Commonsense About The Senses ( Some Practical Hints-Part II )

Sri Ramakrishna

-Staff

By Staff

Friday, June 27, 2008, 18:36

The Vedanta Kesari, p. 166-170, May 2006
'Let us hear by our ears what is good,' says a Vedic prayer, 'Let us see with our eyes what is good, and let us speak what is good and beneficial.' This means navigating through objects of senses without getting trapped by them. There are two ways to restrain and train the senses. One, is the jnana way, where you learn to control the senses though the analysis of the futility of running after the sense objects, and use of strong will power. The other is the bhakti way, where we try to connect all our sensory experiences to God. We eat for him, drink for him, walk for him, work for him…do everything for him.

Sri Krishna says in the Gita:'Whatever thou doest, whatever thou eatest, whatever thou offerest in sacrifice, whatever thou givest away, whatever austerity thou practisest, O son of Kunti, do that as an offering unto Me.'All violence and crime in the world owes its origin to uncontrolled senses. Similarly, at the root of all human weaknesses like anger and lust, lies clinging to sensual enjoyment. Consumerism or the tendency of compulsive consumption of goods, often misses this point. This leads to losing sight of life's ultimate goal. Hence despite all comforts and enjoyments many people live empty lives and suffer from boredom and meaninglessness in life—leading a 'life of silent desperation,' as Thoreau called it.
The purpose of controlling senses does not mean harming them but transcending them. One cannot transcend the senses without first controlling them. Without distinguishing between what is good and what is pleasant (which may be bad in the long run), people follow the impulse of their senses, and come to trouble. To train the senses and follow what is beneficial for us is the right solution to obtain lasting happiness. Acharya Shankara likens a man who wishes to seek lasting happiness through sense pleasures to a person who wishes to cross an ocean sitting on the back of a crocodile.

Conclusion

Lasting happiness comes through finding a lasting source of happiness. Senses deal with the ever-changing objects of the world, and hence the happiness derived through them is also ever-changing. The power of senses declines—either through age or decease. Moreover, acquisition of objects of senses is subject to many changing factors. The real source of happiness should be sought in something more lasting and steady. God alone is that source, and seeking Him is to seek eternal joy.