If we live in a house made of inflammable material, we will meticulously avoid throwing about a matchstick, lest it triggers a house-destroying fire. 

Actually, we all are living in an inflammable house: the house of our consciousness. At any moment, a spark of sensual desire can set our consciousness on fire, burning our good intentions, intelligence, and integrity. 

What worsens our vulnerability is our culture; it keeps sending dangerous sensual sparks into our consciousness incessantly. Materialistic culture throws sensual sparks into us, especially through our eyes. How? By constantly parading alluring objects. And nowadays, this parade extends far beyond our physical vicinity to the entire world through the internet. Therein are visible, just a few clicks away, the dirtiest depravities of the world’s darkest minds. One sight on some site can trigger a fearsome fire inside.

Sensual sparks are more dangerous than fire sparks. Why? Because sensual sparks can burn unpredictably and repeatedly. Unpredictably because whereas a matchstick ignites anything inflammable immediately, a sensual sight can smolder in our consciousness for any amount of time before suddenly blazing up. And repeatedly because the same sensual memory can inflame our consciousness again and again. 

Understanding how vulnerable we are, we need to watch what we watch. That is, we need to guard our eyes from dwelling on incendiary images. Pertinently, the Bhagavad-gita (02.68) recommends rigorous sensual restraint. 

We can best protect ourselves by practicing bhakti-yoga. This yoga of love brings all-pure Krishna into our consciousness, thereby purifying it and decreasing its sensual inflammability. By regular bhakti-yoga practice, we become increasingly attracted to Krishna. And sights and memories of his supreme beauty and glory start sticking in our consciousness more and more. These spiritual stimuli ignite our divine desire for him, filling our consciousness with him and insulating it from sensual fires.  

 

Think it over:

  • How are we living in an inflammable house?
  • Why are sensual sparks especially dangerous?
  • How can we best protect our consciousness? 

 

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02.68 Therefore, O mighty-armed, one whose senses are restrained from their objects is certainly of steady intelligence.


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