# The Senses *On sense control and purification of the senses* --- ### Senses Must Be Controlled > The senses are very strong, and if they are not controlled, they will drag us down to the lowest condition of life. Therefore sense control is very important in spiritual life. — [[spoken/1970/700508ip.la|Śrī Īśopaniṣad, Mantra 6, Los Angeles, 1970]] --- ### Engage in Kṛṣṇa's Service > You cannot stop the activities of the senses. That is not possible. But you can engage the senses in the service of Kṛṣṇa. That is the secret. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate. When all the senses are engaged in the service of the master of the senses, Hṛṣīkeśa, that is called bhakti. — [[spoken/1972/721017sb.vrn|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.6, Vṛndāvana, 1972]] --- ### Horses and Charioteer > The senses are compared to horses. If the horses are not controlled, then the chariot will be thrown into some dangerous position. But if the horses are controlled, then the chariot can be driven nicely to the destination. — [[spoken/1970/700508ip.la|Śrī Īśopaniṣad, Mantra 6, Los Angeles, 1970]] --- ### Spiritualized Senses > When the senses are purified, then they can be engaged in the service of Kṛṣṇa. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam. When the senses are free from material designation and are purified, they can act in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. — [[spoken/1970/701219sb.sur|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.1.34–39, Surat, 1970]] --- ### Cannot Stop Sense Activities > You cannot stop the activities of the senses by artificial means. That is not possible. The senses will act. But if you engage the senses in the service of Kṛṣṇa, then the senses become purified and you become liberated. — [[spoken/1972/721017sb.vrn|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.6, Vṛndāvana, 1972]] --- ### Higher Taste > Unless you get a higher taste, you cannot give up the lower taste. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate. When one gets a higher engagement, automatically the lower engagement is given up. So unless you are engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service, you cannot give up sense gratification. — [[spoken/1969/690510r1.col|Room Conversation, Columbus, 1969]] --- ### Seeing Kṛṣṇa > The eyes are meant for seeing Kṛṣṇa. The ears are meant for hearing about Kṛṣṇa. The tongue is meant for glorifying Kṛṣṇa and tasting Kṛṣṇa prasādam. The hands are meant for working for Kṛṣṇa. The legs are meant for going to the temple of Kṛṣṇa. — [[spoken/1968/680816jm.mon|Janmāṣṭamī Lecture, Montreal, 1968]] --- ### Owner of the Senses > Kṛṣṇa is called Hṛṣīkeśa. Hṛṣīka means senses. Īśa means controller. So actually the senses belong to Kṛṣṇa. We are using Kṛṣṇa's senses for our sense gratification. That is our disease. — [[spoken/1972/721017sb.vrn|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.6, Vṛndāvana, 1972]] --- ### Tortoise Example > Just like a tortoise. As soon as there is some danger, immediately the tortoise draws in all the limbs within the shell. Similarly, when there is danger for spiritual life by sense gratification, immediately one should withdraw the senses from sense objects. — [[spoken/1970/700508ip.la|Śrī Īśopaniṣad, Mantra 6, Los Angeles, 1970]] --- ### Satisfied by Serving Kṛṣṇa > When the senses are engaged in the service of Kṛṣṇa, then they become satisfied. Otherwise, they are never satisfied. You can see, the materialists are always agitated because the senses are not satisfied. But when you serve Kṛṣṇa, the senses become satisfied. — [[spoken/1969/690510r1.col|Room Conversation, Columbus, 1969]] --- *10 quotes from Śrīla Prabhupāda on the senses* [[wiki/quotes|Back to Quotes]]