Lifescale

Chapter 9Silence

A Mental Wonderland Is Yours for the Creating—and Playing

“Silence is a source of great strength.”

– Lao Tzu

A disciple and his master were walking through the woods. The disciple felt disturbed by the fact that his mind was in a constant state of agitation, and he asked his master: “Why are most people's minds restless? What can be done to calm the mind?” The master looked at the disciple, smiled, and said, “I will tell you a story.”

An elephant was standing by a tree eating its leaves. A small fly came and flew up to him, making an unpleasant buzzing sound near his ear, and the elephant flapped his ears to scare it away. But a short time later, the fly came back. The elephant once again shook his ears, but the fly kept returning, over and over again.

After many failed attempts to scare the fly away, the elephant turned to it and asked, “Why are you so agitated and noisy? Why can't you stay in one place for a while?”

The fly responded, “I am attracted to what I see, hear, or smell. My five senses scream at me about everything around me and I cannot help myself. What is your secret, elephant? How can you stay so calm and quiet?”

The elephant stopped eating and said, “My five senses do not direct my attention. I have control of my attention and I can direct it where I wish. This helps me immerse myself in what I am doing and therefore to keep my mind calm and focused. When I am eating, I am totally immersed in eating. In this way, I can enjoy my food and ...