55. The mind that is naturally greedy, wishes for more with all its fulness; as the sea with the sufficiency of its water to overflood the earth, receives the rain waters and the outpourings of innumerable rivers in its insatiate womb. (The greedy mind like the insatiate sea, is neverfull). 56. The mind that is restrained in its desires, is gladdened at its little gains; and these being increased are reckoned as blessings by the stinted mind. 57. A captive prince when enfranchised, is content with his morsel of bread, who ere before had been discontented with a realm in his free and uncaptured state. 58. With the writhing of your hands and gnashing of your teeth, and twisting of your limbs and body, you must chastise your reprobate members and mind. (So is Plato said to have chastised his angry self). 59. The brave and wise man, who intends to overcome his enemies; must first of all strive to subdue the internal enemies of his own heart and mind, and the members of his body. (Subdue yourself, ere you subdue others). 60. Those men are reckoned the most prosperous, and best disposed in their minds in this earth; who have the manliness to govern their minds, instead of being governed by them. 61. I revere those pure and holy men, who have quelled the huge and crooked serpent of their minds, lying coiling in the cave of their hearts; and who rest in the inward tranquility and serenity of their souls. CHAPTER XXIV. THE NON-ENTITY OF THE MIND. Argument. The means of repressing the force of the senses, and of curbing the sensual desires of men. Vasishtha continued:—The vast domain of death, in region of hell, is full of the furious elephants of our sins; and the ungovernable enemies of the senses with the arrows of desires. (_i.e._ Hell is the abode of sinners, sensualists and the greedy). 2. Our senses are our invincible enemies, being the sources of all misdeeds and wicked actions. They are the ungrateful miscreants against the body, in which they have found their refuge. 3. The roving senses like flying birds, have found their nest in the body; whence with their outstretched wings of right and wrong, they pounce on their prey like vultures. 4. He who can entrap these greedy birds of the senses, under the snare of his right reason, is never ensnared in his person in the trap of sin, but breaks its bonds as the elephant does his fetters. 5. He who indulges himself in sensual pleasures which are pleasant at first, will have to be cloyed in them in process of time. (Pleasure is followed by pain. Or: Rills of pleasure not sincere.) 6. He who is fraught with the treasure of knowledge in his frail body, is not to be overcome by his inward enemies of sensual appetites. 7. The kings of earth are not so happy in their earthly citadels, as the lords of the cities of the own bodies, and the masters of their own minds. (Mastery over one’s self, is better than over a realm).