Question: How can one transform the feelings of self-indulgence that interfere with duty?

Sri Chinmoy: Ego we have to transcend. Ignorance we have to transcend. Limitations we have to transcend. And when it comes to self-indulgence, we have to be extremely strict with ourselves. When a child does something wrong, his mother punishes him. Here also, when it is a matter of self-indulgence, we have to feel that we are doing something that deserves severe punishment. Now, you may say that by punishing we do not illumine. But no, quite the contrary, while punishing ourselves we come to know that there is something called light and something called night. First we have to separate ourselves from night. Self-indulgence is night. From night we can go into a room that has more light and from there to a place that is fully illumined.

We have to know that self-indulgence is a kind of crime we are committing against our soul. Self-indulgence comes to us from the aggressive, unlit, obscure vital. We are all spiritual people. Our spiritual life and our soul must go together. The vital is not the eldest member of the family. In our soul we see the leader, the eldest brother in the family. So we have to feel all the time that the one that came into our family as the first member should lead us and that is the soul. If the soul is not given the chance to lead us, then naturally we shall never reach the goal.

Meditate on the soul, even though you cannot see it. You have read books and heard from spiritual Masters about the soul. If you have faith in the teachings of the Masters who say there is something called the soul, then your own aspiration will allow you to get rid of self-indulgence.

Let us look at self-indulgence as something which we think is very insignificant or very easy to conquer, but which we are allowing to enter into us. Some people say, "I smoke, true; but I can easily stop smoking." In this way, they go on for months and years. They can conquer smoking, they say, but after twenty years they see how difficult it is to stop. They don’t, they can’t stop. At that time they say, "I can stop smoking, but it is most difficult."

We make ourselves feel that we are stronger than the senses. But no! The senses are really stronger than we are. Unless and until we have realised the highest Truth, the senses are infinitely more powerful. They are compelling us to do what they want. But if we live in the soul, then the senses are under our control. How can we conquer our senses? We can conquer our senses by remaining in the soul and not allowing dark forces to enter into us. How can we remain in the soul? Through our purity and our constant vigilance. Like a guard or a sentinel we have to stand right in front of our heart’s door and prevent the dark forces from entering. Only the divine forces of peace, light, bliss and delight shall we allow to come in. Then we will see that the life of self-indulgence gives way to the life of self-realisation and fulfilment.