39. 75. Are you an agitating type of person?

Nitti bought a brand new Santro car. Since his neighbors all had cars out of some false prestige, he had bought the car. But Nitti did not know how to drive the car.

Nitti sat at the drivers' seat and turned the ignition and was trying to do some thing on the car, which was parked on the top of a ramp. The brake of the car got released and the car started running down the slope, the car got started.

On seeing the car move, Nitti joyfully moved the steering and the car moved in the direction he turned the steering to.

As Nitti was driving the car with the same joy on the empty highway, he suddenly got a doubt. He wondered, 'How to stop the car?'

However much he thought about it, he could not figure out a way to stop the car. Nitti got agitated and became afraid.

The only thing that was under his control was the steering.

Then he turned the car towards the tamarind tree which was there before him. The car dashed against it and came to a halt with a big jerk.

• In this story, did Nitti drive the car or did the car drive Nitti? If the enthusiasm and agitation is entirely under your control, it means you are in control of your mind and therefore your life. If these feelings are not under your control then your mind is in control of your life.

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• Being angry, desiring certain things, being sorrowful all these are not in our hands. Why does this happen?

• Each person is different from the other. Unique. How does it happen?

• People who harm continuously... People who worry themselves even without a reason... People who get irritated for any thing and every thing... What for these things continue this way?

• Why? How? What for? Reply for all these three questions That is human nature. An evil spirit is sleeping comfortably in the mind of each one of us.

According to the results of the research conducted by psychiatrists, only 10% of our mind is under our control, and is being used by us.

Ninety per cent of our mind is not under our control.

90% of the mind functions only under the control of that one which we call as the evil spirit sleeping within us.

The name of that evil spirit is instinct. Human instinct! Human nature!

For a person to be violent, to be foolish or be angry – all these only depend upon his instinctive nature.

Reason: The one that controls the man is the mind. The one that controls the mind is his nature.

One small story.

A prince, who went round the city in disguise, saw a cock-fight for the first time. After watching the cock-fight with great interest, he wanted to have a fighting cock for himself.

He appointed a 'fighting cock trainer' and bought a fighting cock for himself and started rearing it.

After a week, the prince asked the trainer about the cock. The trainer said, 'As soon as it hears the loud shouting cry of the neighbour's cock, our cock gets angry.'

'Is it so?' exclaimed the prince with surprise.

After a month, the prince asked the trainer about the cock. 'If the cock in the next street shouts, our cock, which is here, becomes eager to fight. It shakes its body and immediately prepares itself for the fight' said the trainer.

The prince was glad to hear this. He asked, 'Is it so? Is our cock that alert and agitated on hearing the other cocks?'

When he asked the trainer after two months about the cock the trainer replied, 'For our cock, nowadays, clucking and cries of another cock are not necessary. On seeing another cock, instantly it becomes agitated.'

Wide eyed with surprise, the prince asked, 'Is that so? Shall we send our cock for the fight?'

The trainer said, 'Be patient. The cock has not still got the required maturity. When it gets the required maturity to fight, I will send word to you.'

The prince thought to himself: By merely seeing another cock, our cock gets agitated. What more maturity does our cock need to fight?

After three months the trainer sent word to the prince that the cock was ready for a cock fight. He declared, 'The cock has now got the required maturity. The cock can be sent for a cock-fight. Tell the prince that he can come and see.'

The prince was surprised to see the cock, since it was calmly pecking at the grains and was playing around when there was another cock by its side which was shouting loudly and angrily. The prince thought, 'This cock used to get agitated by simply seeing another cock. How come it is so calm and peaceful?'

The prince said, 'Oh trainer! This cock is quite opposite to what you have stated. Why did you speak a lie?'

The trainer's reply puzzled the prince more. He said, 'You put our cock in a fight. Then you can understand.'

The prince asked for arrangements to be made for a cock fight. The other cock was raising dust, fluttering its feathers, shaking its head and body and looked frightful.

But the princes' cock was standing very calmly, watching every thing.

The prince said angrily, 'What man! Believing you, I have said that it is my cock, but it is standing watching the other cock without fighting?'

The trainer replied, 'Oh prince, please wait. The peak of maturity in a battlefield is approaching the opponent calmly and carefully. The other cock is raising so much dust only to protect itself. Agitation is only the lack of belief in oneself. Carefulness or calmness is one which is beyond the agitated state. Our cock...' As the trainer was saying this, at that very moment....

As the opposition cock flew ferociously and came near the prince's cock, which was in a state of readiness, the prince's cock accurately pounced upon it and cut away its feather with the knife tied to its toe.

An agitated man is certainly better than both a violent man and a fool. But that is not a final state of mind which is desirable.

To rage and get agitated is not maturity. If you become angry or irritated on seeing or hearing a thing which is not to your mind's liking, then you are also an agitator only. Agitator is not a name given only to those who involve themselves in revolutions.

Rising up is only an indication that the mind is coming out of its dullness. Continuously thinking without any rest, always doing some thing or the other busily, getting agitated when things are not to his liking - All these are signs of growth only.

Rising up with rage and getting agitated - Are all states to be passed over; these are not states for celebration; not characters to be proud of.

The majority of the people in the present generation are of the agitating type only. Like a ghost, agitation will remain inside the man and shake him up; it will order him around to behave in a certain way. The man also will still be thinking he is alive and active.

Agitation will not allow a man to rest. It will see that contentment does not reach anywhere near him.

It is only a state between dullness and an agitated state of mind, which brings contentment to life and that is Carefulness! Patience! Peace of mind! Contentment! Joy!

Unless this truth is realized by man, agitation will torture life as it likes.

The man who has not known this truth will get vexed in the later part of his life, saying, 'Oh! I lived in the right way! I labored hard too! Why for me alone, so much of difficulties?'

If the quality of patience is nurtured in us, we can put a big full stop for all these problems.

Reducing this agitation in the mind paves the way for patience.

Meditative energy has the power to burn off this agitation.

Agitation is not maturity. Agitation is only a part of growth. Go beyond agitation and attain patience. Life will be joyful.

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A meaningful incident.

At a Sunday sermon, the preacher said, 'Make love. Do not harm any creature. Talk about the incidents when you showed love.'

When John's turn came, he said hurriedly, 'Once a man kicked a dog... I kicked that man!' – This way he recollected his love.

• When an agitator shows love, even in that violence will peep in. This man should become peaceful.

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Meditation chisels. Chisel No. 30.

Teachings of the enemy…

If someone calls you, 'Oh! Mad fellow!' your eyes would become red with anger. When that anger does not appear when you are addressed as the 'President of America', why should it come when you are called a 'Mad man'? Why? Does it not mean that calling you as President is a total lie and in calling you 'mad' there is some truth to it.

The man, who laughs when he is called as President, becomes angry when he called a mad man and behaves like a mad man himself...That does mean that there is substantial amount of truth in what the other person has said.

Take into account those times when you got irritated and became angry and also the times of such nature, which may happen in the future.

Bring to your mind and examine the words expressed by the opposite party during those times. Reason: Those words reveal clearly and loudly the truths about you to a considerable extent.

Those are special formulae which help you to correct yourself.

Do not miss such moments which teach you about yourself. Change such times of irritation and anger into times of meditative research.

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