Elephant Mind

8/12/2019 Elephant Mind

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1/20/2014, 4:LEPHANT MIND

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ELEPHANT-MIND

The mind is an elephant in the forest of the body (sggs 221).The mind is intoxicated, like the elephant with wine (sggs665).

Spiritually speaking, when we talk about wild elephants, their three main aspects come to light: (1) elephanlustful urges, (2) its conduct, which is like a drunkard being, and (3) its enormously fat size. The Gurbani (SGuru Granth Sahib, SGGS) compares all these aspects of an elephant with the human ego-mind (theconsciousness of time-space-causation). The ego-mind sees infinite diversity in Unity. Although the ego-sense (Haume) seems real to us, but in reality it's a long dream. The ego-mind heads us to calamity, firstcreating delusion and wickedness (corruption or falsehood), and these later expand into sorrow.

!"#!$%'()*#+,-("(!: Manu maigal saakat devaanaa: The mind of the faithless cynic is like a crazy

elephant (sggs 415).

!"#)#./0#)(1234+2"$!: Mann kunchar kaaiaa oudiaanai: The mind is an elephant in the forest of th

body (sggs 221).

The first aspect (elephant's lustful nature) can be better understood by knowing as to how elephants arecaptured in India. Several methods are used to this end. One of these methods include using decoys of strawor trained female elephants to sexually attract or lure the wild beast for capture. Large pits are dug in/nearpathways just behind the decoys. Once lured by lust, the elephant rushes towards the decoys and fall into thpit. Thus, it gets trapped there in the pit and captured. In this way, attracted by the lure of lust, the elephantloses its world and freedom. Similarly, the deluded ego-mind is enticed by the enchanting and mirage-likeworld appearance and its gross objects (Maya). The material world is a snare, like the pit if the senses aredefiled.

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Like the elephant, driven by Kaam (lust, )(!--('"(... becomes captive, similarly) you have becomeattached (entangled, captive...) to your family (sggs 862).

!$%&48)(!$5.K#!4:3%L'*45>MK.K#!: Maigalshi kaamai bandh. Jio grasat bikhayee dhandh: The

elephant is trapped by its sexual urges. As the sinner (Bikaaree Jeev) is caught in his sins (4-4N2O+(K.K(, evil passions...) (sggs 838).83!$0F%#!("#>)3+7"(!)(!0F4%!$%6'&7"(!: Hayumai rog maanukh kayu deenaa. Kaam rog

maigal bas leenaa: Mankind is afflicted with the disease of egoism. The disease of sexual desireoverwhelms the elephant (sggs 1140).

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all actions performed in ignorance lead to unhappiness and mental restlessness; untruthful living becomes thnorm; selfless love and compassion are not to be found in people's heart; in envy, people display unhappineat the prosperity and happiness of others; weakness overtakes strength; cowardice overpowers courage;Kusang(bad association) becomes easily available while the Saadh-sangat(Holy company) is hard to comeby. In body-consciousness, the Reality thus becomes unreal and unknown.

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duaaraa sankurraa raaee dasavai bhaai. Manu taou maigal hoi rahaa nikasiaa kiou kar jaai: O Kabeer,the gate of liberation is narrow, less than one-tenth of a mustard seed. The mind has become as big asan elephant; how can it pass through this gate? (sggs 509).

What is the remedy or cure offered by the Gurbani? In other words, how can this wild elephant of the mindbe tamed? By applying the "whip" or "prod" of the "Gur-Shabad", says the Gurbani. Sooner we apply theGur-Shabad the better. Because, sooner than we realize, the elephant of the mind and the body-forest it livein will become old and weary. In other words, the mortality of the human body is a certainty but the Selfwithin is imperishable. We need undoing egoism and cultivating a sense of discrimination (Viveka) that isable to perceive the imperishable and changeless behind the perishable and changing aspects of the world.

!"#!$%%#0'54+-4'2120(!!: Man maigal gur sabad vasi aaiaa raam: The mind-elephant is

overpowered by the Gur-Shabad (sggs 576).

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^!^!=_!: Aasaa || Gagan nagar ik boond na barakhai naad kahaa ju samaanaa ...: Aasaa. From the ci

of the Tenth Gate, the sky of the mind, not even a drop rains down. Where is the music of the soundcurrent of the Naad, which was contained in it? The Supreme Transcendent Lord has taken away theSupreme Soul. ||1|| O Father, tell me: where has it gone? It used to dwell within the body, and dance ithe mind, teaching and speaking. ||1||Pause|| Where has the player gone - he who made this body-


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temple his own? No story, word or understanding is produced; the Lord has drained off all the power||2|| The ears, your companions, have gone deaf, and the power of your organs is exhausted. Your feethave failed, your hands have gone limp, and no words issue forth from your mouth. ||3|| The elephantthe mind has grown weary, and the heart has grown weary as well; through its power, it used to pull tstrings ||5||5||18|| (sggs 480).

Undoing egoism simply means transforming it into the Divine Self. The ego-mind (Haume) alone is the see

for the body. When the tree (body) dies, the seed (ego or Haume) does not: the ego-mind goes on to createanother body for itself. Only when the seed (false ego) perishes, the tree also dies (body or individualizedconsciousness, skepticism or doubts, all evil passions, etc.) with it!

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