Servant of the senses (Conv and Letters)

Expressions researched:
"servant of his senses" |"servant of maya or the senses" |"servant of my senses" |"servant of our senses" |"servant of the senses"

1969 Conversations and Morning Walks

We are kicked by māyā always, and we are thinking, "independent." This is insanity. He does not think, "Why I am independent? I am servant of my senses. I cannot remain, enjoying senses, for an hour, and I am thinking I am independent."

Room Conversation -- May 10, 1969, Columbus, Ohio:

Kīrtanānanda: So his activities are never independent, either in Kṛṣṇa or...

Prabhupāda: Never, never, never. That is his insanity, another. As soon as he thinks that "I am independent," that is another insanity. He is under control. Just like the same man. He is thinking, "I don't care for state laws." He is insane. He will be forced to accept state laws in the prison house by the police. But he thinks, "Oh, I am free man." Still... He is slapped by the police. He says, "Oh, I am independent. Go on slapping." This is insanity. Is it not insanity? The police slaps him, and he says, "I am independent." Do you think independence? So that sort of independence we are having. We are kicked by māyā always, and we are thinking, "independent." This is insanity. He does not think, "Why I am independent? I am servant of my senses. I cannot remain, enjoying senses, for an hour, and I am thinking I am independent." That means insane. He cannot think properly. Where is his independence? Cannot be independent. He is born dependent because part and parcel of God. His constitutional position is dependent. Just like child. A child declares independence. What is the meaning of that independence? Danger. That's all. Simply inviting dangers.

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Actually, everyone is servant of the senses at the present moment.

Morning Walks -- October 1-3, 1972, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Actually, everyone is servant of the senses at the present moment. So one has to become the master of the senses. That is called svāmī. Svāmī means master. Gosvāmī means master of the senses, the same thing. So everyone is servant of the senses. Everyone is acting being dictated by the senses. "Oh, it is very nice. Let me see." The eyes dictate what we see.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

So he's servant of the senses.

Morning Walk At Cheviot Hills Golf Course -- May 15, 1973, Los Angeles:

Paramahaṁsa: The one who wrote Paradise Lost, Milton, he also wrote a poem which said that, "A working man is nothing but a devil's slave."

Prabhupāda: Yes, that's it.

Paramahaṁsa: "He works so hard for his money, but not his life can he save."

Prabhupāda: No, what he will do with the money? He will satisfy his senses, that's all.

Paramahaṁsa: So he sells his life.

Prabhupāda: So he's servant of the senses.

Umāpati: He sells his energy...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

We are already dog, everyone, because everyone is servant of the senses, kāma, krodha, lobha, moha, mātsarya.

Morning Walk -- December 31, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Actually every one of us is dog. And we are trying to satisfy so many masters. The masters are our senses. We are already dog, everyone, because everyone is servant of the senses, kāma, krodha, lobha, moha, mātsarya. So everyone is dog. Now he has to remain a dog, but by becoming dog of these senses, he is not happy. Find out a good master, and become a dog. You become happy. This is our philosophy. And the best master is Kṛṣṇa.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

So ultimately, we are servant of the senses.

Morning Walk -- March 24, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: No. They'll never be satisfied. Kāmādi... But this service is service to my kāma, krodha, lobha, moha, mātsarya. I am giving service to my wife because she satisfies me by sense gratification. Therefore I'm not giving service to my wife, but I'm giving service to my senses. So ultimately, we are servant of the senses. We are nobody's servants. This is our material position. Yes. Ultimately, we are servant of our senses.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

He does not love any man. He loves only senses. That's all. The servant of the senses, that's all.

Morning Walk -- May 17, 1975, Perth:

Prabhupāda: We are giving Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is loving, real loving. We are giving him eternal life, eternal bliss. Unless we love them, why we are taking so much trouble? The preacher must love the people. Otherwise why he is taking? He can do it for himself at home. Why he is taking so much trouble? Why in eighty years old I have come here if I do not love? So who can love better than a preacher? He loves even the animals. Therefore they are preaching, "Don't take meat." Do they love the animals, rascals? They are eating, and they love their country, that's all. Nobody loves. It is simply sense gratification. If somebody loves, he is Kṛṣṇa conscious, that's all. All rascals. They are after their own sense gratification, and they will put a signboard, "I love everyone." This is their business. And fools are accepting, "Oh, this man is very philanthropic." He does not love any man. He loves only senses. That's all. The servant of the senses, that's all.

If I control my tongue-tongue wants this thing; I say, "No, not this thing; you take this thing,"—then you are master. You are master of the senses. Otherwise you are servant of the senses.

Room Conversation with Mr. & Mrs. Wax, Writer and Editing Manager of Playboy Magazine -- July 5, 1975, Chicago:

Prabhupāda: Because the tongue wants something, I have to eat, give it—that is not human civilization. If I control my tongue-tongue wants this thing; I say, "No, not this thing; you take this thing,"—then you are master. You are master of the senses. Otherwise you are servant of the senses. Because some of my senses want something... That is natural. But if I can control: "No, this not. This," that is called śamaḥ, damaḥ. And if I become victim of the dictation of the senses, then I cannot make progress in my spiritual life; I am third-class, fourth-class man.

One who is servant of his senses, what is intelligence? That is dog's intelligence.

Morning Walk -- October 19, 1975, Johannesburg:

Prabhupāda: One who is servant of his senses, what is intelligence? That is dog's intelligence. As soon as he sees one lady dog, and ten dogs come here and begin to smell vagina. Is that intelligence? So the human society is like that. They're smelling the vagina of the girls, that's all. Everyone is doing that.

He is always, I mean, curbed down by the sense urges, and he is thinking, "independent." Independent means servant of the senses. This is going on.

Morning Walk -- October 28, 1975, Nairobi:

Prabhupāda: Everyone is thinking he is the most exalted personality, scientist, philosopher, great man. That is material disease. Actually he is being kicked every moment by the urges of the senses, and he is thinking he is very great man. Go-dāsa. Go means senses. He is always, I mean, curbed down by the sense urges, and he is thinking, "independent." Independent means servant of the senses. This is going on. So you have to understand the real position of the world, and if you want to preach, then you have to (be) humbler than the tree, humbler than the grass, tolerant than the tree and... We know everyone is rascal; still, you have to give him honor. Then it will be possible to say something. Otherwise it is very difficult.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

What is dictated by the senses, they agree to worship. Servant of the senses. In the material world nobody worships nobody. Everyone serves his own senses: "I like it." That's all.

Arrival Room Conversation -- July 2, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Vṛṣākapi: They want to worship Kṛṣṇa, but they don't know how.

Prabhupāda: They don't want to worship anyone. They want to worship their senses. That's all. Sense gratification. What is dictated by the senses, they agree to worship. Servant of the senses. In the material world nobody worships nobody. Everyone serves his own senses: "I like it." That's all. There is a Bengali song, yoke yadi lage phala kena dag botai(?). "If it satisfies my eyes, why shall I not see? I shall see." This is the sum-substance of... Yoke yadi lage phala kena dag bhajai.(?) Everyone wants sense gratification, to be servant of the senses. If the senses want "Do this," he will do it. And our movement is that we shall not hear the dictation of the senses; we shall do what Kṛṣṇa says. That is just opposite.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

He's servant of his senses, and he has become a swami. Just see how cheating it is.

Conversation with Yogi Amrit Desai of Kripalu Ashram (PA USA) -- January 2, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Indriyārtheṣu vairāgyam, not to indulge in sense gratification, not to dress himself as a sādhu, as a swami.

Yogi Amrit Desai: Not external.

Prabhupāda: He's servant of his senses, and he has become a swami. Just see how cheating it is.

Yogi Amrit Desai: That's the real meaning.

Prabhupāda: Swami means who is the controller of the senses.

Yogi Amrit Desai: Master of the senses.

Prabhupāda: Senses. So instead of swami, he is servant of his senses, and he is preaching as swami. These swamis go to the foreign countries. Indriyārtheṣu vairāgyam.

Yogi Amrit Desai: They have vairāgya to his senses, of the senses.

Prabhupāda: A sannyāsī... A sannyāsī means he has ceased all material desire. There is no material desire. And the concentrated material enjoyment is sex. So if one could not control his sex life, then how he is swami? He's cheater.

Either I become the servant of the senses or I become servant of Kṛṣṇa.

Morning Darsana and Room Conversation Ramkrishna Bajaj and friends -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: I have surrendered to māyā. I have not become happy. So why not surrender to Kṛṣṇa?" This is intelligence. You are not free. Then why you are declaring yourself as free? This is your disease. So intelligent means that I have no freedom actually. I am acting under the dictation of my senses. I am servant of my senses. So why not become servant of Kṛṣṇa? This is intelligent. Everyone is acting under senses, order of the senses. Kāmādinām kathidhā na kathidā palitā durni-deśaḥ. Even I don't want to do it, something wrong, but my senses are dictating, so "All right, let me do it." So we are... I am servant of the senses. My position is twofold. Either I become the servant of the senses or I become servant of Kṛṣṇa. My position is the same. Simply I have to change it.

Guest (10): How to run away from the senses? I, being a servant of the senses, how to run away from the senses?

Prabhupāda: Yes. You are servant. That is gosvāmī. That is svāmī, gosvāmī. Svāmī means when he's no longer servant of the senses, a master of the senses. That is svāmī.

Guest (10): How to come to that position?

Prabhupāda: That requires education, training. You have become a lawyer not in one day. You have been trained up. Then you are lawyer. Similarly, everyone has to be trained up how to become perfect servant, but he must agree in the beginning that "Now I shall become servant of Kṛṣṇa." Then everything is there.

1968 Correspondence

The sooner we forget that we are not master, we are servant; and if even though we are not inclined to serve Krishna, we have to become the servant of our senses. So the sooner we realize this fact, that our constitutional position is servant, that means we are liberated.

Letter to Daniel -- Montreal 22 August, 1968:

My Dear Daniel,

Please accept my blessings. I am so much thankful to you for your good wishes, and your realization that you are the eternal servant of Krishna. It is the primary understanding of our constitutional position. Actually, we are servant, but in the conditioned state, every one of us posing as the master. The sooner we forget that we are not master, we are servant; and if even though we are not inclined to serve Krishna, we have to become the servant of our senses. So the sooner we realize this fact, that our constitutional position is servant, that means we are liberated. Liberation means to be situated in one's original position. Just like a man suffering from fever, so relief from fever means to be situated in normal condition. So service is our normal condition, but this service being misplaced, we are not happy but as soon as the service is placed to the right person, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, everything becomes happy and successful.