Remember the Buddha (poem)

Like monkeys swinging from tree to tree through

the jungle is the untamed mind, the ego-self.

Lost in the world of the six senses of hearing,

sight, smell, taste, touch, and thought, it passes

from desire to conflict to idea as though endlessly.

When you realize the ego-self to be the cause

of your suffering, it may hide itself from you,

causing much unrest in your life at first.

Once you tame this monkey by abandoning the delusion

of the ego-self, your mind will then be at peace.

Just center yourself in meditation,

observe your defiled mind carefully,

and let it become still through mindful practice.

Then, forget the ego-self, remember the Buddha,

and attain true and real happiness.

Meditation: the tranquilizer

"Even as a terrible weapon is encountered and destroyed by a more powerful weapon, tranquilize the mind with the help of the mind itself. Forever abandon every form of mental agitation. Remain at peace within yourself like a tree freed from the disturbance caused by monkeys." — Yogavashistha V:50

Commentary:

This part of the quote implies that the mind that tranquilizes relies on a higher power than the untamed mind.

Indeed, the previous seven sections give the sevenfold cure for the untamed mind:
1) spiritual enquiry;
2) sharp intelligence;
3) driving away the wildness through calm detachment;
4) spiritual worship found through wisdom and dispassion, the grace of the guru, self-effort,
chanting of mantras, and so on;
5) appropriate contemplative formula or instruction;
6) self-restraint on the path of spiritual perfection; and
7) repeated renunciation of all concepts and percepts.

Through the use of the seven cures, we "abandon every form of mental agitation".

In letting go of agitation, those cures are able to work.

Thus is peace of mind attained through contemplation of the sevenfold cure of the untamed mind.

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Originally posted: May 20, 2004 at 12:45 AM
Edited: August 24, 2010 at 10:03 PM

Reflection on the Tao (poem)

With the right training
the mind is a precious tool.
Ego forgotten, feelings yielding
to the tamed mind leads
the way to the heart of Tao.

Yet when common sense fails us,
neither ego nor the untamed mind are of use.
All that is left then is the heart.

Fed by desire and passion,
emotions and feelings seem wonderful,
yet are worthless clothing the ego.

Indeed, the humble power of the heart
helps us to forget ourselves,
and to wield Mind softly with love.

Gently desires paint
the soul with the melody of passion,
until the sunrise of compassion
awakens our hearts to the Tao.

Letting go of desire,
grasping only straw,
let the heart lead.