There once lived a man among a group of cultivators who practiced healthy living and mind purification. Despite his status as a cultivator, he was often distracted as his interest fell on a female cultivator in his group. No matter what he did, he could not shake her off his mind. Thus, he constantly sent her secret love letters praising her beauty, declaring his strong and immovable feelings for her, and stating that he is willing to do anything to win her love.
Then one day, the female cultivator wrote back to the man, saying that she will accept his love if he could confessed openly to her on the coming day. The man was overjoyed and looked forward to the next day to express his love for her.
During the next morning's assembly, after the master addressed the fellow cultivators for questions, she stood up with the love letter in her hand, and said, ' 'I received this love letter from a man who loves me dearly. Whoever he is, I stand here ready to accept his confession of love for me. ''
Hearing this, the man sitting among the assembly was too embarrassed to stand up, knowing well of his improper intentions as a cultivator, not to mention admitting it before everyone.
The master then spoke 'Indeed, shouldn't love be a honest and open expression?' After this incident, the man showed due respect to the female cultivator and never dared bring up such issues to her again.
This story teaches us not to take love too lightly, because at many a times we too easily say or think that we are willing to give the best of our love to someone, while in actual fact, we are more concerned about our pride and are merely driven by the temporary heat of our desires. Unbiased compassion is the noblest love of all.
Emotions are the prime drivers of our concentration in our daily lives, and not just that, it also sets the motivation in our lives. While the positive or I would prefer to use the word, healthy ones can enliven new energy of joy and hope in a person, the unhealthy ones can put one into total distress and confusion in life.
Of all the powerful emotions like anger, jealousy and greed, lust is perhaps the most commonly troubling and intense of all. Though lust comes in many forms of sensual indulgences, the lusting for luxuries, the lusting for money etc. The lust here mainly refers to the lusting for sexuality.
Even though this emotion is present in all genders, males tend to have a stronger affliction in general, so much so that this emotion has begun to develop into a norm within the world of the guys. Examples include watching pornography materials, hitting on beautiful girls, and talking dirty jokes with their friends.
From a truthful standpoint, despite the lust for sexuality is a natural instinct, it should not be taken for granted and allowed to strive without discipline.
Why? Because:
- Lust is a need without destination, an increasing debt that can never be settled. It starts small, and turns ever bigger, like a person who borrows more money from new creditors to settle old ones.
- It destroys faith and respect among people, turning love into hate, lovers into enemies and promises to deceit.
- It causes the spread of sexuality transmitted diseases.
- What seems to be mere pleasures for man, can cause undesirable consequence and burden to woman in case of unintended pregnancy.
- Much as it causes hurt to others, lust torments the host most, within every instant of every day. Lust causes the mind to lose focus and a grand direction, as the mind becomes manipulated and troubled easily, losing the inner peace of the mind where one can stay constantly happy and at peace.
The solution?
Don't even think about it!
This is the first and simplest solution. Many lustful thoughts come in the spur of moments, that we find them in our heads even before we even decide to let them in. If so, don't let it develop! Let it end there. Delete. Period.
Everyone can do that, the question is whether a person would want to do that. In most cases, the answer is no. Asking this gives one the tendency to go further with that thought.
''No one knows or sees what I think, why should I care? Everyone is doing it.''
Though these words might take a person off the issue of embarassment and self reproach, it is the first step for a person to become the slave of his own lust, and many more unwholesome thoughts to come, that in time, he would find them hard to eradicate even if he wants to.
Other solutions:
- Surround yourself with friends and people who have a bigger and noble mission in life. Nurture your habits and speech with these people as a way to broaden your mind of the world and life outside the tiny house of lust.
- Make friends with the opposite gender to understand their thoughts and characters more.
- Keep yourself busy with work, a hobby or something you like to do. Adequate stress is also good in keeping your mind focused and away from lust.
- Read stories and excerpts from philosophical books to inspire yourself.
- Go out for a tedious exercise regime to refresh your mind and body.
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