Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Radhanath Swami on Disciplining Senses

To discipline oneself means to sacrifice, to be willing to accept pain for the sake of achieving something higher. An animal is simply concerned with satisfying with his immediate sensual and mental demands. But human life is meant to put aside the immediate feelings of the mind and senses to understand what is required to achieve the highest purpose of life.

It is not a question of whether there is desire or not. It is a question of how one is willing to control one's desires. If one has an impulse towards sinful activities or for activities that are not conducive to spiritual life and in spite of that impulse, if one is willing to say "no" then one is a Gosvami (Go means the senses and svami means master). But one who yields to the senses is a Godasa, a servant of the senses.

48 comments:

  1. Very True!We have to learn to dovetail our desires and direct it towards achieving the higher purpose. Radhanath Swami and his students have been very ably handling this very well.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks Maharaj..Unless we take efforts to control our desires and do Austerity its difficult to advance in spiritual life.

    ReplyDelete
  3. For the success of spiritual life controlling our senses is very important.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thank you Radhanath Swami for making us understand this imortant point Exercising sense control for our progress

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thank you very much for sharing. Radhanath Swami reminds us that human life is meant for self realization so in order to be in the right path the first thing that we should desire on is to control one's feelings of the mind and senses to understand what is required.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Radhanath Swami has very nicely explained the purpose of human life. We should realise our responsibilities as human beings and act accordingly.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Yes, very true. Radhanath Swami very nicel explained to me that it is our own willingness and sincere desire if we want to be servant of senses or master of senses. One cannot be both simultaenously.

    The principle of Higher Taste governs controlling such lower taste of sensual and mental pleasures.

    Thank you very much Radhanath Swami

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thank you Swami
    Well then i am a godasa servant of the senses
    i'll try harder, please forgive me.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thanks for sharing this wonderful article, such articles gives strength to control our senses which are very difficult to control otherwise. Discipline is required to achieve one's goal.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Thanks for sharing such articles, these helps one to control mind and senses which are otherwise very difficult to control. Discipline is required in all aspects of life to achieve short term as well as long term goals.

    ReplyDelete
  11. very nicely explained that we will have inflow of desire but imp thing is to control the desire. thank you swami ji

    ReplyDelete
  12. "Human life is meant to put aside the immediate feelings of the mind and senses to understand what is required to achieve the highest purpose of life" - Wonderful statement!!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Thanks to Radhanath swami for stressing that we need to say NO to activities not conducive to spiritual life. This is very essential to make progress in our spiritual lives.

    ReplyDelete
  14. This is a super definition. It is not that the desire is there or not, but it is strength of the soul to say no to the demands of the senses, that is Goswami. Thank you Radhanath Swami for explaining this in words and also so very much in your actions!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Radhanath Swami is discriminating between human life & animal life here, making it clear how human life is meant for sacrifice for a higher purpose and not just the satisfy the demands of the mind & senses.
    All glories to Radhanath Swami.Thanks Radhanath Swami Maharaj.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Wonderful point drwan by Maharaj saying that"To discipline oneself means to sacrifice, to be willing to accept pain for the sake of achieving something higher."

    ReplyDelete
  17. The best definition of "Discipline", i ever came across
    "To discipline oneself means to sacrifice, to be willing to accept pain for the sake of achieving something higher". Jai Maharajah.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Thanks for reminding Maharaj. We should always see the higher principle & control our desires or harmonize our desires for sprituality.

    ReplyDelete
  19. In this Kali Yuga, everyone starts off being a Godasa, as servant of the senses. Only when blessed with a Spiritual Master and the good Lord's mercy, one surrenders and serves the spiritual master and Krishna. It is then that one can become a Goswami by controlling one's senses. Thank you Maharaj!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Disciplining Senses is very difficult. Apart from our endavour, mercy of pure devotees like Radhanath Swami is required

    ReplyDelete
  21. Radhanath Mahraj nicely describes why it is necessary to discipline one's senses...very important in this day and age when sense enjoyment has become the purpose of life.

    ReplyDelete
  22. H.H Radhanatah Swami is explaining the qualities of a Goswami and how it is so important to control the senses for spiritual progress.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Ydas write: Radhanath Swami speaks about the highest truth here - a must follow excercise for makign this human life successful

    ReplyDelete
  24. Very smoothly heavy. All glories to Radhanath Swami Maharaj.

    ReplyDelete
  25. It is not a question whether one desire or not. It is a question of how one is willing to control one's desires , This discipline.

    ReplyDelete
  26. I have a long way to go. to achieve this stage.

    ReplyDelete
  27. "But human life is meant to put aside the immediate feelings of the mind and senses to understand what is required to achieve the highest purpose of life." -- Radhanath Swami has so nicely put the difference between humans and animals.

    ReplyDelete
  28. This is a very strict requirement but essential for spiritual progress - unless one can control the mind there is no success even in material life

    ReplyDelete
  29. Radhanath Swami points out that serving the senses is not glorious.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Radhanath Swami distinguishes between one who is a sincere spiritual seeker and one who is simply trying to enjoy himself.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Thank you Radhanath Swami for urgent need for controling immediate demands of our senses.Otherwise we are simply two legged animals(dvipad pashu).

    ReplyDelete
  32. A wonderful teaching.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Short and sweet article on sense-control.

    ReplyDelete
  34. Radhanath Swami stresses the importance of human form of life. As Radhanath Swami says Human life is meant for higher purpose and that is to know God and love God.

    ReplyDelete
  35. very true. Radhanath Swami explained very easily that it is our own willingness and sincere desire if we want to be servant of senses or master of senses. One cannot be both simultaneously. "Many times Maharajs post are eye opeaners"

    ReplyDelete
  36. Amazing definition of Goswami and Godasa. I have seen lot of people with names being Goswami but the real meaning is understood only now.

    ReplyDelete
  37. Maharaj has nicely explained who a Goswami is and who is not.

    ReplyDelete
  38. Controlling the senses is a prerequisite to advancement in spiritual knowledge.

    ReplyDelete
  39. Disciplining senses is indeed very important for any spiritual seeker.....thanks swamiji for always guiding us....

    ReplyDelete
  40. Cultivating spiritual knowledge, hearing lectures of pure souls like HH Radhanath Swami,associating with devotees and rendering devotional service in a subservient attitude on a regular basis can help to some extent in controlling the mind and senses.As Maharaj says right engagement of mind and senses is a must for spiritual advancement.Thanks maharaj.

    ReplyDelete
  41. A sadhaka must try to become a Goswami.

    ReplyDelete
  42. Beautifully said by Radhanath Swami...at neophyte stage we cannot help about the nasty desires we are carrying from the past, but we have to learn to say no to them!...

    ReplyDelete
  43. Radhanath Swami conveys so beautifully: It is not a question of whether there is desire or not. It is a question of how one is willing to control one's desires...

    ReplyDelete