Our vulnerability to temptation comes not just from unmanageable desires but also from unmanaged emotions. Whenever we succumb to temptation, we tend to think that the cause is unmanageable desires. We may blame ourselves for having willpower that is too weak to stand up to our unhealthy desires, or we may blame the world for being filled with so many temptations that triggering our unhealthy desires is almost inevitable.

While unmanageable desires can indeed drag us into indulgence, they are not the only cause. We may notice that there are times when we indulge even when there is no strong craving beforehand. We were not tormented by any irresistible desire, and yet, the idea of indulging popped up in our minds, and the next moment, we found ourselves relapsing. Why does this happen? It frequently comes from another powerful force in our psyche—emotions. When our emotions are unmanaged in the sense that we are experiencing emotions that are uncomfortable or unpleasant, and when we are unable to tolerate the negativity or distress caused by those emotions, we seek to run away from that unpleasantness by seeking something external that will trigger some good feeling within us. During such times, we naturally run toward those external indulgences to which we are habituated. Even though such indulgences may get us into trouble in the long run, they do provide some immediate relief, and that is what we primarily treasure, seek, and need.

To deal with such relapses into indulgence, beating ourselves up for having such weak willpower against strong desires is like chasing the wrong person after we have been robbed. For addressing unmanaged emotions, we don’t need greater control over our inner world as much as we need better means to bring comfort into our inner world. If we can find a way by which we can internally generate positive feelings, say through practices like meditating, deep breathing, or hearing some uplifting spiritual music such as kirtans, then we won’t feel the need to run away from negativity toward outward temptation and indulgence.

The Bhagavad-gītā recommends such an intelligent approach toward self-management when it urges us to elevate ourselves with ourselves. One of the meanings that can be inferred from this Gītā exhortation is that we find better ways to manage our emotions so that the part of us that is feeling low is comforted and uplifted, not simply chastised and crushed.

Summary:
When we find ourselves relapsing into indulgence, we should evaluate whether it is due to unmanageable desires and we need to discipline ourselves more, control ourselves more, or whether it is due to unmanaged emotions and we need to comfort ourselves better.

Think it over:

    • Why is the idea that all relapse into temptation is due to unmanageable desires an incomplete explanation?
    • How can unmanaged emotions lead us to indulgence?
    • What’s wrong with striving solely for greater self-control when dealing with indulgence?

06.05 One must deliver himself with the help of his mind, and not degrade himself. The mind is the friend of the conditioned soul, and his enemy as well.

Unmanageable Emotions and Temptation