Few temptations are as tempting as the temptation to toy with temptation. When we encounter a temptation, we are often held back from physical indulgence by moral or social considerations. But those considerations rarely hold us back from mental indulgence – as long as we aren’t doing anything physically, we feel as if we aren’t doing anything dangerous. So, the prospect of enjoying by fantasizing seems irresistible.

However, to think that the mental is not dangerous is dangerous. Why? Because the mental is the origin of the physical. When we toy with temptation, imagining how enjoying it will feel, such imagination creates within our consciousness a gust of desire. If this gust catches us at a weak moment, when we are emotionally needy or intellectually torpid, it can sweep us away. The Bhagavad-gita (02.67) cautions that just as a wind can sweep away a boat, so too can desire sweep us away, especially when the desire is animated by imagination.

Perception of tempting objects is often unavoidable in today’s materialistic culture, but imagination isn’t. By imagining, we give temptation a stronghold in our consciousness, letting it deaden our conscience and intelligence. Making us its toy, the temptation can make us dance according to its tune with the promise of pleasure. Thus, we end up acting regrettably, even reprehensibly.

Instead of letting our imagination toy with temptation, we can use that very imagination for our spiritual growth. That is, we can prayerfully and devotionally dream about how we can serve Krishna in different ways according to our inspirations; how in future, as we become purified, we can relish increasingly the sublime spiritual experiences that we presently relish intermittently.

When we thus get our imagination to work for us instead of against us, it will propel us swiftly towards Krishna.

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