SPRING-CLEAN YOUR MIND
Prepare Yourself
A MILKMAN, deeply influenced by Gautam Buddha, insisted that Buddha visit him and share his nuggets of wisdom. In lieu of this, the milkman offered to present milk to Buddha. He agreed. In the evening, when Buddha set out to visit the milkman, he took with him a container in which he intentionally put some mud. The milkman took the container but just as he was about to pour milk into it, the milkman realized that the container had some impurities. The milkman cleansed the container and removed all impurities. He then poured the milk into it and gave it to Buddha. Upon getting the container, Buddha got up to leave. Surprised, the milkman asked Buddha why was he leaving before imparting any wisdom. Buddha replied that he just had. Unable to comprehend it, the milkman urged Buddha to explain the learning to him. Buddha told the milkman that our mind is similar to the container, and the thoughts that preoccupy us are like the impurities in the container. In order to attain wisdom, we must purify our mind and make it free of all impure thoughts. Buddha asked the milkman to cleanse himself of his thoughts for only then would he be able to imbibe any further learning.
This illustration depicts the case of every individual. We cannot add more water to a glass full of water; it will only spill. The glass must be empty in order to imbibe wisdom. It is only a prepared mind that meets the right kind of situations that further harness one’s potential. Living with a narcissistic mindset is injurious to one’s development. Such a way of life leaves no room for receptivity as one thinks about none but one’s own self.
Trying to deride the discovery of a scientist, a man said to him that all discoveries were nothing but chance occurrences. Calmly the scientist replied that the man was right, but such chances took place only with scientists. This was a befitting answer.
It is only a prepared mind that is able to achieve the goal assigned. There is nothing mysterious about this. It is quite understandable that only a mind that has engrossed itself in trying to unravel a phenomenon that can eventually decipher it. However, a price must be paid to attain such a state where one can be referred to as a prepared mind. One must be sincere in one’s efforts, objective and unbiased in one’s approach and ready to admit a mistake and reassess the approach towards the target.
In order to be receptive to truth, one must make efforts to develop a prepared mind. Man, by virtue of his societal existence, becomes a conditioned entity. It is this conditioning that is a major obstacle in his way. To be able to overcome this hurdle, man must be ready to revisit his existing ideas. He must be willing to rise above all kinds of biases and prejudices and become receptive to truth that may come to him from anywhere.
