Sense Control

Mastering the mind through sense control is a complementary practice to regular mind control techniques. The mind and the senses have a constant interaction and if we master one of them, we gain control over the other one as well. 

The mind and the senses are tight like a chariot is tight to its horses. If we control the horses we control the chariot. Likewise; if we control the senses we control the mind. The regular Mind Control Techniques suggest to take control over aspects of our being that are more subtle in nature and less concrete, less physical, less obvious. This makes controlling the mind harder for some. Sense Control is more gross in nature, more physical, more concrete. 

It is like the senses are the Ice and the mind is the water (and at certain levels it becomes as vague as gass). Both are the same substance called H2O. Which form of H2O is easier to control, water or Ice? Ice is more physical, more concrete than water, which makes it easier to grab hold of. Control one of these forms and you control the H2O. Some may prefer training or controlling the mind itself rather than the senses, others may prefer sense control as a doorway to mastering the mind. Both are close relatives. 

Every time we perceive something, automatically there is a response from the mind; a reaction; a judgement; a thought. Because of this instant and automatic reaction we fail to observe reality as it is. We are not seeing what is really here, we are seeing what we think about what is here. We see the responses of the mind and assume that is reality. If we want to establish a pure perception of reality as it is, we need to learn how to see beyond these judgements, these thoughts. Ultimately we should master the mind completely and always see things as they are without judgement.

Sources of thought

Sources of thought/mental fluctuations have 3 sources:

1. Sense objects (the external world);
2. Past impressions (past-focussed);
3. Desires (future-focussed)
4. (Imagination)

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Source 1: Sense Objects

1: The first of sources of thought is that of the sense objects: found in the the external world. These consist of:

• visual input;
• audio;
• smell;
• taste;
• sense (touch)

Examples of sense objects are: food, sex, music, noise, people, smells, etc. These objects of the senses distract our minds on a daily basis. Often when we try to meditate we are distracted by noises, things or people. Not only that, but the higher sensations experienced in some meditation can distract us as well. The difference is that these sensations are considered to be 'spiritual'(-achievements) and are often not seen for what they are: distractions. To those who's goal is the ultimate experience and that strive for the highest truth and the infinite bliss, these sensations and dimensions are distractions and should not be valued as being the purpose of your meditation.

The distraction created by our tendency to depend on the external world of the senses can be eliminated through the practice of Pratyahara, or: sense-withdrawal. You focus only on the inside and ignore every distraction coming from the external world. This way we can eliminate our first of the sources of thought. Preferably, when focussing inside, you focus on pure, thoughtless awareness itself only, but if that's too confusing or frustrating at this time, just focus on a specific thought or image you hold in your mind. Just be alert that you don't allow the senses to pull your attention outside of what you are focussing on inside (preferably: on consciousness itself).

Eventually you can focus on your inner source and be meditating while for example dancing in a busy, noisy crowd; the external world then no longer makes any difference to your mental state if you don't allow it to. You have gained some serious control over the mind and the senses.

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Source 2: Past Impressions

2: The second distraction arises out of the impressions of past experiences: Our minds are conditioned to think on a constant basis. The thoughts that we are having now in this moment are reproductions and expressions coming from imprints of past experiences. These imprints, or impressions, together form the structure of the mind. 

So everything we see now is clouded by our past-impressions. Our daily random thoughts are clouding our vision to see reality and nature they way they are at this time, in this moment. So past impressions are one of the sources of thought that create random activity and disturbance in the mind. They filter everything automatically hence we experience a distorted, illusion-filled version of reality. Thoughts like these disturb us and our clarity greatly and they should be observed and purified. They come from the second source of thoughts: past-impressions. We should learn to stop living in the illusion of time and let go of the past. Only then can we experience every moment purely as it is and be amazed by the beauty of timelessness.

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Source 3: Desires (future)

3: Desires are future-focussed and form the third source of our thoughts. Desires are the cause for our suffering. Thoughts have different sources but only desires cause suffering. Whether the triggerring thought comes from external objects, past experiences or future projections, it is because we desire to something else besides what we already have/are that we suffer. So desires have two expressions: 1: future-projections; 2: suffering. 

Once we dissolve our desire towards something else, or accept the things the way they are in any given moment, this source of thought falls away, and so does the accompanied sufferring. Hence: we are liberated and free from desire. It is only because we cannot fully accept what is coming to us, that we suffer. Even when a past impression is triggered by some event, and causes us pain, it is not the past impression, but the desire to escape it that causes our suffering.

If you eliminate these three sources, your mind will have no reason to produce random thoughts. You will only think when you consciously think. So by eliminating the illusion of time (past and future) and practicing pratyahara or meditation to eliminate the distraction and the grip that the external world has on your inner state, we free ourselves from the burdon of the mind. Instead of being possessed, we regain control (Mind-Control) over our minds and become the master. 

As a fourth of the sources of thought we could state that Imagination is another source for thought, but if we eliminate the above mentioned three sources of thought, we have no reason to randomly imaginate any longer.

Reason For Human Sufferings

We all know that humans were driven by the Five senses

1.	Vision,
2.	Hearing,
3.	Smell,
4.	Taste and
5.	Touch.

One who Misuses or Uses senses too much then  he will lose his clarity. Controlling  or utilizing the senses in a proper way makes him God.

You can consider anyone who is suffering in the society he must be mis-using any one of the senses or he might be having a family member who is mis-using it

In a different perception 

we can say that controlling the senses is the 6^th sense

Meditation is bringing all the senses to zero

Sixth Sense

The difference between human and animal is the sixth sense. The five senses common to both are 

1.	Vision,
2.	Hearing,
3.	Smell,
4.	Taste and
5.	Touch.

Currently most of the people are running for the pleasure of the above mentioned 5 senses

Every one perceives sixth sense in their own way . 

In my perception 

Karma of  humans can be altered where as Karma of animals  cannot be altered.

OR

We can say MIND is the difference

Both humans and animal have the mind but the difference is

  Mind of animal is like ROM* whereas

 Mind of  humans is like EPROM*

*ROM :Read only Memory

*EPROM: Erasable programmable read only memory