How Can We Control Bad Qualities Like Sex, Anger, Greed Etc., Which Seem Impossible to Control?

(This question is part of a mahā satsaṅga or a great spiritual discussion between Swami and several devotees who had come from various places, seeking the clarification of their doubts.)

Swami replied:- You need not control or eliminate any quality since all qualities are created by God to be used on their good side only. Every quality is created by God for a good purpose only. They have become bad when they are used for bad purpose by the souls. You can’t say that some qualities are good and some other qualities are bad. Every quality has both good side (which is the purpose of its creation by God) and bad side (which is its opposite side towards which it is used by the souls). Hence, every quality is good as well as bad depending on its obverse and reverse sides (side means the direction in which it is used). Good and bad are the two sides of any quality-coin.

When you are eliminating a quality completely, you are becoming foolish due to the lack of complete knowledge of a quality. When you are not using a quality on its good side also, the quality possessed by you becomes idle without any work since it is suppressed and imprisoned by you. The unused quality becomes furious and revolts against you. Due to its rebelling nature, you will lose balance and use it on wrong side in haste. Hence, don’t try to suppress or eliminate any quality in you knowing that every quality was created by God for some good purpose only. Try to use the quality for its original good purpose, which was the intension of God before its creation. If you are trying to eliminate a quality, you are insulting God for its foolish creation by Him colouring God as a sadist creating bad qualities to harm the humanity! The so called good quality has bad side also and the so called bad quality has good side also. No quality is totally good or totally bad. Hence, all your efforts to eliminate any quality from you are totally meaningless and foolish.

Let Me clarify this concept with some examples.

1) You think that anger is bad quality without recognizing its good side. The good side of anger is to become furious in proper context like becoming furious on issues, students etc., to correct them. You can become angry on unjust people also and control them if possible. Rama is described as a man, who becomes furious and punishes others if they are unjust (Sthaanakrodhah prahartaacha). He became furious on sage Jaabaali for speaking in unjust way. He killed Vaali, Ravana and several demons to punish the unjust souls. The bad side of the anger is to show anger on good and justified people to hurt them.

2) You think that lust is a bad quality, which has both good and bad sides. Legal sex is good side and illegal sex is bad side. Intensity in the legal sex, called lust is good because frequency of sex is required for the fertilization of ovum (due to several hindering gynaecological factors) to extend the human race for next generation. The Veda supports this (Prajaatantum maa...) and the Gita says that legal sex is as pious as God (Dharmaaviruddhah...). Illegal sex is punished by God since it is sin as in the case of Ravana etc.

3) You think that greediness is a bad quality, which has both good and bad sides. Greediness is required in doing charity to undeserving receivers. Fast charity is bad (except the case of a beggar dying without food). Charity to deserving is merit and charity to undeserving is sin leading you to hell. The Veda says that analysis about deservingness of the receiver is essential before doing charity (Samvidaa deyam). The Gita also gives stress on the deserving receiver (Paatrecha, tat daanam saattvikam...).

4) You think that fascination is bad quality which has both good and bad sides. In Pravrutti, fascination to legal bonds is good whereas fascination to illegal bonds is bad. In Nivrutti, fascination to God is good whereas fascination to worldly bonds (even legal) is bad.

5) You think that pride is a bad quality, which has both good and bad sides. Pride in the form of self-confidence is good and pride in the form of ego is bad. If you are proud that you are the disciple of God Datta, God Datta is pleased. If you are egoistic by your strength to harm good people, God Datta will punish you.

6) You think that jealousy is a bad quality, which has both good and bad sides. To be jealous about a co-student, who is better than you will develop your efforts in your studies. If you try to harm your classmate due to his merit, you will be punished by God. Jealousy towards positive side is encouraged in the time of learning stage (Spardhayaa varadhate vidyaa).

7) You think that speaking truth is a good quality, which has both good and bad sides. If you speak truth and due to that a good person is harmed, there speaking truth is sin. If you don’t speak truth and due to that if a good person is benefited, there telling lie is merit. A sage went to hell for speaking truth in such wrong context!

8) You think that non-violence is a good quality, which has both good and bad sides. The good side is not to harm good people and the bad side is to tolerate bad people. The Gita shows both good and bad sides of this so called good quality by saying that God protects good people and destroys bad people (Paritraanaaya...). Even the embodiment of non-violence like Jesus told that the sinners will be thrown in to the liquid fire. Prophet Mohammad used violence to suppress terrible violence among several religions fighting with the concept of multiple Gods. Kalki also uses total violence to establish justice in the world. Even Rama did even cheating by hiding Himself behind a tree to kill unjust Vaali. (But, since Rama is God, He knows who is really good and who is really bad. This should not be imitated by everybody because in personal case, it is difficult to judge the enemy impartially and hence, self-judgement is not correct as said by the the Veda (Etatra Brahmanaah sammarishinah...). Law shall not be taken in to hand because everybody will view the enemy as bad only to be punished and justifies the punishment given by him to his enemy!).

Like this, you shall develop the talent to handle qualities in the activities, which is Yoga (Yogah karmasu kaushalam...—Gita). Then, you will not be disturbed by the qualities (Gunairyona vichaalyate—Gita). The Gita says that an intellectual shall discard the old classification of good and bad (that some qualities are totally good and some qualities are totally bad) because every quality is both good and bad depending on the context of action (Buddhiyukto jahaatiiha ubhe sukrutadushkrute). The Gita says that sex, anger and greediness are the gates of the hell in the sense of their usage on their bad sides (Kaamah krodhah...).

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