SEX AND SPIRITUAL PROGRESS

Those who wish to attain God or make progress in their devotional practices should particularly guard them-selves against the snares of lust and wealth. Otherwise they will never attain perfection.

Nityananda asked Sri Chaitanya, " Why is it that all my teaching of Divine love produces no tangible result on the minds of men ? " Sri Chaitanya replied, " Because, due to their association with women, they cannot retain the higher teachings. Listen, Brother Nityananda, there is no salvation for the worldly-minded."

When does the indicator of a balance move away from the pointed needle attached to the top? When one of the scales becomes heavier than the other. Similarly the mind runs away from God and gets unbalanced when the pressure of woman and wealth is placed upon it

If there is a small hole at the bottom of a jar of water, the whole water will leak out. Similarly, if there is the smallest tinge of worldliness in the aspirant, all his exertions will come to naught.

Try to gain absolute mastery over the sexual instinct. If one succeeds in doing this, a physiological change is produced in the body by the development of a hitherto rudimentary nerve known as Medha (the function of which is to transmute the lower energies into the higher). The knowledge of the higher Self is gained after the development of this Medha nerve.

The mind steeped in affection for woman and gold ' is like the green betel-nut. So long as the betel-nut is green, its kernel remains adhering to its shell, but when it dries up shell and nut are separated, and the nut moves within, if shaken. So when the affection for woman and gold' dries up, the soul is perceived as quite different from the body.

When the mind is free from attachment to sense-objects, it turns to God and is fixed on Him. The bound soul becomes free in this way. That soul is bound which takes the path leading away from God.

When attachment for wealth and sex is wiped out from the mind, what else is left in the soul ? Only the bliss of Brahman.