I shall endure hard words
as the elephant endures the shafts of battle.
For many people speak wildly.

The tamed elephant goes to battle.
The king rides him.
The tamed man is the master.
He can endure hard words in peace.

Better than a mule
or the fine horses of Sindh
or the mighty elephants of war
is the man who has mastered himself.

Not on their backs
can he reach the untrodden country,
but only on his own.

The mighty elephant Dhanapalaka
is wild when he is in rut,
and when bound he will not eat,
remembering the elephant grove.

The fool is idle.
He eats and he rolls in his sleep
like a hog in a sty.
And he has to live life over again.

My own mind used to wander
wherever pleasure or desire or lust led it.
But now I have it tamed,
I guide it,
as the keeper guides the wild elephant.

Awake.
Be the witness of your thoughts.
The elephant hauls himself from the mud.
In the same way drag yourself out of your sloth.

The fundamental problem is not metaphysical, it is not concerned with the ultimate reality. It is concerned with you, your mind, your functioning of the mind, your sleep, your state of a sleepwalker.

Man ordinarily exists only mechanically. He is not aware although he believes he is aware. In fact that belief hinders him from becoming aware. Man is fast asleep not only in the night but in the day too. He is constantly dreaming. You can watch it yourself. Any time close your eyes, relax a little and you will be surprised: dreams start moving. They were already moving like an undercurrent. You were occupied with outside reality, hence you were not looking at them, but they were there all the time. Your back was towards them. Just look a little in and you will find thousands of dreams crowding you: possible, impossible, consistent, inconsistent.