Category:Controlling the Tongue
Theme Analysis
The tongue is identified by Srila Prabhupada as the most formidable and voracious of all the senses, yet it holds the key to spiritual perfection. The philosophy of Krishna consciousness teaches a "straight line" of sense control: if the tongue is conquered, the belly and genitals automatically follow. Conversely, if the tongue is uncontrolled, the lower senses remain agitated, making spiritual life impossible. The method of controlling this powerful enemy is not through artificial silence, but through spiritualization—engaging the tongue in vibrating the holy names (chanting) and tasting sanctified food (prasadam). Mastery over the tongue is the primary qualification for a spiritual master (gosvami) to accept disciples and lead others.
- The Strategic Hierarchy: The tongue is the leader of the senses; once it is brought under control, the urges of the stomach and genitals are naturally subdued, establishing the foundation for celibacy and mental peace.
- The Method of Spiritualization: Control is achieved not by stopping the tongue's function but by engaging it exclusively in the service of the Lord—chanting Hare Krishna and eating only krsna-prasadam.
- The Starting Point of Bhakti: Spiritual realization begins with the tongue (sevonmukhe hi jihvadau); by engaging the tongue in service, the Lord reveals Himself to the devotee.
- The Qualification for Leadership: A person who cannot control the tongue cannot become a spiritual master; only one who has mastered the six urges, beginning with the tongue, is qualified to make disciples all over the world.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: Spiritual Perfection through Controlling the Tongue.
Subcategories
This category has only the following subcategory.
Pages in category "Controlling the Tongue"
The following 46 pages are in this category, out of 46 total.
2
A
- Anyone who has practiced controlling these six (the tongue, the genitals, the belly, anger, the mind and words) is permitted to make disciples all over the world. To accept such a spiritual master is the crucial point for advancement in spiritual life
- As soon as your tongue is controlled, immediately your stomach is controlled, immediately next your genital is controlled. Simple thing. Controlling the body, mind. Mind being fixed on Krsna, no other engagement, controlled
B
- Bhaktivinoda Thakura said, "Out of all the senses, the tongue is very difficult to control, formidable enemy." So in order to control the tongue, He has given nice prasadam
- Bhaktivinoda Thakura says, "It is very, very difficult to control the tongue." Therefore the tongue should be engaged in service of the Lord, beginning from the tongue
- By hearing His (Krsna's) message, we learn to control the tongue, and after the tongue is controlled, the other senses follow
E
I
- I cannot control even my tongue and control my genital, and I become spiritual master? This is nonsense
- I have several times explained that the tongue is the beginning of all senses. So if you can control the tongue, then you can control other senses also
- If one can control the tongue, brahmacarya and other purifying processes will automatically follow
- If one can control the tongue, he can easily control the other senses. The tongue can be controlled only by eating prasada offered to the Deity
- If one is a perfect brahmacari, he can very easily control the mind and senses, give charity, speak truthfully and so forth. To begin, however, one must control the tongue and the process of eating
- If we can control the tongue not to touch anything which is not offered to Krsna, and if we do not allow the tongue to talk anything except Krsna, Hare Krsna maha-mantra, then you become the greatest yogi
- If you cannot control your tongue, you cannot control your senses. Taste prasadam and become spiritually advanced. You can have this process at your home: offer vegetarian foods to Krsna, chant the Hare Krsna mantra and offer obeisances
- If you do not control your tongue, if you feel inconvenient in taking prasadam, that means you are not making progress
- If you employ your tongue in the service of the Lord, He'll reveal Himself to you. He'll reveal, revelation. So therefore we have to control the tongue. What is the tongue's business? The tongue's business is taste and vibrate
- If you want to control the senses, you have to control the tongue first of all. Then you will be able to control other senses very easily
- In the Bhagavad-gita, in the beginning, the karma-yoga begins with the tongue. Yajna-sistasinah santah. We have to eat. Now, we have to control the tongue first
- In the bhakti-marga, the path of devotional service, one must strictly follow the regulative principles by first controlling the tongue
- It is very astonishing that "Engaging the tongue I become perfect?" Yes. The beginning is the tongue because tongue is the greatest enemy. People are going to hell on account of being unable to control the tongue. Therefore one has to control the tongue
M
- Mayavadi sannyasis who do not have these qualifications (of controlling tongue, mind, words, belly, genitals and anger and making disciples all over the world) sometimes harass & blaspheme a Vaisnava sannyasi who humbly engages in the service of the Lord
- Mental tapasya. Bodily tapasya. Verbal tapasya - controlling vaco-vegam, the urge to talk loosely or whimsically. You cannot talk nonsense. If you talk, you must talk about Krsna. That is tapasya
O
- Of all the senses, the tongue is the most voracious and difficult to control, but it can be controlled simply by chanting Hare Krsna and tasting Krsna prasadam, food offered to Krsna
- One has to practice sense control as well as mind control and subdue the six forces of speech, mind, anger, tongue, belly and genitals. Then one can become expert in understanding the devotional service of the Lord and thus become a perfect sannyasi
- Our senses are very strong. Just like we also, Vaisnavas, we first of all try to control the tongue. So yogis also, they try to control the senses, not only tongue, but all other, ten kinds of senses, by that yogic mystic process
S
- Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau. Jihvadau. Jihvadau means "Beginning with the tongue." We have got senses, all senses - eyes, ears, touch - so many senses. But begin with the sense, tongue. Try to control the tongue and engage in Krsna's service
- So the first and foremost thing is that you control your tongue. Don't allow your tongue to taste everything and anything
- So we shall not talk anything of sense gratification. This is controlling the tongue. - I cannot eat anything which is not offered to Krsna.This is controlling the tongue. So these are small techniques, but it has got great, great value
T
- The bhakta, simply by engaging himself in the bhakti process, especially in chanting Hare Krsna, immediately develops control over the tongue by engaging it in chanting, and accepting the remnants of foodstuff offered to the Personality of Godhead
- The jihva, in the very beginning, jihva, the tongue, should be controlled. If we can control the tongue, then other senses will be automatically controlled
- The strongest enemy is our tongue, is our tongue. Jihva-vegam. If one can control the urges of the tongue then he will be naturally able to stop the urges of the belly and the urges of the genital, three straight line
- To eat and to vibrate sound is the business of the tongue. If you can control your tongue for prasadam, spiritual food, and make the sound vibration of the holy name, then by surrender of the tongue you can control all the other senses
- Tongue is the beginning of realization. Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau (Brs. 1.2.234). As well as controlling the tongue, we have to spiritualize the tongue. If you keep the tongue materialized, then it is defective
- Tongue is the greatest enemy. If you cannot control your tongue, then you cannot control your other senses
- Tongue should be used always for glorifying the Supreme Lord. That is our business with the tongue. And the tongue should not be allowed to eat anything except krsna-prasada. Then you become liberated, simply by controlling the tongue
W
- When one can control the urges of the tongue and genitals, that is called dhrtih. From dhrtih, one becomes dhira, pacified. A pacified person is never disturbed by the urges of the tongue and the genitals
- With the tongue begins spiritual life. If we restrict our tongue not to talk uselessly, simply talk of Krsna or chant Hare Krsna, read Krsna books, and when you are hungry, take krsna-prasadam, then it will be possible, you can control the tongue
Y
- Yoga practice necessitates controlling the senses, and the beginning of sense control is to control the tongue. One who can control the tongue can also have control over the other senses
- Your tongue asks you, "Go to the restaurant and eat some nice thing." But if you are a Vaisnava, if you have this vow that "I shall not allow my tongue to eat anything except prasadam," it is already controlled. That means, to control the senses