The Elephant's Goad

Brilliant Picture "Hello Ganesha" kindly provided by h.koppdelaney under Creative Commons

The Elephant's Goad or an Ankusha, is a sharpened goad with a pointed hook which is used to train and control an Elephant.  An Elephant can easily overpower the rider, however it remains in control of the rider by the Goad, without it it would pretty much run rampant.

Imagine a Elephant doing whatever it wants in your backyard, not a pretty sight or smell for that matter :)...Yet this is what we do with our minds, we let it wander free like the Elephant, seeking whatever gratification it likes;of the senses, or of the Ego.  The comparison of the mind with an animal is a apt one, as animals do not possess the same sense of discrimination as Humans.  Like the Elephant, the mind can be directed with a Goad.  The Goad however is not suppression, opposition or force, this would be impossible in the long run, it is much more subtle.

The Goad for the Mind is Values, Satsang, Mindfulness, Intention & Pre-Occupation

Values

Values are deep seated beliefs ingrained in us. Values can be positive or negative.  Only positive values will ever give us any lasting happiness such as Appreciation, Gratitude, Compassion, Honesty and Integrity.

Practicing values is critical to learning or internalizing values.  There is absolutely no doubt that one will fail many times in learning anything new, but each time a failure happens, and there is an increase in awareness if we allow it, and the motivation for change is strengthened, until one day it becomes automatic.

Only peace and happiness will follow positive values.  Besides healing benefits of positive values, these values stay permanently with you as Sanskaras (deep mental impressions) that benefit you in future lives.  

One may be able to change their values by repeating and contemplating the values that they are trying to imbibe, also surrounding themselves with images, sounds and people who symbolize them (Satsang)

Satsang

What happens if are working with sandalwood, you start smelling like it.  This is Sat (Truth) sang (Company). There is no more powerful way of control your mind, then to immerse yourself with the company of those who are in tune with themselves.  The opposite is also true also.

Peers are a very powerful agent of change, first thing in learning anything is to imitation of the people around you.  It may not be a person, it could even be autobiography of great figures such as Gandhi & Yoganda, however this is much more difficult, the physical company accelerates learning. There is a direct mental transfer between people when they are open to it. The words of my Spiritual Mentor still ring in my ears, many years on!

It may be hard to find true spiritual people, but they usually flock together so you should be able to find them. The resources section has some good organisations like Bahai, Art of Living etc...

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is a broad term, but it means that you are fully engaged in the present moment with a specific intent (goal, purpose or outcome) in mind.  Apart from the natural benefits of deep listening and contemplation of the present situation, it is actually a means to direct the mind to stop it going astray.  Mindfulness stops the mind from wandering by keeping it focused on the Intent.  See my last blog for more details.

Intention

The goal, purpose, or outcome desired is actually an intention of the mind.  Intention has been shown to statistically alter the outcome of random number generation (Princeton University).  Again intentions can be positive, negative or even missing due to laziness.  They usually come out of our Sankara's.  One can set a clear intent at any level or any situation, for a day, for a meeting, for a yoga session etc. This keeps the mind pre-occupied  towards a  intended direction, instead of wandering aimlessly picking up the next thing that comes it fancy.

Pre-Occupation

Once we have a clear intention, we should follow it until it gets completed, this stops us getting sidetracked.  If we want to get from DC to Florida in 12 hours, then we won't be taking hour long breaks on the way.  One can practice following intention right through to completion on small daily goals then work towards bigger , more ambitious intentions (experiment, it is your mind after all).  As with everything best to start small to build confidence in oneself.  If we are engaged in something positive it is less likely that we will engage in something negative, that is why work, community service etc  is so important.

Once a strong intention is set, the co-ordinates are entered into the GPS of our mind, all we have to do is follow the instructions that come out.   If we don't enter the right co-ordinates where will we end up? probrably not to far from where we left or even further from our destination.    

Usually a clear intention is sufficient, the body and mind  has to follow.  Spiritual adepts work miracles through intention alone. 

Closing

It is said that one who masters her mind, masters the universe (Guru Granth Sahib).  Treasures are there like diamonds in many religions, yoga and qi gong techniques, however reading or writing about it out does not mean anything, what matters is that one tries to practice it, habits are only established with practice, and that is which differentiates us.

Master your elephant mind with the use of the goad, it is one of the few endeavors that will pay much dividends in every aspect of your life....

Peace,

Kirpal