satisfying material desires

[Guest guest]

How to deal with lust/agitation in the heart?

 

Prahlada Maharaja teaches to tolerate the itch.

 

 

In the story of Maharaja Yajati we find another approach. When King Yajati

requests his son Yadu to exchange his youth Yadu replies:

 

"My dear father, you have already achieved old age, although you also were a

young man. But I do not welcome your old age and invalidity,FOR UNLESS ONE

ENJOYS MATERIAL HAPPINESS, ONE CANNOT ATTAIN RENUNCIATION." [sB 9.18.40]

 

I've put in capitals the sentence which strikes me. In the purport Srila

Prabhupada explains that Yadu's refusal was righteous. A quotation:

 

"Maharaja Yadu was very eager to engage himself in the Lord's service, but

there was one impediment: during youth the material desires to enjoy the

material senses is certainly present, and UNLESS ONE FULLY SATISFIES THESE

LUSTY DESIRES IN YOUTH, THERE IS A CHANCE OF ONE'S BEING DISTURBED IN

RENDERING SERVICE TO THE LORD. We have actually seen that many sannyasis who

accept sannyasa prematurely, NOT HAVING SATISFIED THEIR MATERIAL DESIRES,

fall down because they are disturbed. Therefore the general process is to go

through ghrasta life and vanaprastha life and finally come to sannyasa and

devote oneself completely to the service of the Lord." [sB 9.18.40 purp.]

 

Again in capitals the parts which strike me.

 

In SB canto 8 chapter 12 it is described how Lord Siva became bewildered by

Mohini-murti. In SB 8.12.35p Srila Prabhupada describes:

 

"Once one is agitated by lusty desires upon seeing a woman, those desires

increase more and more, but when semen is discharged in the act of sex, THE

LUSTY DESIRES DIMINISH. The same principle acted upon Lord Siva. He was

allured by the beatiful woman Mohini-murti, but when his semen had been

fully discharged, HE CAME TO HIS SENSES and realized how he had been

victimized as soon as he saw the woman in the forest."

 

Another instance of the phenomena that satisfying material desires leads to

renunciation. Now, I like to reflect on HOW THE PROCESS OF SATISFYING THE

SENSES LEADS TO RENUNCIATION and what is the room for this principle to be

applied in our practice of the process of Krishna consciousness.

 

a) We learn from Bhagavad gita that lust is like a burning fire which will

never be ended by adding fuel to it. This seems to contradict above

statements. imho the contradiction is resolved in looking at it SHORT TERM

vs. LONG TERM. Satisfying the senses gives a relief for some time, however

at some point in the future the agitation hits back even more strongly.

The story of Lord Siva was a pastime enacted by the Lord to teach how strong

the attraction of the opposite sex is not how one should regularly have a

falldown in order to become renounced.

b) It's important to be satisfied and pacified on all levels: body, mind and

soul. Our life is holistic. Most important, of course, is the satisfaction

of the soul by cultivation of pure devotional service. When pure devotional

service is strongly cultivated the needs of body and mind are minimalized.

To the degree of the cultivation of one's pure devotional service and

concomitant spiritual satisfaction, to that degree one can NATURALLY

renounce. Renunciation must be NATURAL. I understand that all genuine

followers of Srila Prabhupada are supposed to act on a MINIMUN level of

Krishna consciousness that the 4 regulative principles, including no illicit

sex for the ghrasta's, are COMFORTABLE to follow. If continuous difficulties

are experienced in terms of sexual agitation, that means that the practice

of the process of pure devotional service should be improved and rectified.

c) One thing to remind is that we had already so much sense enjoyment before

we came to KC in this life and so many past lives but did it make us rid

from the desires?

d) How does ghrasta life satisfy one's material desires if one is not

allowed to have sex besides procreation anyway?

 

I am hoping to become wiser by your input, realizations and corrections.

 

Your servant, Mahaprabhu das