When troublesome stalkers harass people repeatedly, they may decide to flee. For this strategy to succeed, they need to leave without leaving a forwarding address; otherwise, the stalkers will soon be snapping at their heels.
Similarly, when we find ourselves harassed and stalked by temptation, we need to flee to save ourselves. Fleeing usually means either getting ourselves physically away from the tempting circumstance or at least getting our thoughts away from the tempting stimuli. While retreating though, we frequently leave a forwarding address for the temptation. How? By continuing to entertain the temptation at the back of our mind – by refusing it with not “No”, but just “Not now.”
We often refuse temptation merely by the desire to preserve a respectable public profile or such external considerations – not by inner conviction.
Why are we half-hearted in our refusal?
Because we are often prompted merely by the desire to preserve a respectable public profile or such external considerations – not by inner conviction. Staying open for future opportunities to indulge privately is like leaving a clearly visible forwarding address for temptation. No wonder it keeps stalking us even after our refusal.
To stop the stalking, we need to leave for temptation no forwarding address. That is, we need to reject it wholeheartedly with the determined conviction that sensual pleasures are ultimately futile and that the devotional joys awaiting us are far more fulfilling. We can gain such determined conviction firstly by strengthening our intelligence through serious scriptural study and secondly by enriching ourselves through devotional activities such as prayer and meditation. Then our rejection of temptation will be clear and unequivocal. Pertinently, the Gita (06.24) urges us to reject distracting desires without making any exceptions.
A devotionally purposeful rejection of temptation founded on a wholehearted inner embrace of Krishna will propel us rapidly on the way to him, eventually taking us forever beyond the harassment of temptation.
Explanation of article:
thank you so much prabhu ji for highlighting such a real truth.
even though knowing the emptiness of this material pleasure by experience and by knowledge still the force to say no to temptation in mind and action is so weak that every time i tried to punch these temptation it appear i am giving it a bumping fist. The defeat with it is so embarrassing. It always left me paralyze materially and spiritually.
but i also knew it that i do not have to give up and cent percent victory will be mine. prabhu ji please keep illminating me and the world with your words so that a looser like me start feeling that he is not a looser but a fighter.
Good comment vikas Prabhu . I am also in same boat as you.
Chaitanya charan pr is our hope.
I am also in the same boat. I write articles like these not so much to guide others as to remind myself of Krishna’s guidelines.
chaitanya charan (the lotus feet of the Lord) is the hope for all of us.
ys
ccdas