"This Week"
by the
Bahrain Meditation Centre

25^th February, 2006

Discipline

When we think of discipline, we are reminded of the army and the barracks; power and authority are the words that stir fear in the mind. And most of our lives, we are used to being disciplined by something or somebody else, but the day comes when the only discipline that will have any effect is self discipline!

Lack of discipline is often associated with a lack of self respect and self worth. If I value myself enough, I will ensure that my life - mind, body and spirit - are disciplined in thought, word and deed. I.e. my actions are in alignment with my core values and not swayed at the slightest distraction or instruction from others. Most of us pay more attention to disciplining our diet or posture, when it is the mind that needs it most!

Discipline needs to be ‘conditioned’ so it becomes second nature. The elephant is an excellent example of conditioning! Baby elephants are tied to a tree trunk using a simple thick rope. Not strong enough to break the chains of the bond, they ‘learn’ they cannot go beyond that space without their trainer. As they mature into adults, they feel a similar rope tying them to the same pole, and this time, even though they may have the capacity to break that bondage, they are conditioned to obedience.

Yes, our minds and rational thought processes are significantly different, but is the effect of conditioning on our lives any different? Our conditioning comes from what our parents taught us along with those elements we chose to adopt given a perceived benefit in our life’s journey. Such things as, hard work, ethics or lack of it, maintaining tradition, bad habits, morals and the list goes on. But is the negative conditioning irreversible? We would say, yes! The only way to change the past is to create a new future; record over the old recording!

The discipline one speaks of on a spiritual journey is meant to come from within the aspirant, to deepen his meaning and purpose and thus help clarify his choices in life. The person who has understood the art of self discipline will be a natural leader and an example for others to follow, so external forms of discipline will not be so necessary. An aspirant quickly learns that what they can ‘do’ is starkly different from how they gain ownership of their thoughts. And so in a spiritual context, discipline is ultimately defined and achieved within that domain; how much we own and direct our thoughts.

The secret to making discipline natural is to keep a balance; be too rigid with the self and you are likely to ‘crack-up’, be too slack and you fall into guilt! It is no small coincidence that the word disciple sounds similar to discipline, for as I teach my self discipline, I also become my own disciple and I need never take another instruction again!

Om Shanti
(I am a peaceful soul)

 Tel: +973-17-712 545, meditate@batelco.com.bh, www.bahrainmeditationcentre.org
Bahrain Meditation Centre is administered by B.K.W.S.U. (visit: www.bkwsu.org.uk)