Question: I find it very difficult to control the senses. Is this an inner or an outer conflict?

Sri Chinmoy: The conflict is within, but we can control the senses. By suppressing the senses we will never be able to control them permanently. Suppression can allow us to control the senses temporarily, but ultimately we have to transcend the senses.

Transcend is a very big word. How can we transcend desire or the life of the senses? We can do it through aspiration. We have to know the meaning of these two words. If we live in aspiration, which goes up, up, up, it will take us up with it. Then automatically the senses will be purified and will be under control; the senses or emotions will be transcended. But if we live in constant desires, then what happens? The senses come to the fore, hungry to be fed. We have millions of ordinary silly desires, which we try to fulfil. If the senses get nourishment they become more powerful and we are caught by them. Then we can never transcend them. If we feed them all the time, how can we control them?

But by suppression alone what are we doing? We are taking the negative path. We are trying to conquer the senses by force. But we can never get joy either in our own life or in the lives of others by using force. By beating or striking our vital desires we can never get joy. Only by pouring illumination into them can we get real joy. The senses can be brought under control only by being transformed and there is only one way to transform them. It is through constant sincere aspiration. This is the only way.