It cannot be otherwise, heaven and hell
are both dependent on our senses. When subdued, they lead to heaven;
when indulged in, they lead to perdition. This subjugation of the senses
is the highest means of attaining spiritual light. Our senses are at the
(cause) root of our spiritual advancement as also at the root of our
spiritual degradation. By indulging in them, a person undoubtedly
contracts vices, and by subduing these, he attains salvation. The
self-restrained person who acquires mastery over the six senses inherent
in our nature, is never tainted with sin, and consequently evil has no
power over him. Man's corporeal self has been compared to a chariot, his
soul to a charioteer and his senses to horses. A dexterous man drives
about without confusion, like a quiet charioteer with well-broken
horses. That man is an excellent driver who knows how to patiently wield
the reins of those wild horses,--the six senses inherent in our nature.
When our senses become ungovernable like horses on the high road, we
must patiently rein them in; for with patience, we are sure to get the
better of them. When a man's mind is overpowered by any one of these
senses running wild, he loses his reason, and becomes like a ship tossed
by storms upon the high ocean. Men are deceived by illusion in hoping to
reap the fruits of those six things, whose effects are studied by
persons of spiritual insight, who thereby reap the fruits of their clear
perception.
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