"The mind is like tangled silk that needs sorting to be in good working order. It is like an ancient mirror that requires a good polishing in order to shine, or a wild horse that needs to be tamed. The mind is our master, leading the daily activities of our eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and body. Within our everyday activities, a single thought may ruin our lives or reputations, or help us gain success and fame. Buddhist sutras compare the ungoverned mind to the likes of thieves, vicious beasts, monkeys, and kings. Therefore, it is absolutely critical to govern the mind! So what kind of power can we use to subdue the mind? The following are three suggestions that anyone can follow.

"1. Know how to cultivate the mind. We repair furniture when it is broken, water pipes when they leak, and clothes when they are torn. If the mind has become smeared by greed, ignorance, and arrogance, how do we repair it? We need the instruments of compassion, joy, generosity, meditation, morals, and practice to treat it.

"2. Know how to calm the mind. The mind is like a monkey or a horse. If we are not careful, it will commit all kinds of unwholesome deeds. Ming Dynasty scholar Wang Yangming said, 'It is easy to capture a bandit in the mountains; it is difficult to catch the thief in the mind.' Calming the mind is like soldiers apprehending bandits or the police arresting thieves. Where are our soldiers and police? Right thinking is our soldier and right view is our police. We have to make good use of them in order to calm our minds.

"3. Know how to use our minds. We are often manipulated by the mind but do not know how to use it properly. It is said that the mind labors for its physical form. It is often influenced by our desires and external circumstances. It is driven by sight, sound, smell, touch and perception from outside. The greed, anger, and ignorance of the mind keeps pushing and working against us. So we must master our minds."