected mind is even greater still.
Neither
mother nor father nor any other kinsman can do so much good as a well-directed
mind.
These
few verses correspond to all the needs of those whose mind has not been
mastered. They point out the attachment that one has to one’s old ways of being, thinking and reacting, even when one is trying to get away from them. As soon as you emerge by your effort, you are like a fish out of water and you gasp for breath because you are
no longer in your element of obscure desires.
Even
when you make a resolution, the mind remains unstable. It is subtle, difficult
to seize. Without seeming to do so, it is continually seeking its own
satisfaction; and its intentions are hidden in the core of the heart so as not
to show their true nature.
And
while not forgetting the weakness of the body, you must try to strengthen the
mind against its own weakness; with the sword of wisdom, you must fight against
the hostile forces and treasure the progress you have made so that these forces
may not despoil you of your progress, for they are terrible thieves. And then
there is a short couplet for those who are afraid of death, intended to
liberate them from that fear. Finally there is a last short couplet for those
who are attached to their family to show them the vanity of this attachment.
In
the end, a last warning: an ill-directed, ill-controlled thought does more harm
than an enemy can do to an enemy or a hater to a hater. That is to say, even
those who have the best intentions in the world, if they do not have a wise
control over their thought, will do more harm to themselves and to those whom
they love than an enemy can do to an enemy or a hater to a hater.
The
mind has a power of deception in its own regard which is incalculable. It
clothes its desires and preferences with all kinds of wonderful intentions and
it hides its trickeries, resentments and disappointments under the most
favourable appearances. To overcome all that, you must have the fearlessness of
a true warrior, and an honesty, a straightforwardness, a sincerity that never
fail.
(CWM,
Volume 3, Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust, Puducherry)
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