The mind has become fickle as we have been feeding it with worldly tendencies. How can we stabilise it? Give such work that will keep the mind ever-busy, then it will not trouble us! It is the nature of the monkey to keep climbing up and down, and so people who catch monkeys, take it from house to house and make it climb up and down a pole; this way they keep the monkey busy and also earn alms for themselves. Our mind is also a mad monkey, isn’t it? And monkeys must be engaged in an absorbing work to keep it away from its fickleness! So, first and foremost, sit still and give the monkey mind the duty of a watchman. The monkey mind so entrusted, will watch the breath going in - ‘So’ and the breath coming out - ‘ham’ and it will be kept busy. After five minutes of this exercise, your mind will calm down.

- Divine Discourse, May 25, 1979.