Page 67 - Lust Anger and Greed

One requires "eyes trained in knowledge" to under-
stand how all living entities are "suffering different
kinds of happiness and distress," under the illusion
that life is meant for sense gratification. Persons
lacking such spiritual vision are fooled by desire and
lust. They cannot understand the mystery of why
their body changes many times in this life, nor why
they die and get another material body to repeat the
process.
One trained in spiritual knowledge by a qualified spir-
itual master can see that the soul is different than the
temporary material body which changes dramatically
from infancy to death. Such persons realize that the
conditioned living entity is actually suffering in this
material existence. While one enjoys sense gratifica-
tion, there may be some feeling of happiness, but
that feeling of material happiness is the ultimate ene-
my of the sense enjoyer. The temporary material
happiness one derives from sense pleasures con-
vinces the unwitting person to continue in material
existence always planning and dreaming of more
pleasures for the body and mind.

Summary
Material life is characterized by lust and desire to
dominate the resources of material nature. Krishna
explains in the Bhagavad-gita how one can control
the material senses, mind and intelligence by gradual
development of love of God. "Thus knowing oneself
to be transcendental to the material senses, mind
and intelligence, O mighty-armed Arjuna, one should
steady the mind by deliberate spiritual intelligence
[Krishna consciousness] and thus by spiritual
strength conquer this insatiable enemy known as
lust." (BG 3.43)

Love is manifested through acts of devotion devoid
of any selfish interest. The only preoccupation of the
true lover is to satisfy God by following His instruc-
tions and affectionately offering the result of one's
devotion to Him. This requires patience, sustained

67Â