Managing sexual desire
[2nd President and Spiritual Head: the Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa]
DAILY READINGS
From Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji
736
Continued from Day 735 reading…
Our scriptures say, "Pity the man who has tasted lust." Master [Sri Ramakrishna] said that if a man has tasted pickle, every time he looks at a pickle his mouth starts watering. [Laughter.] So, for the householders [lay devotees]: Stay in the company of your wife. The idea is slow withdrawal from lust. Slow but sincere withdrawal.
Visitor: Isn't the idea of getting married incurring more karmic debt, more worldliness?
Swamiji: Not if you have the right type of partner. I have seen a lot of good examples of this. To start controlling lust the yogis have advised the householders thus: Fast on spiritual days, the birthdays of any saints of any religion; and on full moon and new moon days the husband and wife must sleep separately. If they follow this then the wife and husband have tamed their minds; and there is hardly a day left where they can increase their lust because they will be saying, 'Tomorrow is a fasting day' and so on.
I gave advice to one couple who were very sexually inclined, I said, 'Very good. Carry on.' I said it openly. They got a shock. I said, 'The only thing you two must do is just before you do anything you must sit on the same bed and you must do one round of japa [meditative repetition of one of God's many names, or a mantra].' Later they came and told me, 'After doing japa we don't feel any desire.' I said, 'That's right. Good.' [Laughter.]
They think that it [sexual desire] is evil. It is not evil. It is just a craving, a chemical discharge. But now do you see how this advice helped them?
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There are currently available, over 100 different CDs or DVDs with mp3 files, of Swamiji speaking. Please email timhoare@webmail.co.za to order. Click HERE for the second website on Swamiji's life and teachings.
Sri Ramakrishna Sri Sarada Devi Swami Vivekananda
Swami Nischalananda Swami Shivapadananda
The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna - read online
Reference websites – please mouse over the name and click to connect:
Ramakrishna Math and Mission Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa Ramakrishna Dham