First we must completely understand that activities like masturbation & smoking will cause us to take another birth in this world. In Hawaii there was a group of devotees who followed two regulative principles but did not give up illicit sex or intoxication. Srila Prabhupada said it would take them 300 births to go back to the spiritual world. Also the pleasure derived from such habits is only temporary.
Why give up our spiritual consciousness for such temporary pleasure?
To get spiritual strength you should hear about Krishna as much as possible. In SB 1.2.17 it is described that Krishna Himself cleanses the lust from the heart of devotees who like to hear His messages.
You can also cultivate a taste for positive devotional activities so much so it can draw your mind away from the forbidden things.
You can also reflect upon the circumstances leading up to your victimization by lust for sex and smoking and try to avoid such circumstances in the future, if at all possible.
keep eye on krishna
believe it or not i would smoke half a pack a day.it was cool thing to do in theater art school during lunch or just hanging with friends.once i took KC serious.within a week i stopped i had the urge but no longer neeeded to act upon it.when i got the urge i throw on a bhajans or kirtan cd and dance around my room and truly celebrate.it might sound crazy but those urges with each time faded and i looked forward to a joy filled dance in replace of it.hope this helps you a lil
Bhajan & Kirtan Dancing
Hare Krishna,
I just want to say that what Peaceofmind is saying here about putting on some bhajans or kirtan cd's and dancing around the room, is really a good way to manage anything!
I do it all the time, just to cope with stress, or anything that upsets me, or if my mind is stuck on something mundane that I don't want to think about, etc...
It's a really wonderful way to "free" yourself from all kinds of negative thoughts and also, activities, whatever they happen to be...
And, of course there is also the obvious benefit you get from chanting and dancing itself...
Great suggestion, Peaceofmind! :)
Love,
Navasi
I sent one of my friends
I sent one of my friends (name: Zain) on to livehelp a few months ago because he was asking me about the two things you just mentioned. I knew smoking was absolutely forbidden. I was fairly sure masturbation was too, but not 100%. It is, right?
Anything that takes your mind from Krishna
Going "by the book", masturbation would absolutely be forbidden, being that it fixes one's mind on one's own body, and draws it away from the Lord. As far as intoxicants, certainly no smoking, drinking or drugs ... what's not included but I think it should be is sugar! I'm in incorrigable chocoholic and an ice cream addict, and I feel a little silly knowing these aren't forbidden by the regs. I've gotten to the point where I remind myself, this is pure sense gratifcation, NOT nutritional need ... I'm hoping I can guilt trip myself into making better choices! That's all the bad news. Now, I'm thinking that if our goal is perfection, we might or might not attain it in this lifetime, so the next best thing is to do the best you can. I would think masturbation would be less offensive to the Lord than would going to a bar to pick up a nameless body just for sense gratification ... neither activity would lead to Krishna consciousness, but with the one at least one soul is all that's involved. I could be wrong ... and I could also be right about my concerns over my sweet tooth. I guess what I'm trying to say is that when our minds are fixed entirely on Krishna, we have no urge for any bodily pleasures, be they chemical, food, or physical. When our minds are stuck in the material world, there's really nothing here that will satisfy us the way Lord Krishna will.
Speaking of which.
Hare Krishna!
I actually have a sweet tooth. But i came across some things about chocolate. I heard that each chocolate bar contains atleast 2 ants legs.
Skilled workers cut ripe cacao bean pods from the cacao tree, split them open, and scrape out the pulp contained inside. After the mass of pulp ferments for a few days, workmen spread it in the hot sun to dry, separate the dried seeds from the remainder of the pulp, and bag them for shipment to the market.
I dont see how ants wont cover them because they are left for 5-6 days out in the sun. On tv there was a program 'Fact of Fiction' AND one of the questions was: 'Does every chocolate contain atleast 2 ants legs?'
The answer was yes.
If someone can prove this wrong i will indeed be very happy. Ive not eaten chocolate for almost 2 years :(
Chocolate
Hare Krishna!
I came across this
Anyone serious about spiritual life should be following the four regulative principles. For initiated devotees in ISKCON there is no question. Srila Prabhupada’s instructions are clear when he says that cocoa and chocolate are not to be taken as they are intoxicants. So why even consider eating chocolate?
Besides - most chocolate bars available have never been vegetarian by ISKCON standards. They contain egg white.
Srila Prabhupadas instructions:
Comment posted by Gopaladeva dasa on May 18th, 2007
Letter to: Surasrestha, Los Angeles 14 June, 1972
“So far attending pujas at the houses of the Hindus there we can go and hold our kirtana but we should not take prasadam there. We can accept raw materials and take them to our temple but we should not accept any prasadam prepared by them. However, if they insist then we can take fruits and milk and offer them to Krishna. Cocoa and chocolate are not to be taken as they are intoxicants.”
Comment posted by Gopaladeva dasa on May 19th, 2007
All scientific evidence proves that chocolate alters consciousness - caffeine or not, rennet or not and it is addictive. chocolate.org says chocolate is a “psychoactive food”
Out Acharya had spoken “No chocolate”.
IMHO, one should give up this frivolous food addiction if one wants spritual advancement. I personally gave up 20 years of tea driniking habit.
Hari Bol
Comment posted by asprng_vaishnav on May 24th, 2007
How true
You are so right
tonight I heard a talk about Govardhana puja at the temple. The people of Vraj didn't eat or sleep for seven days when they were sheltering under Krishna, because their minds and bodies were fixated on Krishna, they couldn't stop looking. I'm not saying we should stop eating, after all it is mango season here in Oz. I just really liked your endy bit:
"I guess what I'm trying to say is that when our minds are fixed entirely on Krishna, we have no urge for any bodily pleasures, be they chemical, food, or physical. When our minds are stuck in the material world, there's really nothing here that will satisfy us the way Lord Krishna will."
Fix your mind in Him, everyone.
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Visit the Food Channel @ Krishna.com
WONDERFUL!!
Hare Krishna. This is really inspiring Prabhuji. You have encouraged me so much by saying, the way Krishna satisfies us nothing else can. Your association is really very beneficial to me. Thank you so much for this post. :)
Love,
Mihir
hari bol
i read your quit of smoking and some thing more i rely very happy