Animal inside

В каждом из нас спит волк,
В каждом из нас спит зверь,
Я слышу его рычанье, когда танцую.

Adherence to the animal

Sometimes people sense a call from their body and respond to it. That happens when you dance, when your mind and your body are one. When you swim, and enjoy gentle touch of the sea. When you do your favorite sports. That happens when you let emotions out through a painting or a song. Moments when your mind and animal inside work together.

Some things feel so great. Eating delicious food. Winning a fight, especially as a revenge against bully. Taking drugs that make you cheerful and relaxed.

One ancient philosopher that lived on the territory of modern Nepal had a life like that. He lived in a palace, ate best food and enjoyed company of beautiful young women. He followed the animal inside.

Some things are really pleasurable. To the point that you cannot resist. To the point that they become part of your personality. But here is the problem:

• Delicious food often destroy your teeth and make you fat.
• A fight, as a revenge only fosters the conflict. An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind.
• On drugs you often make really bad decisions, which you would regret for the rest of your life.

Following things that feel great may leave you in a really bad place. You may become fat person without teeth, who doesn't have many friends and is emotionally attached to the wrong people. This may happen if you allow animal inside to take control over you.

So, what do we do?

War on the animal

Maybe you should avoid situations when your body could take control over you. Maybe we could put that animal into the cage.

• You could form a habit of avoiding any places that are close to McDonalds or KFC.
• Your parents could teach you to never ever fight anyone. Non-violence policy.
• You could have really strict rules about drugs in your home.

You could try to escape from this animal inside.

That's what that ancient philosopher from Nepal did. He escaped the palace and became a monk. He trained his mind to dominate the body, became extremely strict in his diet, sometimes meditating several days in a row, eating only raw rice and water. He put his internal animal into the cage.

Jesus went through similar experience, when he went to pray in the desert for 40 days without any food.

In my personal life I had something similar. When I was 17 I was partying and drank too much alcohol, to the point that I didn't even remember what I did yesterday. Whole apartment was a mess. After that I decided to be strict with alcohol and was completely sober for about 3-4 years since.

These days I believe that putting your internal animal into the cage is not a good solution. Here is why:

It will make you a weirdo among your peers. You gonna be an outlier who doesn't go to the parties due to alcohol presence. You would become the one who can't go to places with your friends and socialize, because unhealthy delicious would be near and you would be tempted. You would become the one, who gets bullied and can't respond properly.

In these situations you will be in an internal conflict. When you are constantly in war with your own body, sooner or later it will betray you, when you expect it the least.

Students from really strict families sometimes get into bad situations, because campus life gives them more freedom than they ever learned to use. When your parents prohibit alcohol, dating and hanging out with strangers, you may get overwhelmed when you finally get freedom to do so, to the point of having STDs and unwanted pregnancies.

Similar thing with violence. What happens to the kids, who never allowed to be violent and get constantly bullied at school? Sometimes they become school shooters.

So, what do we do? Following to the animal inside is a bad idea. Fighting the animal is not right too. What's left?

Peace with the animal

That philosopher from Nepal found a solution and called it the Middle Way. The idea is to avoid extremes and have a balanced life. Negotiate with the animal inside. That philosopher was Gautama Buddha.

Jesus also didn't stay fasting in the desert forever. He returned to his disciples and feasted with sinners.

That's why it is okay sometimes to eat delicious unhealthy food and drink alcohol. That's why every person should learn how to express aggression in civilized manner.

That's why you should maintain peace with the animal inside.