TEACH YOUR EYES HOW TO SEE: The lure of senses is tremendous. There is a poem about how different animals are addicted to different sense pleasures. “Take the case of an elephant: an elephant is a slave to the sense of touch, and he even loses his life because of clinging to the pleasures of touch. The deer is a slave to the sense of smell, and for smell he lays down his life. A serpent is a slave to music, to the sense of sound, and she loses her life for the pleasure of sound. A fish is a slave to the sense of taste and a moth to the sense of sight, and they lay their lives for the pleasures of taste and sight. The poet says that each of these creatures lost his life because he was a slave to only one sense pleasure. ‘How disgraceful your dilemma is, O man, because you are addicted to all five different forms of pleasure. How can you ever save yourself?'”
Let’s talk a little about the discipline in seeing. The eyes are very important; perception is very significant. The world is as you see. Therefore, how you maintain your outlook, what you see, is essential. Just because you have eyes doesn’t mean that you should take in whatever comes your way. It’s doesn’t mean you should see anything, everything, anywhere, everywhere. That is not discipline in seeing. It is very important that you teach your eyes what to see and when to see.
The eye is the lamp of the body. If your vision is clear, your whole body will be full of light. But if your vision is poor, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! (Mathews 6:22-23).
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The eyes are very powerful. You may not be hungry, but you look at some food and immediately your eyes say, “That looks so good. It is time to eat!” or you are not feeling lustful at all. You’re feeling fine – not even lonely. But then, a very beautiful woman walks by, or a very handsome man. Your eyes fall on that person and you think. “Oh my!”
You can remember to discipline your eyes by pausing. Is very important to rest the eyes from physical objects and forms. Since the eyes travel at a great speed, it is necessary to slow them down so they can relearn the purpose of their existence.
Discipline in seeing. When you are moving through a crowd of people maintain discipline in seeing. Be sure that you are not bumping into someone, you are not hurting someone inadvertently, and you are not rushing in a way that pushes someone aside. You can maintain discipline in seeing by respecting the other person with your eyes.
There are many people and many nationalities, many children and youngsters, many wonderful man and women including seniors. What kind of feelings you have when you look at them? Do your eyes respect them? Or do your eyes neglect them? Can you see good qualities in people or you criticizing them? When do you have discipline in seeing, you see everyone, and you act like a proper human being in whom God dwells. You wait, you pause, and you act with awareness. Discipline in seeing becomes part of everything you do.
What else can be done? Choose what you read. You don’t have to read all the novel that comes along. You have the freedom to choose what you read, choose well. What about movies and television? The senses are attracted to those things. You may say, “Well why should I limit my God-given freedom? Is just a movie, of course, not in real life.” This is where you need discipline. You need to be careful about what you take in because toxins and impurities accumulate in your body.
When you behold the truth with your eyes, when you behold God with your eyes, then all that is negative, all that is destructive and evil, will walk away from your life. Only glory and auspiciousness will dwell in your house.
