Lust, A Powerful Force

Kama (lust), Krodha (anger), Lobha (covetousness), Moha (delusion), Mada (pride), Matsarya (jealousy) are the six passions of the mind. If lust is conquered, anger, greed, etc., which are auxiliary weapons, will become ineffective. If this inveterate enemy, lust is destroyed, its followers or retinue can be quite easily conquered. If the commander is killed, it is easy to kill the soldiers. If lust, which is the source of all enjoyments, ceases, then all worldly bondage, which has its substratum in the mind, will cease. How, without its renunciation, can you expect to attain the rare Self Realization?

Lust arises in him who develops attachment specially towards a person. Love’s principal weapon is lust. Therefore, attachment should not be developed, specially towards the opposite sex. The love between a husband and wife is mainly physical. It is of a selfish, ephemeral and changing nature. He who has realized Soul can really love all with sincerity of heart. The love between two aspirants based on psychological affinity and intellectual parity is real and lasting. Get rid of selfishness. Selfishness is a major dirt. It clouds the understanding. Remove it by selfless service and charity. In a Yogi, the sexual craving is entirely eradicated. In an aspirant, it remains well-controlled. In a householder, when not controlled, it does havoc. It exists in him in its fully expanded state. He cannot resist it. He yields to it helplessly on account of his weak will and lack of firm resolution.

If you keep lemon juice or tamarind juice in a golden cup, it is not spoiled or tainted. If you keep it in a brass or copper vessel, it is at once spoiled and rendered poisonous. Even so, even if there are some sensual thoughts in the pure mind of a person, they will not pollute him and induce sensual excitement. If there are sensual thoughts in persons with impure minds, they cause excitement in them when they come across sensual objects.

Remembrance of image of a person unsettles the mind. When a tiger has once tasted human blood, it always runs after killing human beings. It becomes a man-eater. Even so, when the mind has once tasted sexual pleasures, it always runs after them. Lust is powerful. It carries a flowery bow equipped with five arrows, viz., Mohana (fascination), Stambhana (stupefaction), Unmadana (maddening), Soshana (emaciation) and Tapana (inflaming).

In the Bhagavad-Gita, you will find it mentioned that senses, mind and Buddhi (Intellect) are the seats of passions. Desire is all-pervading in the body. Every cell, every atom, every molecule, every electron is surcharged with passion. There are under-currents, cross-currents, inter-currents and submarine currents in the ocean of passion. You must completely annihilate each one of them.

Be careful in destroying passions. It is easy to control the conscious mind. But, it is very difficult to control the subconscious mind. You may be a Saint. You may be a moral man. Mark how the mind behaves or conducts itself in dreams. You begin to steal in dreams. You commit adultery in dreams. The sex-impulses, ambitions, low desires are all ingrained in you and deep-rooted in the subconscious mind. Destroy the subconscious mind and its Impressions through Inquiry, meditation. A man who is established in mental celibacy can never have even a single thought of evil in dreams. He can never have a bad dream. There is lack of Inquiry or Viveka (Power of discrimination) in dream. That is the reason why you get bad dreams, even though you are pure in the Wakened state through the power of Viveka and Inquiry.

The presence or recollection of a man/woman usually excites unholy ideas in the minds of recluses who have abandoned this world and devoted themselves to spiritual exercises and thus deprives them of the fruit of their austerity. It is very difficult to understand the presence of subtle lust in the minds of others, particularly in spiritual aspirants, though eye (look), tone, gestures, gait, behavior, etc., may give a clue.

Even Jesus was tempted by Satan. Buddha had to fight severely with Mara (lust) just before he attained his Nirvana or Buddhahood.

Reference

Mind – Its Mysteries and Control by Sri Swami Sivananda