Understanding and Overcoming the Eight Forms of Lust

The eight forms of Kaam, including Sarvan, Chitvan, Baat Ekaant, Kal Karan, Parapat, Simran, and Kirtan, affect the mind deeply.

### Understanding and Overcoming the Eight Forms of Lust (Kaam) According to Gurbani
* 👂 The first form of lust is Sarvan (listening) - when you listen to and indulge in conversations or content that **trigger lustful thoughts**.
* 💭 The second form is Chitvan (constant contemplation) - when you **constantly think about and internalize these lustful thoughts**.
* 🤝 The third form is Baat Ekaant (private conversations) - when you seek to have **private conversations** with someone you have developed **lustful thoughts** about.
* 💑 The fourth form is Kal Karan (developing attachment) - when you start forming **attachments with the person you have lustful intentions towards**.
* 🤲 The fifth form is Parapat (attainment) - when you become **willing to do anything to attain that person**, leading to **attachment and lust**.
* 🧘 The sixth form is Simran (**constant remembrance**) - when you constantly think about and desire to be with that person.
* 🎶 The seventh form is Kirtan (singing praises) - when you constantly talk about and praise that person, **misusing natural characteristics for selfish desires**.
* 📖 It is crucial to understand these forms of lust and channel the energies towards **positive actions**, such as **listening to Gurbani, contemplating the Guru's teachings, and constantly remembering and praising Waheguru**.

In today's world, Kaam or lust is one of the most prominent issues that a lot of people face. Sometimes, the younger generations or even the elder generations don't hear discussion on Kaam that well. Sometimes, we think we might be free from Kaam or free from lust. But we never actually go into the conversation of what is lust? How does lust go in from the world, and how does it go into our mind? How does it affect your mind? Because Kaam is not just something that is a physical action that you do and you get in trouble for doing. Kaam is something that your mind takes in and it develops over time. There are eight types of Kaam, Guru Piaario. Let's take this time and let's discuss those eight types of Kaam. How step by step they go into our mind. How step by step it takes the form of the physical action or the physical Karam that we do of Kaam. The first type or form of Kaam or lust is Sarvan.

Sarvan meaning listening. When we listen to such conversations, such topics, such sounds. That go through our ears and through our listening, through our sensory organs. It reaches our mind, and if we don't take our mind away from such conversations. And which Kaam is being discussed, whether it's through your friends and family. Whether it's through TV shows, social media, something that you listen to. Something that you see. You are not doing it for awareness about that topic to move yourself away. Instead, you are indulging in that. And you're wanting to know more about that. You're constantly hearing about the praise of somebody, I mean about their body. Whether it's the opposite gender or whether it's about a specific person. You're developing these thoughts through your ears and through your eyes that go into your mind and create such thoughts. The very first form Kaam take is through sound. We have to be very aware of this. The second form that Kaam or lust takes is Chitvan.

Chitvan meaning constantly writing this inside of your mind. Now it's ingrained inside of your mind. You've indulged in those conversations. You've seen such things. When we bring up these topics of pornography. When we bring up these topics of dating or talking about the sexual endeavors between boyfriends and girlfriends. We see it on YouTube, we see it in movies. Is it okay to watch an R-rated or an adult-rated or R-rated film. Just say I'm not indulging myself in it. I'm not gonna do that action, I'm just watching it. But when you are constantly listening to that and now it's deeply ingrained inside of your mind next time. Somebody who should be your mother or like your sister or like your own daughter. You won't see them as such, you will see a sexual object. You only see the lust inside of that and it's not something that you are doing it. You can control on the spot because it's already been deeply ingrained inside of your mind.

Your mind has been trained in that. And we should not train our mind into thinking of such thoughts. Instead, we should train our mind to move away from such thoughts and contemplate that Chitvan towards Guru. That conversation, that listening should be of the Shabad, and that thinking should be of the Guru of the Shabad. Something positive, the essence of Amrit, not towards lustful thoughts. The third form is called Baat Ekaant. When you want to have a conversation with a specific person alone in private. First, you have listened. Second, you have written inside of your mind. And now you want to put it into action by whether it's the same gender or whether it's the opposite gender. You want to have a conversation with that person. You have listened about that person, you have written these thoughts inside of your mind about that person. And now you want to have this private conversation with them. Whether it's through text or through Facebook messaging, whether it's through WhatsApp or Google Hangouts, or whether you want to physically meet that person.

You have this intention not to meet them as a brother, as a sister. Whether you might justify it to your mind that we are just friends. Whether you might justify it to your mind. It's like taking oil or butter and taking it close to fire and saying, No, I know that it will blow up. I know it will light to fire, but I'm just gonna test it out because I know I can control my mind. But you've already ingrained inside your mind, and you've justified it to your mind, that you're not doing it for lustful reasons. But truly in the depths of your own mind, you're doing it for some sort of Kaam. Whether it's not a physical act, it's not taking that form yet. It's going to lead up to that because now you want to do Baat Ekaant. You want to have a conversation with that specific person or the specific gender on its own. You want to deal with them. You want to act, you want to spend time with them.

You want to have these conversations with them in a deeper level about these certain things. Which you might be leading towards something physical. But the third form Kaam takes is you wanting to have a conversation with that person? The fourth form that Kaam takes is called Kal Karan. It's now where you're developing this attachment with that person. You're speaking privately and you're having conversations whether it's through text. Justifying it to your mind that this is just brother and sister. I'm not saying to any specific people that you can't have conversations. Yes, you can. You can be brothers and sisters. But this is the depths of our mind. Actually think to our minds and think of our own thoughts. Where are we actually leading these conversations to. Now you're developing an attachment with that person. You're developing. The sixth form of Kaam is Parapat. How can you keep that person to yourself forever? How can you attain that person? You will do whatever it takes. This will take the form of Moh, attachment and Kaam.

It's all interlinked with each other. You will be willing to fight others. You will be willing to sacrifice other things for this one person, and that is the form that's called Parapat. The seventh form of Kaam is Simran. Yes, you heard that correctly: Simran, meaning constant remembrance. Normally, we use the term Simran for living in constant remembrance of God. This is referring to misusing that constant remembrance day and night. Wherever you are, you can't seem to live without that desire of that person. Now, no matter what you do, you will be wanting to talk to that person. Wanting to be texting that person. If that person is not texting you, you will be wanting that person to reply back. Or you will be wondering why that person is not responding to your text. You will be constantly living in that person's remembrance. This is the seventh form of Kaam. The eighth form of Kaam is Kirtan. Yes, you heard that correctly.

Singing the praises of that person. Do not take all of these things as negative because. Thinking about your spouse, thinking about your beloved is a good thing. But anything that's positive can be taken negative. Because in this it's not selfless and this it's just for your own selfish desire. And you are moving away from the benefit and the remembrance of God. And you're moving only into your own boundaries of your own mind in the sexual thoughts. Now in this way you were wanting to constantly be praising that person. You're constantly be wanting to. Talk about that person to that person to whomever you were talking to or speaking to. All of these things are energies. They're characteristics, which can be used towards good but in our own state of mind we have taken these natural characteristics. That we develop are inside of our mind and now we are taking them. And we're using them for our own selfish desire and forgetting God. Use these characteristics. Use the Sarvan listen to Bani. Think about Bani, speak about Gurbani, have a desire to meet our Guru.

Have a desire to sit in Sangat for the right reasons. Have a desire to meet with Gursikhs for the right reasons. Have this desire inside yourself that you want to meet God. Have this desire inside of yourself where you're constantly living in the remembrance of God. And you have this constant desire of wanting to be singing and always be talking about your Guru and the true love. Piaario, if you take these concepts you can misuse them, and you can use them for the right reasons. Channel these energies. Set your priorities. This will only and only come from the understanding of what is right. What is wrong. What is truth, and what is false. That will come from actually learning Vidhya of Gurbani. Giaan is one thing, and Dhiaan is one thing. Developing energy is good. But misusing the energy and sending it down the wrong channels is not right. Let's take the Giaan from the guru. I say Giaan, knowledge, light. Experience. Learn from the Guru, learn from elder Gursikhs.

Let's not try to take Gurbani and say that I know more about Gurbani. Gurbani says, If you focus on Kaam, if you make Kaam the priority or the goal of your life, then that will send you directly. You're walking down the path towards Narak, hell. The topic of these eight forms of Kaam goes into a lot of depth. This is just a very brief form. I'm trying to go through those eight forms. Let's try to take these concepts and understand them and actually look at where our mind is. Are we falling under any of these traps? Let's fall under that love of Guru Sahib. Let's set our direction straight and walk that path of love. Maharaja Khalsa. Waheguru ji ki Fateh.

8 Forms of Kaam (Lust) by Harman Singh

Basics of Sikhi

Understanding the Eight Types of Kaam or Lust

Kaam, or lust, is a prominent issue that affects people of all generations and is not just a physical action, but also affects the mind.

The first type of Kaam is Sarvan, which involves listening to conversations or sounds that indulge in lustful topics, leading to the development of such thoughts in the mind.

The second type is Chitvan, which occurs through the sense of sight, by indulging in and being drawn to lustful visuals, ultimately affecting the mind.

The Impact of Constantly Exposing the Mind to Sexual Content

Constantly exposing the mind to sexual content can deeply ingrain it, affecting the way we perceive others.

This exposure can lead to seeing individuals as sexual objects, making it difficult to control these thoughts.

Instead, the mind should be trained to focus on positive and meaningful content, moving away from lustful thoughts.

The Stages of Developing Inappropriate Relationships

Justifying inappropriate relationships as friendship can lead to deeper emotional attachment.

Private conversations and justifications of non-physical intentions can still lead to developing a strong bond.

The progression from justifying to seeking exclusive possession of the person shows the dangerous evolution of these relationships.

The seventh form of Kaam is Simran, which involves constant remembrance, but it is discussed here in the context of obsessing over a person.

The eighth form, Kirtan, is described as singing the praises of the person one desires, highlighting the selfish use of natural characteristics for sexual thoughts.

The message emphasizes the importance of redirecting these energies towards selfless thoughts of God and using them to remember and honor the divine.

Cultivating the Right Desires and Priorities in Sikhism

Having the desire to meet with Gursikhs and connect with God is important, but it's crucial to channel these energies for the right reasons.

Misusing the knowledge and energy can lead to negative consequences, so it's essential to prioritize learning from the Guru and Gurbani.

Focusing on the love of Guru Sahib and setting a straight direction is emphasized, while avoiding falling into traps like making Kaam the priority in life.