If you want to become self-realized and achieve the love of Krishna, you must know how to control lust. The biggest difficulty in the path of self-realization is the uncontrolled mind and senses. Lust and material desires destroy knowledge and penances of a person so you need to control your mind and eradicate lust to achieve a higher spiritual taste. It takes time hard work, dedication. This article will guide you on how to overcome lust.
WHAT CAUSES LUST?
Like the other organs in the body, reproduction limb also works on the instruction of your mind, so it is not an organ, but the mind which you need to control. Sensual urges are common and natural; it comes with an age of 14 to 16, however, these days sensually implicit content on Television and on the internet has made children sensually active in a relatively lower age.
Many of them watch porn content and commit offenses and by the time they realize their mistakes, they have lost time and energy. So we should educate people on how to control their desires. I don’t say that everyone should become celibacy or people should not love or don’t get married, but they should avoid an illicit relationship.
What is an illicit relationship?
Now days keeping girlfriends and boyfriends before marriage have become a common trend, but it falls in the category of illicit relationship. In fact, it is a sin and our society doesn’t approve it. Premarital affair creates problems in marriage and you have to hide it and tell a lie that you are a virgin to get married. And live in relationships are the worst form of illicit relationship. Living with a person life husband wife and keep changing partners every now and then is the lifestyle of western countries. Not a respected person would like to marry a boy or girl who has a previous affair.
Many people continue their premarital affairs secretly even after the marriage, this is the second category of illicit relationship. Many others who don’t find their life partners as per their expectation; get into a secret relationship with other individuals. Post marriage affairs have been a reason for a huge number of divorce, suicide and murder cases, but people still pursue it. Surely the lust is very powerful; it attracts even a person of discrimination.
HOW TO CONTROL LUST?
Many people are genuine and loyal to their spouses, but they struggle to control this powerful emotion and at times fall down in a testing situation. On the contrary, there are some true souls who try to control lust through yoga, Ayurveda, meditation, and bhakti. This post is for those people who think that controlling lust is possible and who are ready to put in time and energy to apply tips given here. So if you are one of them keep reading.
Sensual Fulfilment isn’t a Necessity
Contrary to the popular belief, sensual gratification is not a necessity; it is just a feeling like anger, greed, envy, etc. Like other negative feelings, it is prominent and uncontrollable to some extent because of the sensual atmosphere where sensual desires are provoked everywhere from television to mobile and even on the hoarding on roads.
In such a sensual atmosphere, it is really difficult for a person to keep his animalistic desires under control, however, it is possible.
The Scientific Side of Lust
Hormones are responsible for the opposite gender attraction. If your body is producing sensual hormones in a large quantity, you will have lustful feelings, nightfall, and infatuation towards people of opposite gender.
You will like their voice, limbs gait and everything that they do. In the popular culture, this is called love and many books and films have made millions on this topic.
In the scientific term is a just a mental delirium because of hormonal imbalance. So you should understand that the beautiful illusion of love is just a lustful display of hormone. For example, a person suffering from high fever or any other illness may see or experience unreal things; the same thing is true for a lustful person.
Beauty Lies in the Mind of a Person
If you analyze the body of a woman as a Skeleton covered with flesh, you won’t be attracted towards her. As a body is constantly oozing filth from different parts, it is not attractive at all. But it is the lust that makes a filthy body charming and attractive.
So when you analyze the body of women in this way, you will feel attraction towards her and without attraction lust will lose its power.
Nobody would like to enjoy and own a thing which is not beautiful or attractive. Do you feel attraction towards an ugly girl? No, so it is the illusion of beauty which attracts you.
Eradicate the Desire of Momentary Pleasure
The purpose of a sensual act was primarily for reproduction in ancient times. The concept of pleasure or joy was added later. Even if we accept that the sensual acts are pleasurable, this joy is short-lived. You cannot continue it for a lengthy period because it is not meant for joy. So if you constantly feed your mind that carnal acts aren't joyful, they are just waste of time and energy, you will not experience sensual urges in the future.
Cultivate Knowledge
Instead of thinking about pleasure, focus on the harm of carnal activity, there are many. When you become aware of demerits of sensual acts, you will automatically withdraw from it. For this, you need to cultivate and accept real knowledge from authentic sources.
The Sense of Guilt and Fear
The sense of guilt comes with the realization that I have done something wrong. For this first, you have to understand and accept what is wrong. Many people take pride in having many girlfriends or boyfriends and they openly justify it. They also consider it as one of their qualities, they face problems and repent.
Further, the sense of fear comes with the feeling of loss or harm. You may fear that your name would get malign if people come to know about your affair. Similarly, you may fear of divorce on the exposure of your wrong doings. In this way keeping in mind the sense of guilt and fear, you can escape from the clutches of lust.
If you get knowledge and do the proper analysis, you can control the lust and regulate our family life. Always remember sensual acts are only for reproduction not for enjoyment.
HOW TO CONTROL LUST - BHAGAVAD GITA
Check Your Thoughts
Lord Krishna Says in Gita (chapter 2 verse 62) brings “Attachment to objects is born when one ponders over them.” Attachment (desire or aversion) to an object does not come suddenly. It comes by repeated thinking about it. If one understands this secret, then any attachment can be nipped in the bud. When the mind tends to think of an object repeatedly, we should become alert and change the thought. At the early stages, it is easy to do so.
A thought can spur you to take an action and repeated thoughts become a habit and habits form character. So don’t let evil thoughts spoil your character.
Engage Your Mind in Healthy thoughts and Activities
You cannot become thoughtless and stop working, it is not possible. However, if you keep yourself engaged in healthy and noble activity and thoughts, evil feelings will be automatically uprooted. It has also been said that empty mind is the workshop of the devil so you need to feed your mind with noble and good thought and act accordingly.
Read Bhagavad Gita
You will find a detailed answer of how can you control mind and lust in the Bhagavat Gita. Lord Krishna has explained it in a great detail. Lust is the biggest enemy of human as it engages one in the sinful activities and degrades himself. Since Lord Krishna has directed us on how to control lust we don’t need to seek other resources, Bhagavad Gita has the answer of all your questions of life.
Take Shelter of Krishna and Chant Hare Krishna Mantra.
Lust cannot be eradicated completely without the mercy of the God because Maya is the external energy of Lord Krishna and no one can control it until he is blessed by the supreme personality of the Godhead. You can curb lust and other negative emotions by chanting the holy name of the lord.
Hare Krishna mantra is a powerful sound vibration that connects you with Krishna curbing all the evil habits. Moreover, you should keep good company ideally that of pure devotees to stay safe from temptations. By reading and listening about Krishna, chanting his name, eating prasadam and associating with devotees, you can free yourself from the bondage of lust.
Why do People Commit Offences?
Arjuna has enquired Krishna in the battlefield of Kurukshetra “why do people commit sinful activities knowingly?” then Krishna said it is lust o Arjuna that compels a human being to commit a sinful act even knowing that it is wrong and he will suffer the consequences.
Lust is the Root Cause of other Vices
Lust is the mother of many vices such as anger, attachment, anxiety, etc. When your lust is not fulfilled, you will become angry and depressed and these feelings lead towards destruction.
Further, if your lust is fulfilled you will be attached to the object of lust and face difficulty and grief in the future because path of every individual are separate. Everyone has to face bereavement from his/her loved ones at some time in life.
Lust is your Enemy
Krishna has declared lust as an enemy of a human being; it degrades one from his position of goodness and leads to the path of hell. Lust destroys all the virtues of a person and makes him a slave of momentary pleasure. You should be careful with this enemy as it is very strong and subtle. If you don’t keep a guard on your mind and senses, you wouldn’t come to know when it has conquered you.
This enemy attacks your mind and senses and puzzles your intelligence, you need to check it on the entry point which is not a difficult task if you are engaged in the devotional services of Krishna. If you don’t defeat it, in the beginning, it will grow stronger and enslave you. Generally, lust is perceived through senses and when you relish it, your mind gets captured.
Prayer to Overcome Lust
Human efforts alone isn't sufficient to overcome lust, you need divine help. You should pray to Krishna to give you the real knowledge and help you eradicate lust.
Don’t Suppress but Direct Your Senses
Many yogis try to suppress their senses through yoga, fast and other penances, but eventually, they fall down. One can suppress his sense for some time, but when you become a little careless or when any favorable circumstances arise, these senses attack you with the redoubled energy and you get defeated.
So the suppression of senses is not a solution, you need to direct sense to a higher taste towards the devotion of lord Krishna. In this way, you will control your mind effortlessly.
Cultivate Love of Krishna in your Heart
Love and lust are two opposite things but gets mistaken for each other. The materialistic love is actually lust covered with an attractive packaging.
The real love is the love of god because it is pure, blissful, everlasting and joyful. Once you tasted this nectar, you will find all other things useless. Fortunately, the love of God isn’t something that we need to import from outside, it resides in our heart covered with the materialist vices, and we just need to awaken it.
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu put a strong emphasis on the chanting of Hare Krishna mantra as it purifies your heart and gives you the love of god.
You have to rise above The Kama to Get Moksha
As per ancient scripture, a person has to strive for four things in life namely Dharma, Artha, Kama, and Moksha. First, comes dharma, we need to follow our dharma in every situation, it is the topmost priority. Artha which means money is the second thing and it helps you fulfill your duties and maintain your body. The Kama is the next important thing with a purpose of reproduction and you need to rise above The Kama to get Moksha which is the ultimate goal of our life.
EFFECTIVE TIPS TO OVERCOME LUST
Keep all your senses engaged in the service of Krishna, chant his name, listen to his bhajans and lecture (only sung by devotees), read Krishna books and associate with devotees.
Chant every day with full attention and take prasadam.
Whenever a sensual thought comes in your mind replace it with the pastimes of lord Krishna. Do it for a few days regularly and it would become a habit.
Always remember the skin deep beauty isn’t a real beauty
Take inspiration from history, many great personalities such as Laxman, Hanuman, Bhishma pitamah were Brahmachari. You can control lust if you are determined to do so.
Comments
very useful article...specially the Bhagvat Gita chapter 2 verse 62 sloka....it gave immense light to my intelligence... thank you prabhu...