HOW TO OVERCOME TEMPTATIONS - 11

October 29, 2004

Practical suggestion number seven.

What is it? I believe we all remember the adage which was taught to us in the

school: "An idle mind is the devil’s workshop." If you wish to be free from

temptations, keep yourself busy all the time. Our mothers were well aware of

this truth, and they were specifically careful to see that their daughters were

kept busy all the time. I know of a mother who, if she had no other work to give

to her daughter, would mix a handful of dust with rice and tell the daughter to

clean the rice. Today’s daughters spend their time in frivolous activities.

They read dirty novels which poison their imagination and spoil their minds.

They go to the cinema, houses of filth, they play rummy, they spend hours

watching the video. Little wonder, if their minds become small factories of

impurity. O ye who would wish to overcome temptation, keep yourself busy all

the time.

A young man came to Beloved Dada and complained of being continually tempted.

Dada prescribed certain disciplines, but the young man returned a few days

later, saying that there was no improvement in his condition.

"Alright," said Beloved Dada, "come back early tomorrow and spend the day with me."

The next day, Dada said to the young man: "Take the books out of this cupboard,

dust them properly, and keep on doing this until noon."

The young man followed the instructions and met Beloved Dada that afternoon. His

cloths were covered with dust, but looked happy. And Dada said to him: "Go and

take lunch, and after lunch, you will do the same thing to the books in the

other cupboard."

The boy obeyed and when it was dark, he returned to Beloved Dada, exhausted.

Dada asked him: "Tell me, my child, if you had any temptations today."

"None whatsoever," replied the young man. "I did not have the time."

Dada said to him: "Try to work that way, everyday!"

(To be continued; Author: Sri J.P. Vaswani)

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