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Control of the senses must be the primary aim of the students, not the fleeting pleasures of the sense objects, which give but a lile momentary joy followed by endless misery. The sensory perceptions, namely, hearing, touching, seeing, tasting, and smelling, are more powerful than the sense organs. (SSB, Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1990, pg. 55)
Buddha Taught Sense Control
Swami comments on how Buddha taught this vital lesson about sense control. Buddha found that when he looked
to the words of great teachers and scriptures, his efforts failed because he was looking for the permanent in the
outer world. He realized that no one can change the nature of the external world because it is impermanent. When he turned inward and changed himself by practicing right speaking, right vision, right hearing, right feeling, and right action, he found the absolute, unchangeable, and eternal.
To accomplish this, the mind must first control the senses so that our vision can turn inward to God. Then we can practice experiencing God everywhere.
Controlling the Tongue
The most important among the sense organs is the tongue. If the tongue is conquered, it virtually amounts to mastering all the senses. The tongue has two important functions: eating and talking. Whoever is able to conquer these two faculties of the tongue can merge himself in the divine Self. When the tongue stops talking, the mind starts chaing. To control the mind’s praling, the intellect (buddhi) has to be awakened. Then one should gently persuade the intellect to turn gradually toward the Atma.
By controlling the tongue, one can virtually acquire control over the world itself. The power of speech can be either used for a
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