Zen Gardens Vegetarian
Zen Gardens Vegetarian
Mind the Biggest Organ of Lust
Power Intoxicates Mind
Lust for power is actually basic human drive to dominate others. Power intoxicates mind and leads to resentment, distorting relationships, losing grip on reality, and affects judgment. Holding on to power often justifies abusing power. Most people do not realize that in the pursuit of gaining power by any means, they degenerate their mind and create a mockery of themselves. Look at the politicians, how they fool the electorate by coining new slogans in pursuit of gaining power. When elected, they rarely visit their constituents and have very little to do with serving people. People all over are beginning to understand the poisonous nature of power hungry. Similarly richness brings in power, respect, and money, yet most of the rich and powerful are lonely and unhappy. There are stories of millionaires and billionaires world over who have lot of fears, sadness, and despair. Thich Nhat Hanh in his classics ‘The Art of Power’ strongly advocates, “Here is another kind of power, a greater power: the power to be happy right in the present moment, free from addiction, fear, despair, discrimination, anger and ignorance.”
Lust a Problem not Sex
We’re bombarded with erotic images and messages all around from morning till we crash in the bed at night. Our senses lead to attention and convert to thoughts and emotions. For instance when we drive to work, usually we come across a smart looking female driving past by or an attractively dressed young woman crossing the street. As soon we enter the office, we are greeted by the female receptionist in new tight fits. During lunch time, usually we are confronted with gossips of some colleagues dating their female coworkers. When we finally get home, we find family surfing TV channels for ‘Bay Watch’ or fashion shows. With the high level of erotic stimulation we face on a daily basis, it becomes difficult to keep away from lust. We are also influenced by our karmas, and societal interaction. Lust is also driven by sex hormones like testosterone and estrogens. For instance if a woman rubs and caresses us, it creates thoughts of sexuality by share sense of touch. Rape, molestations, addiction to pornography is an out come of lust. It generates highest level of negative energy leading to destruction of segregating right from the wrong. The Upanishads state, “The senses are the powerful steeds running amuck in the mire of sensuous gratification”.
Sex no doubt relaxes, rejuvenates, and is mind blowing. It tones body and improves work performance. The male mind visualises faster the objective of having sex. Females get sexual drive by intimacy, kindness, emotional attachment and of course physical attraction. According to Zen ‘life as a whole may be worshipped, but making more out of sex than it deserves is false spirituality. It discourages sexual over indulgence.’ Lust in essence is degeneration of mind and is often purely for our personal satisfaction and builds ego in due course of time. Lust is a negative energy of highest order and can be avoided by controlling our mind.
Our mind is 24×7 wiled as thousands of thoughts traverse during the day most of which are imaginative. Most often these thoughts visualize woman as an object of lust. Least do we realise that she is the source of energy keeping us going. God created woman as a soul to perform the role of our mother, wife, daughter and sister. Woman needs to be put in a proper respectful perspective rather than looking through the spectacle of our lustful eyes. Erotism is purely a state of mind.
Steps for Taming Lust
1. Discipline thoughts and control attention by mindfulness meditation say for 30 minutes daily in silence. Be aware of thoughts, allow these to come and go without attaching. Brainwash beliefs and feelings of lust in subconscious mind by self affirmation i.e. ‘I will change lust to love. Lust is sinful. Lust leads to sufferings’.
2. Find source and origin for perverseness. Is it related to a dream, fantasy or a sexual desire generated and not achieved due to fear, self reputation or society norms?
3. Focus on the opposite. For instance if we are rearing to having sex with a particular person. Immediately imagine thinking in reverse. Visualise the person to be obnoxious /dreadful/shabby looking etc. Build an ugly mental picture.
4. Shift to a less spicy vegetarian diet. Reduce the consumption of onions, garlic, ginger and other spices. Consume curd in good quantity and take as much water /juices as possible. Control intake of liquor and coffee. Prefer non vegetarian dishes like fish and chicken in little quantity occasionally. The idea is to control the intake of stimulants which generate excess sexual desire.
5. Control emotions to control the sexual behaviour. Imagine if we are caught having an illicite relationships. It not only brings bad name but leads to conflicts and other social issues. Tell your mind if my spouse does the same how will I feel? This brings down arousal of sentiments and helps control mind.
6. Inculcate the habit of relaxation by listening to light music, reading some soft literature or watching a movie at home. Gardening is another method of cooling sentiments towards lust
7. It would be advisable to join a gym for toning up the body and engaging the mind in improving health
To conclude greed for excess power and money intoxicates. Sex is a manifestation of love between willing partners and not the lust. Sex acts as an antidote to mental and physical stress and improves relationships. Lust for sex is more to do with our temporary mind satisfaction and ego. Lust is an illusion and leads to intellectual destruction.
About the Author
Bhushan Kachru holds an MBA degree from University of Delhi. He has over 35 years of experience in HRD, corporate training & recruitments in large organizations. He was with The Times of India Group, New Delhi for 10 years and his last assignment was Chief General Manager (Personnel & HR) with the group. He has vast experience in Counselling, Training and Corporate HR. He has widely lectured & conducted training sessions at business schools & in company training programs. Bhushan has been to USA on an International Fellowship Program. He studied HR practices in some of the large US corporations & lectured at various management associations in Tennessee, USA. Bhushan contributes regularly on motivational, personal development, mind and spiritual subjects in publications such as Hindustan Times etc. He has complied and edited ‘Bibliography on Management Development’ published by All India Management Association, New Delhi in 1974.Currently Bhushan runs his own HR consultancy firm in Delhi and takes keen interest in motivational coaching.
Home Vegetable Gardening Part I