Suppose we resolve repeatedly to give up some temptation, but still succumb again and again. Becoming dejected, we may conclude, “This temptation is too strong; I am powerless against it.” Thankfully, our conclusion is flawed.
Even if we can’t say no when that temptation hits us, we can still choose what we do in between the times when it hits us. If we are not tapping that choice, that’s not because we lack the power to resist temptation; that’s because we lack a purpose to fill our life.
To understand how, let’s begin by asking ourselves some questions. “Suppose I was free from this temptation — what would I do with the newfound freedom? What would bring meaning and value to my life?” While we might think of several things, let’s zero in on one thing that we feel inspired to do. That thing would be our pointer to a purpose worth pursuing. Focusing on this purpose, we can ask ourselves: “Even in my present temptation-prone condition, can I still do something to pursue my purpose? Among the things that I can do, how many am I doing?”
If we are not doing several of those things that could help us pursue our purpose, that raises some key questions: “Might I have unwittingly let my life be pervaded by an avoidable sense of valuelessness or meaninglessness? Might that emptiness impel me to seek temptation as a means to bring into my barren life some titillation — even if it is temporary and leads to trouble? Might filling my life with meaningful activities give me greater impetus to resist temptation?”
By introspecting thus, we can realize that our relapses into temptation arise not because we lack power, but because we lack purpose. Pertinently, the Bhagavad-gita (02.41) highlights the importance of a single-pointed purpose.
One-sentence summary:
We fall to temptation not because we are powerless, but because we are purposeless.
Think it over:
- “I am powerless against temptation” — what may be right and wrong about this conclusion?
- How can we find a purpose worth pursuing?
- How can introspection change our understanding of the cause of our relapses?
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02.41: Those who are on this path are resolute in purpose, and their aim is one. O beloved child of the Kurus, the intelligence of those who are irresolute is many-branched.
To know more about this verse, please click on the image
JAPA enlightens your purpose
Superb & a very practical analysis Dear Chaitanya Charan Prabhu! It’s addresses the root cause and applies to every temptation one has.
Thanks for your comment; happy to be of service.