Is it possible for anyone to conquer his desires? The answer is in the negative. On the other hand man is conquered by desires. Desires form the very bedrock of human existence. There is no life if desires are absent. Creation has been so arranged that that no single individual is bereft of desires. God has very ingeniously devised the inner adversaries to be embedded in human nature. Arishadvargas, as they are called, play havoc in the lives of human beings. The first and foremost enemy is Kama or desire. Desires are unquenchable and man pursues them endlessly only to be disappointed and disillusioned. One desire leads to another and that to the third and so on. This disappointment engenders anger, arrogance which are other inner enemies that one has to control. Man, under the influence of anger loses his balance of mind, becomes almost a beast and does things which he would never think of in normal circumstances. Man's attachment to his wife, children and property multiplies his desires and drags him down to sheer material existence from which there is no escape. Desires, thus, are the root cause of human suffering and all troubles! Many, including sages, seers, emperors, Kings, and common men have become the victims of their endless desires.
Though conquest of desires appears to be extremely difficult, it is not impossible for the human intellect. It requires a steady attempt to achieve the ideal through spiritual practice. Who is the person who is the Master of his desires? Sri RamaKrishna says, “ He is a true man who is dead even in this life---that is, whose passions and propensities have been curbed to extinction as in a dead body.” In other words, the person should have killed all his desires as if he is already a dead man. It is easily said than done! Where is the grit and determination for such an impossible thing in the ordinary mortal? Desire is the enemy of God. Beatific vision of God is possible only for a heart that is calm and involved in the thought of God. Man has to renounce his desires by realizing that they are the road blocks for realization of God. Man should achieve this through his intellect and discrimination. The temptations of the world are irresistible. He has to be extremely cautious like the one standing by the brink of a deep well lest he should fall in to it. Once fallen, it is very difficult to come out unscathed. The best method to conquer the Arishadvargas is turn them to God instead of the world. They behave like enemies when directed towards the world and its objects. On the other hand, they become our friends when directed towards God! In short, you have to hanker after the Divine instead your lust for material things. You should be angry why God has not yet revealed himself to you! While Arishadvargas cannot be annihilated, they have to be nicely directed towards God when they become harmless and docile!
It is said that once, Mandodari, queen of Ravana, king of Lanka, noticing the amorous propensities of her spouse towards Sita, asked him to take the form of Sri Rama and approach her. Ravana’s reaction was astonishing. “ Can I stoop to the pleasures of the senses while I am in the holy form of Rama----a form the very thought of which fills my heart with such unspeakable joy and blessedness that even the highest heaven appears to me worthless.” What a noble and sacred sentiment exactly opposite to Ravana's nature and personality! The name of God has the capacity to turn the evil into the good! The mind of man should not be let loose like a wild elephant that destroys everything but restrained and pulled up with discrimination. True knowledge of God is inversely proportional to worldly attachment. More attachment to world results in less knowledge of God. However pure and perfect one maybe, his continuous contact with the world is sure to taint him. The effect of impure association is sure to affect him. Hence it is desirable that one keeps away from worldly associations and temptations.
Adam lost his Paradise because he ate the Forbidden Fruit! He willingly committed the sin because he could not live without Eve whom he had created from one of his ribs. This infatuation cost Adam his Paradise! The arrival of Divinity in man automatically removes the infirmities in human nature similar to the fall of the petals when the fruit is formed. Everything in the world is subject to fear! It is only Vairagya or non attachment to worldly things that is out of fear! One who is non attached need not fear anything in the world and nothing can affect him. Such a person shall not be tempted even by his own wife! The attractions of the world are nothing compared to the attraction of God who is the larger magnet. Hence these smaller attractions are no where before the higher pull of Divinity!
Man is under the terrible illusion of Maya. He mistakes the real as unreal and the unreal as real! He cannot escape from the clutches of Maya. He thinks that sensual pleasures are real joy or ananda whereas they are ephemeral and momentary! He knows it sometimes but again and again falls into the mire of Samsara! He doesn’t know that God is the embodiment of Existence, Awareness and Bliss—Satchidananda Swaroopa! Realization of God is the only bliss or real joy for man. Such a person has no charm for the mean and worthless pieasures of the world. Volumes can be written on this topic and lectures addressed, but it is rather difficult for the common man to understand things and turn to the ways of God! The world has an irresistible attraction for him and the Arishadvargas egg him on to material comforts and pleasures! When the great sage like Viswamitra was a victim of Kama or passion what about the ordinary mortal? It is the bounden duty of every human being to realize himself and understand that he is not the body but the indestructible eternal Atma or God embedded in the innermost recess of his heart! That is purpose of the birth of every human being in the world!
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Though conquest of desires appears to be extremely difficult, it is not impossible for the human intellect. It requires a steady attempt to achieve the ideal through spiritual practice. Who is the person who is the Master of his desires? Sri RamaKrishna says, “ He is a true man who is dead even in this life---that is, whose passions and propensities have been curbed to extinction as in a dead body.” In other words, the person should have killed all his desires as if he is already a dead man. It is easily said than done! Where is the grit and determination for such an impossible thing in the ordinary mortal? Desire is the enemy of God. Beatific vision of God is possible only for a heart that is calm and involved in the thought of God. Man has to renounce his desires by realizing that they are the road blocks for realization of God. Man should achieve this through his intellect and discrimination. The temptations of the world are irresistible. He has to be extremely cautious like the one standing by the brink of a deep well lest he should fall in to it. Once fallen, it is very difficult to come out unscathed. The best method to conquer the Arishadvargas is turn them to God instead of the world. They behave like enemies when directed towards the world and its objects. On the other hand, they become our friends when directed towards God! In short, you have to hanker after the Divine instead your lust for material things. You should be angry why God has not yet revealed himself to you! While Arishadvargas cannot be annihilated, they have to be nicely directed towards God when they become harmless and docile!
It is said that once, Mandodari, queen of Ravana, king of Lanka, noticing the amorous propensities of her spouse towards Sita, asked him to take the form of Sri Rama and approach her. Ravana’s reaction was astonishing. “ Can I stoop to the pleasures of the senses while I am in the holy form of Rama----a form the very thought of which fills my heart with such unspeakable joy and blessedness that even the highest heaven appears to me worthless.” What a noble and sacred sentiment exactly opposite to Ravana's nature and personality! The name of God has the capacity to turn the evil into the good! The mind of man should not be let loose like a wild elephant that destroys everything but restrained and pulled up with discrimination. True knowledge of God is inversely proportional to worldly attachment. More attachment to world results in less knowledge of God. However pure and perfect one maybe, his continuous contact with the world is sure to taint him. The effect of impure association is sure to affect him. Hence it is desirable that one keeps away from worldly associations and temptations.
Adam lost his Paradise because he ate the Forbidden Fruit! He willingly committed the sin because he could not live without Eve whom he had created from one of his ribs. This infatuation cost Adam his Paradise! The arrival of Divinity in man automatically removes the infirmities in human nature similar to the fall of the petals when the fruit is formed. Everything in the world is subject to fear! It is only Vairagya or non attachment to worldly things that is out of fear! One who is non attached need not fear anything in the world and nothing can affect him. Such a person shall not be tempted even by his own wife! The attractions of the world are nothing compared to the attraction of God who is the larger magnet. Hence these smaller attractions are no where before the higher pull of Divinity!
Man is under the terrible illusion of Maya. He mistakes the real as unreal and the unreal as real! He cannot escape from the clutches of Maya. He thinks that sensual pleasures are real joy or ananda whereas they are ephemeral and momentary! He knows it sometimes but again and again falls into the mire of Samsara! He doesn’t know that God is the embodiment of Existence, Awareness and Bliss—Satchidananda Swaroopa! Realization of God is the only bliss or real joy for man. Such a person has no charm for the mean and worthless pieasures of the world. Volumes can be written on this topic and lectures addressed, but it is rather difficult for the common man to understand things and turn to the ways of God! The world has an irresistible attraction for him and the Arishadvargas egg him on to material comforts and pleasures! When the great sage like Viswamitra was a victim of Kama or passion what about the ordinary mortal? It is the bounden duty of every human being to realize himself and understand that he is not the body but the indestructible eternal Atma or God embedded in the innermost recess of his heart! That is purpose of the birth of every human being in the world!
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