24. Controlling the Wild Elephant

"I had bought some snacks and kept in this jar. The jar is now empty. Have all the snacks been exhausted?" asked Mukundan.

"If you keep opening the jar and taking a bite every now and then, how will it not get exhausted? You have cholesterol but you are unable to resist the temptation of snacking all day!" said his wife Sunitha.

"Well. My parents and your parents also have the habit of snacking. They take pills for diabetes, hypertension etc, while also consuming eatables without restraint. The only person in our family who observes restraint is my grandpa!" said Mukundan.

He then turned to his grandfather Narasimhan and asked him, "How do you manage to be so disciplined in your food habits, grandpa?" 

"I am restrained not only in my food habits, but also in other aspects relating to life. I do this not only because I want to be healthy but also because I want to reach heaven after my death" said Narasimhan. 

"How are discipline and self control related to reaching heaven?" asked Sunitha.

"I will explain. Take the elephant. It will look serene and composed. But sometimes, it will become wild. At that time, the mahout will control it using a hook. Our senses also will sometimes go astray and seek to enjoy pleasures. During those times, they need to be controlled by wielding the stick of self-restraint. When our senses are struck by desires, we need resoluteness to ward off those desires and protect our senses from going astray. Using the stick of self-restraint and controlling our desires is the seed we sow for attaining heaven. I don't know whether you people will accept this idea. But you have been saying that you are risking your good health by eating foods and snacks without restraint. If you develop your sense of discipline, it is primarily good for your health. You don't have to think of ways of reaching heaven at this stage" said Narasimhan.

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Thirukkural
Section 1: The Path of Virtue

Chapter 3
The Greatness of the Ascetics

Verse 24 (In Tamil)
uranennum thOttiyAn Orainthum kAppAn
varanennum vaippiRkOr viththu.

Meaning:

One who controls the elephant named five senses, using the hook called resoluteness, is sowing the seeds for gaining a place in the Heaven.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'manathil uRuthi vENdum' by the same author)

Verse 25 

Verse 23