An elephant was standing and picking leaves from a tree. A small fly came, flying and buzzing near his ear. The elephant waved it away with his long ears. Then the fly came again and the elephant waved it away once more.
This happened several times. Then the elephant asked the fly, "Why are you so restless and noisy? Why can't you just stay in one place?"
The fly answered, "I am interested in whatever I see, hear or smell. My five senses, and everything that happens around me, pull me here and there and I cannot resist (抵抗) them. What is your secret? How can you stay so calm and still? "
The elephant stopped eating and said, "My five senses do not rule me. I am in control of myself — my senses do not tell me what to do. This helps me stay focused on whatever I do, and so, keep my mind calm and still. Now that I am eating, I am completely enjoying eating. In this way, I can just focus on enjoying my food."
After hearing these words, the fly's eyes opened wide and a smile appeared on his face. He looked at the elephant and said, "I understand! I will always be restless if I let my senses control me. On the other hand, if I try to use some self-control, my mind will become calm and I'll be able to stay still."
It is said that the mind is restless and pays attention to whatever is in front of it. But if you can control what you pay attention to, you can control your mind.
