Mokshamala

Author(s): Manu Doshi
Publisher: Manu Doshi

Page 53

Lesson 68: Control over sense organs
One cannot be disinclined, disentangled, dispossessed, disengaged and stay celibate, so long as the tongue longs for tasty foods, the nose is lured by fragrance, the ears crave to listen the songs and music from the public women, the eyes are inclined to see the beauty of parks and gardens, and the skin likes fascinating ointments. It is necessary to control the mind, whereby all the senses can come under control. It is, however very hard to bring the mind under control; it is a horse that can traverse innumerable miles within a fraction of moment. It is hard to tire it out; its speed is very fast and beyond restrain. The enlightened beings have gained control over it by restraining it with the bridle of knowledge.
In Uttaradhyayan Sutra the great ascetic Namiräj says to the chief of heaven that there are quite a few, who can defeat a million of soldiers; but there are very few, who can exercise control over the mind; such rare persons are more valiant than those, who can defeat a million. Mind is the breeding ground of all troubles; it is the source of bondage as well as of liberation; it leads to fascination for worldly life. If the mind comes under control, it is not at all hard to gain realization.
The senses get lured by virtue of mental apparatus; it is the mind that demands tasty food, music, perfumes, sight of beautiful damsels, fascinating ointments etc. That fascination does not allow us to remember the religious approach. If one happens to remember, the mind does not allow him to remain vigilant about it; if one stays vigilant, the mind endeavors to bring him down and if it fails therein, it creates stumbling blocks in maintaining vigilance. Those, who can withstand such obstructions and stay firm by overcoming the mind, attain all sorts of accomplishments.
The mind can be suddenly controlled only by few; normally one has to practice hard for controlling it. Such practice can be better undertaken in the renounced life. If one intends to do so in lay life, the royal road is to withstand the wrong inklings of mind; one should not comply with the same. When the mind desires to have the fascination of sound, touch or any other object of sense, one should not go in for it. In short, instead of being led by the mind one should lead it, and lead towards the path of liberation. One has to face all sorts of troubles in absence of control over the mind; even renouncement virtually turns into nonrenouncing and it has to be maintained only for the sake of face-saving. One should therefore overcome the mind by pursuing in practice and thereby gain the beneficence.
Lesson 69: Nine protective hedges of celibacy
How nicely have the enlightened beings presented the true nature in a few words? How much spiritual elevation can be attained thereby? A serene subject like celibacy has been marvelously explained by them in brief. In order to make observance of celibacy easy they have presented it in the form of a tree, which is required to be protected by a nine-fold fence or hedge. I am describing below those nine protective hedges.
1 Habitation: A celibate should not stay at a place, where there is a lonely woman or a female animal or a eunuch; or where the habitation consists of males as well as females. Women are of two types, viz. human and divine. Each of them could be of two kinds, the female body and her picture or idol. A celibate should not stay where such a form exists; neither should he stay where there is a female animal like cow, buffalo etc. or a eunuch. Such types of habitation can compromise celibacy. Their sexual gestures, movement of the limbs etc. tend to incite and pollute the mind.
2 Talks: A celibate should never try to teach a lone woman or an exclusive group of women. Telling a story can lead to rise of enticement. A celibate should not tell stories relating to female beauty, sexual topics or glamorous subjects, which tend to allure the mind.