Originally posted by Fire Star:
Well, good technique about imagining someone getting old
down the years, but I would like to hear more techniques people
would employ, if possible.
And deadpoet, quite enlightening you ask why would one give up lust
in the first place, for I thought it is where conspiracy
lies.
Thanks eternalnow for the quote and information. But I would like
to know if someone has [b]given up lust
competely, and how he/shedoes that.[/b]
At mundane level we get rid of evil lust to avoid bad
consequence and also thoughts leading to evil actions. 'Legitimate
sexual desires' (i.e occuring within marriage, one's spouse and not
just any other people) is still quite ok but is mentally unhealthy
to have too much either. As the buddha says, the thought manifests
as word, word manifests as deed, the deed developer into habit, and
habit gardens into character. Therefore as we think so we become.
Furthermore if one has the habit of leacherous thoughts such habits
can be brought over to our next life and we may carry out sexual
misconducts and eventually end up in the lower realms. At a higher
level one cleanse himself of lust because it prevents the
experience of the perfect bliss of nirvana, and lust is a fetter
that is equivalent to dukkha. There cannot be freedom and
liberation if one's mind is preoccupied by them. We will also not
be liberated from the world of samsaric rebirth since love and lust
(qing, ai, yu) is the recipe for rebirth. Whereas, the scriptures
say, the four characteristics of nirvana is eternity, bliss, self
and purity. (chang, le, wo, jing). Purifying the mind of sentient
thoughts (not evil thoughts only, but all sentient thoughts) is
taught in buddhism. Other religions does not seem to teach this.
Only do good, avoid evil.
That monk who wrote that was someone who has completely transcended
lust (and even at that point he has not attained complete
liberation yet). He attained liberation years later. There are many
many thousands of others throughout history (even today) who have
accomplished this (attaining liberation). So its not exactly a
superhuman thing. And in buddhism we believe everyone can become a
buddha and all of up aim to attain enlightenment. Do you mean
someone from this forum? Not sure whether the more experienced ones
would like to share... Hope they do.
