overcoming lower qualities (2)

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By making plans with determination, one should give up lusty desires for

sense gratification. Similarly, by giving up envy one should conquer anger,

by discussing the disadvantages of accumulating wealth one should give up

greed, and by discussing the truth one should give up fear.

 

By discussing spiritual knowledge one can conquer lamentation and illusion,

by serving a great devotee one can become prideless, by keeping silent one

can avoid obstacles on the path of mystic yoga, and simply by stopping sense

gratification one can conquer envy.

 

By good behavior and freedom from envy one should counteract sufferings due

to other living entities, by meditation in trance one should counteract

sufferings due to providence, and by practicing hatha-yoga, pranayama and so

forth one should counteract sufferings due to the body and mind. Similarly,

by developing the mode of goodness, especially in regard to eating, one

should conquer sleep.

 

One must conquer the modes of passion and ignorance by developing the mode

of goodness, and then one must become detached from the mode of goodness by

promoting oneself to the platform of suddha-sattva. All this can be

automatically done if one engages in the service of the spiritual master

with faith and devotion. In this way one can conquer the influence of the

modes of nature.

 

SB 7.15.22-25, texts