"The thought that the Almighty God is the first cause of their existence and in everything in them." In other words, the beautiful things your senses are drawn to are creations of God, just as they and you. Then is it not natural for them to be drawn to the creations of God? In the last chapter we merely wanted you aware of these distractions that are made possible through the five windows to your soul. Your soul, like a woman undressing in her bedroom, is fully exposed when a window is left wide open. Be aware of the entering distractions through this window. Safeguard your soul for the very innocent attractions to God's beauty will be used by this world and the ruler of this world to keep your enslaved to these beauties. So keep these senses in your front mind and be vigilant of their existence as both separate and independant of you. In other words, the mind, heart and soul are separate from the eyes, nose, ears, mouth and touch. You can eat food without the desire for it. You can view a work of beauty, but not let the heart yearn for it. You can smell something savory, but remove it from your mind, heart and soul. For you can not control what comes around you, but you have absolute control as to want enters you.

Raising children is an extension of who we are, for they are us - but not. This is true of your senses, they are not who you are, though they are part of you. They are tools that your body was given to use. How you use them is up to you. Can you imagine the poor rechid fool that drools at literally everything he sees? This poor fool has no control over his will. His eyes are in complete control over him. He is lost. Though he sees, he is blind. Blind to the glory of God. Blind to the riches of self-denial presents, for in the fasting from worldly wants and desires we stand firmly in control of ourselves.

Do you see the poor fool mentioned above for what he is - lost. But it is unfair to judge him harshly, for we all are, to some degree, like this fool. We sometimes forget and leave one of our windows open. So of course, the devil sends in a distraction and pulls us away from our spiritual struggle. This is true to even the cross-clinging monk who strives to walk the ever-narrowing path to God, yet even he may be caught unaware and tumble from his ascent.

Remember our goal here - Christian unity. And each step Godward requires an important examination of our faults yes, but also to the cause of our faults. In other words, yes we sin - quite often. But the true-to-himself confesses his sins, repents for them, but then examines the causes of these sins. Understanding how the senses play a role in this is essential. For in truth, you can never truly control your senses. Just as any good parent knows you can not always control your children. We discipline when we can, we try to teach them right from wrong, good from bad, and (God-willing) we lead by example. But ultimately, we can not completely control our children. Though our senses are ours to rule, if we spend too much focus on them this then becomes the distraction as well. Monks remove themselves from the world as best they can - but they can not remove the world from within. As we are born into this world, so too is the world born in us. So the windows to our soul, our five senses, have their past deeply rooted in the world. This nostalgic link to the world keeps the windows cracked open just a bit. The goal is to hear a song from our youth and not to be draw to the past, but to hold firm to the future with God. To taste a dish that reminds you of a favorite meal of your youth is also a trap. For the taste will fade, but the lingering desire for what you miss of your youth will remain - and this gives birth to resentment. Do not ever let your senses cause you to look back. Or all your spiritual efforts will turn to a pillar of salt just as Lot's wife ignored the warning of the angel and turned to stone when she looked back to her home she was leaving behind.(a)

Rule over your senses as a loving parent rules over his household. Be strict and firm that they may understand the importance they play in your life. Be firm, but loving. They are a part of you, but separate. They can pull you down or lift you up - only you have the power to say which.

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(a) Genesis 19:26