Addiction to any sense object brings you pain and does not give you any joy. It is an empty conch, an empty sound making empty promises. But habits can be overcome by three ways: One is out of greed. If someone tells you that you will get one million dollars if you don’t smoke for one month then you will do it.
The second is fear. If someone says you could get different types of cancer if you smoke, then you won’t touch it. And the third is through love. If you make a promise to a loved one, then also you won’t do it. In the Bhagwad Geeta, Krishna says, “By practice, meditation and dispassion, the mind can be controlled.
The mind goes towards pleasure and how much pleasure can you have?” The capacity of the senses to enjoy are limited. At one point you will find power, position, name, fame money everything has limitations and does not charm you anymore. That is the state of vairagya, becoming aware through knowledge. Through vairagya, dispassion and practice you can bring the mind to its place.
And you should have some control to say no. Suppose you want to quit smoking or any other habit that pinches you, somewhere you take a vow that for the next 10 days you won’t touch it. And you stick to it. If you can’t do even that much, then yoga is there for you to help. But if you feel utterly helpless, or see yourself as a victim, and continue doing it then you lose that initial seed of willingness to come out of it. You should have that initial inclination, “I want to come out of my bad habits.”
{{/usCountry}}And you should have some control to say no. Suppose you want to quit smoking or any other habit that pinches you, somewhere you take a vow that for the next 10 days you won’t touch it. And you stick to it. If you can’t do even that much, then yoga is there for you to help. But if you feel utterly helpless, or see yourself as a victim, and continue doing it then you lose that initial seed of willingness to come out of it. You should have that initial inclination, “I want to come out of my bad habits.”
{{/usCountry}}Do your spiritual practices daily. It will take you out of such desires. Yoga is attained by one who has that little say over the mind, and who strives through the means. Knowing this, the yogi slowly and gently brings mind from wherever it gets stuck, on to the self.
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