Even if we can’t stop the flow of temptation into our consciousness, we can certainly stop that flow from becoming a flood that takes over our consciousness.

We live in a world that presents us with an almost unending parade of temptations. While we can’t avoid all temptations completely, neither by advocating the very presence of temptations in the outer world nor by shutting our senses so that we don’t perceive the temptations, that inability doesn’t mean we have to be sitting ducks for the attack of temptations.

To understand how we can protect ourselves, we need to differentiate between the flow of temptation and the flood of temptation. Water is constantly flowing in a river, but that flow becomes a flood that devastates human society in certain situations. The water in the river itself increases excessively due to unusually heavy rains or some other similar factor, and systems meant to manage such increased water flow, such as dams or channels, are not in place or they break down.

In the case of our consciousness and the tempting stimuli that flow into it, we need to become more aware of places and situations where the flow of temptations into our consciousness increases substantially, such as in places like bars, casinos, or red-light areas. We need to put in place dam-like structures to manage such an increased flow of temptation.

The dams are the boundaries we set up for ourselves, whereby we, through both individual resolutions and socio-cultural conventions, regulate the quantity of temptation flowing into our consciousness. We can avoid exposing ourselves to high-temptation situations by preemptive and preventive planning.

The Bhagavad-gita 3.40 emphasizes that the first step in self-protection is sensory regulation, which is best done by setting up boundaries. Without such boundaries, we will end up, sometimes unknowingly and sometimes carelessly, leaving ourselves open and vulnerable to a high-intensity attack of temptation, wherein the flow becomes a flood and overruns our consciousness, thereby overriding our intelligence and propelling us on the path to self-destruction.

Just as dams need to be not just built once but sustained through regular repair, similarly, the boundaries that we set for ourselves need to be regularly reinforced through conscious contemplation. Conscious contemplation, guided by Gita wisdom, helps us understand how vital and even indispensable these boundaries are.

That’s how we can protect ourselves while living in a world full of temptations.

Summary:

We can’t avoid the flow of temptation into our consciousness because we can’t outlaw temptation from the outer world, and we can’t move around with closed eyes. Nonetheless, we can prevent the flow of temptation from becoming a flood by erecting dam-like boundaries in the form of individual resolutions or socio-cultural conventions to regulate and minimize exposure to temptations. Whatever dam-like protectors we may have built, we need to rebuild them through regular contemplation and remembrance of their vitality and indispensability.

Think it over:

  • Have you ever realized that trying to block all temptation from entering our consciousness is impractical? Why?
  • If we can’t stop the flow of temptation, how can we protect ourselves from its attacks?
  • Why is just building a dam-like boundary or barrier not enough to protect us in the long run?

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02.58 One who is able to withdraw his senses from sense objects, as the tortoise draws its limbs within the shell, is firmly fixed in perfect consciousness.

Controlling Temptation in Consciousness