Control Your Senses

A Second Visitor: Swami, I have been away from business and I want to talk with Swami, but if I stay another month then there will be only one final talk with Swami. I want to talk with Swami now, and then stay a month.

Sai: Tomorrow is Thursday. Swami will see each of you individually, then you can make your plans when you want to leave or whether you want to stay. With you, it is like this: You have a few doubts; now you want to clear those doubts immediately so as to leave room for new doubts (much merri­ment from the interview group). That is your plan.

Sai (to a Visitor): You have some plan for poor people. What are the details?

Visitor: The old Mandir. We should make a number of new homes for the poor people. Then those who are now staying in the old Mandir can move to the new houses and the old temple can be made like new. It is Swami’s first Mandir and it should be saved for history. If people continue to live there, it will tumble down in no time at all. To use it just for living looks like a lack of respect from the people who are in Puttaparthi.

Sai: That can be discussed further at a later time. Now, Swami is troubled that all of you have come from so far and have spent so much, and your love is so touching. There is no price for that love even if measured in crores [millions] and crores. Swami wants your happiness. Swami will teach as quickly as possible.

Visitor: But now is the time because there is the world conference in May and Swami’s devotees will come here. It does not matter whose plan it is to save the old Mandir; it should be as though it is everyone’s idea and all should work together to accomplish it.

Sai: You draw up a plan and show it to Swami. How to do it.

Visitor: And one other thing I must ask Swami because people say Swami must be asked. I want a little plot of land. On the opposite hill if I have a little place and then put a big shed, I have the plan, so that there is a big place where they can come and gather and do yoga or whatever it is. But then when I am so close, that is closer than from here to the old Mandir, but not just outside the gate so that people will be saying this or that about me, then I am outside, and then — you know…

A visitor interrupts: … so that no control…

A Second Visitor: No control…

Sai: A faithless garden. (Much merriment from the inter­view group.)

Visitor: Well, you know, nobody can come and say, ‘No cooking,’ and so on.

Sai: It might be all right to start, but then you will have many more problems than you wish for. All the dogs from the villages and other problems.

Visitor: The thing is what I have said at home, that I would like to have a little house outside the compound.

Sai: With all the dogs together, you are going to have a great problem. Ten puppies each.

Visitor: But, anyway, you…

Sai: We will discuss it. You may start enthusiastically, but then the problems that will be coming [in the future] will not be good.

(Swami now moves His hand, and a large mass of sugar-candy appears in His hand and is distributed. The group exclaims how sweet and delightful it tastes.)

Sai: Complete sugar.

Visitor: Not only sugar. It is flavored.

Sai: Every day should be sweet like this, that Swami would again make sugar.

Visitor: Someone told me that I should not let anybody touch these earrings that you gave me because they are sacred. But I don’t like to tell people not to touch.

Sai: Nothing like that, about touching. Was everyone angry because Swami did not come this morning?

Visitor: No, no, Baba. We were singing bhajans and talking about the gopis.

Sai: Gopi means sense control, one who has controlled the senses. It is not a lady’s name.

Source: Conversations with Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai

Control Your Senses

In the journey of spiritual growth, Control Your Senses becomes one of the most important lessons a person can learn. Human life is filled with attractions, distractions, and endless desires that pull the mind in many directions. Without discipline, the senses often lead people toward confusion, attachment, and restlessness. The practice to Control Your Senses helps create inner peace, wisdom, and balance in daily life. Great saints and spiritual teachers have always explained that true happiness does not come from outside pleasures alone but from mastering the mind and understanding the deeper purpose of life.

When a person learns to Control Your Senses, thoughts become clearer and emotions become calmer. Anger, greed, jealousy, and pride slowly lose their power over the heart. A disciplined mind can focus on prayer, meditation, service, and righteous living. Spiritual seekers often compare the senses to wild horses that must be guided carefully. If left uncontrolled, they can take a person away from truth and harmony. But when guided with awareness and devotion, they become tools for positive growth and spiritual awakening.

The teachings shared by Devotional India inspire people to walk on the path of self-control and purity. Through spiritual stories, prayers, and wisdom from enlightened masters, seekers are reminded that the soul shines brightest when the mind is disciplined. The journey to Control Your Senses does not mean rejecting the world completely. Instead, it means learning to live in the world with awareness, moderation, and balance. One can enjoy life while remaining detached from excessive desires and harmful habits.

A peaceful mind is developed through daily spiritual practice. Meditation, chanting, reading sacred teachings, and serving others are powerful ways to strengthen inner discipline. As individuals continue to Control Your Senses, they begin to experience greater patience and compassion. They respond to situations with understanding rather than impulsive reactions. This transformation brings harmony not only within themselves but also in relationships with family, friends, and society.

According to the spiritual reflections shared by Devotional India, self-control is a sign of true strength. Many people believe power comes from wealth or status, but spiritual wisdom teaches that mastering one’s own mind is the highest victory. A person who can Control Your Senses remains steady even during difficulties and temptations. Such individuals inspire others through their calm nature, gentle speech, and noble actions.

Modern life is full of distractions that constantly attract the senses. Social media, unhealthy habits, negative influences, and endless desires can disturb inner peace. This is why the message to Control Your Senses is more relevant today than ever before. By practicing mindfulness and spiritual awareness, individuals can avoid becoming slaves to temporary pleasures. Instead, they can focus on values like truth, kindness, and devotion.

The spiritual guidance offered through Devotional India encourages everyone to look within and discover the divine presence hidden in the heart. Real joy comes when the senses are purified and directed toward higher ideals. The effort to Control Your Senses may seem difficult at first, but with faith, patience, and sincere practice, it becomes a source of great strength and happiness. A disciplined life filled with devotion leads the soul toward peace, wisdom, and lasting fulfillment. Through the teachings of Devotional India, seekers continue to find inspiration for living a life of balance, purity, and spiritual awareness.

-Immortality