In his Deivamani Malai, Vallalar says his mind is in a state of intoxication. It is like the potter’s wheel. The wheel keeps spinning till pots are made. The mind keeps wavering and is in a state of confusion, because of desires, said M.A. Manickavelu, in a discourse.
We chase after something or the other, and this leaves the mind restless. Ramakrishna Paramahamsa used to narrate a story about a how a man’s greed led to misery. A man was walking along, when a yaksa on a tree asked him if he wanted seven jars full of gold coins. The man told the yaksa that he would be glad to be the recipient of such an unexpected boon. The yaksa told him to go home, where seven pots of gold would be waiting for him. The man hurried home. There, as the yaksa had said, were seven pots of gold. But there was just one small problem. Six of the jars were full. The seventh jar was only half full. The man could have been content with the six full jars and the half full jar. But such is the nature of greed, that the man wanted to fill up the half empty jar. So, he sold whatever he owned in order to fill the jar. He almost lost his mental balance, as he lost all his possessions and could still not fill the seventh jar. The King heard about his predicament, and said to him, “The yaksa made the same offer to me. I asked the yaksa, ‘When you talk about seven jars of gold, are you talking about what I will gain or what I will lose. What seem like benefits come hidden with dangers. So, we should not be greedy.” So we should keep the mind under control, so that it does not constantly dwell on material possessions. If we do not, we will lose our peace of mind. That is why Vallalar likens the mind to a bouncing ball. When we are controlled by our desires, our mind loses focus.
