Some people may think that this type of teaching of sense control to the young minds will kill their activity and enthusiasm and make them inert masses. I am not advising them to destroy their senses. I am only advising them to control their senses. There are brakes for a vehicle, which can be applied in times of danger. Students must try to understand this subtle point. They may think, ‘Swami is advocating sense control and brain control; will it not be a living death for us after controlling our senses? What is the use of our living? I am once again emphasizing the fact that I am not advising you to remove the senses; let them remain as they are. Make use of them when required. But, apply brakes in times of danger; i.e., when evil thoughts prompt you to act in evil ways through the sense organs. In such situations, apply the brakes and control your senses. Or the other hand, if the brakes themselves are removed there will be greater danger to your vehicle. ‘A bullock that is not tied to the yoke, a horse without a bridle, a car without brake and a human being without sense control are most dangerous,’ it is said, Shri Krishna advised Arjuna ‘Oh! Arjuna! you control your senses only. Remove the fault lying in the desire for sense objects. You may have desires; you may live with desires. No philosophy has ever advocated to leave the family life. It is never advocated to abandon your wife and children or property. You may have all these things. But, make use of your senses according to the requirements of time and necessity. Make use of your senses in the right royal path of honesty and integrity’. (BhaG)

The root cause for all our sorrows is the weakness of our senses. We must keep them strong and engage them in sacred karmas. We must ever be on our guard seeing that they do  not stray into perverted ways. The Bhagavad Gita has emphasized sense control and not sense extinction. It has never advised karma tyaga (renunciation of actions). It has advised only Karmaphala tyaga (renunciation of the fruit of our actions). This subtle distinction must be understood properly. We should never give up activity. We have to engage ourselves in doing karmas. Shri Krishna himself has emphasized as under:

na me parthasti kartavyam

trisu lokesu kincana

nanavaptam avaptavyam

varta eva ca karmani

(Bhagavad Gita, 3:22)

‘I have no kartavyam (duty) to perform. I have nothing to achieve. Still, I am doing karmas. Then why don’t you also do karmas?’- questions Krishna. We have to do karmas. We have to make use of the indriyas, but in ‘matrah’, i.e., within a measure or a limit. Shri Krishna therefore advised to make use of our senses without allowing them to stray into perverted ways. This is the most important message of the Gita. (BhaG)

1. There is a method by which the demands of the senses can be reconciled and harmonised. This is by treating both good and bad with equal mindedness. (ICS , p. 44)

1. It is not the environment that matters in the control of one’s senses and emotions. It is the purity of one’s impulses, sincerity of purpose and determination in treading the Divine path which count rather than environment, which is of little or no consequence in this regard. (ICS , p. 46)

1. The ancient sages regarded sense-control as a form of penance. (ICS , p. 47)

1. When the attention of sense organ is distracted by something, it should be diverted to another desirable thing by means of a stronger incentive or disincentive. Then only will it give up its crazy digressions and take to the right path. (ICS , p. 47)

You may say, ‘I have given my money and purchased this car; it is registered in my name and it is my car’, but if you do not apply the brakes when necessary, even though it is your own car, it will lead you to danger. Sense control is thus important for all human beings, and not just Yogi and Sannyasis. (ML, p. 301)

Sanctify your life by developing sense control. It is only because people have no control over their senses and no limit to their desires that there is a lot of unrest and agitation in society. Such people roam about freely in society like animals. You should not become animals. Whenever some evil thoughts arise in you, you should remind yourself that you are a human being and not an animal. Anger is an animal quality. When animals get angry, they fight with one another. Unfortunately, today human beings are also fighting among themselves like animals. In a way, animals are better than man today. Animals have a reason and a season, but man has no reason, no season. Thus, man today is behaving worse than animals. Being a human being, you should cultivate human qualities. In fact, a human being should not get angry at all! Even if anger overpowers you, you should try to become calm and quiet. Do not lose your cool. When you cultivate calmness, you will never become agitated and restless. (SSS Vol.39, pp.116-117)