What’s Your Favorite Addiction?
Posted: Saturday, July 10, 2010
by e
Dhammabucha Rocksprings Meditation
Addiction is a pleasure seeking activity. As I have written in many of my articles; pleasure seeking, goal setting, and future plans (although important to get along in life) are the things that keep us entrapped in worldly illusions, prohibiting any real spiritual growth.
Trying to entertain ourselves and pass the time enjoyably is what just about everyone unconsciously does. Reading, studying, and practicing in order to shift our consciousness to a higher level than mere sensory pleasure, on the other hand, is rare indeed.
If we never attain this level of wisdom and insight, then we will forever view our perceived suffering as something to be solved. And we will forever attempt to solve it by deflecting our minds from whatever it is that makes us unhappy toward something pleasurable. We become bored, so we have an affair! This of course is the root cause of karma, that which boomerangs on us eventually and makes us even more unhappy. So the very attempt to escape our unhappiness usually leads to only more unhappiness in the end.
The spiritual life begins when we begin to understand how we trick ourselves and continue our unhappiness, thinking that we are solving it and never realizing how we are in effect exacerbating it. Then we have the strength to just say no and remain in our funk (which is usually only an absence of sensual input and stimulation) until the mind becomes peaceful. Then we are embarking on a new dimension of our consciousness, void of the incessant and very temporary addictions of sensual inputs and stimulations. Now the mind, unburdened from the constant, smothering blanket of sensory input, becomes what is called pure mind, original mind, that which transforms us.
The sharp pain of withdrawal from addiction seems greater than the steady pain of having to continually stimulate our sense organs again and again endlessly. Because of this, the spiritual life is seldom embarked upon. Even when people decide to become spiritual, the withdrawal from familiar escapes is postponed. Instead of observing the pain of withdrawal from our habitual addictions, we instead make new addictions by only reading and talking about spirituality. We don't really practice. Then we of course become addicted to spirituality, or religion as the case may be.
So spirituality, the real spirituality, is not light and love. It is breaking addictions, and that is suffering. But it is the suffering that eventually will end all suffering, and that makes it priceless. Anyone who insists on payment in order to give you spiritual advice is a fraud.
So, be aware of how you require constant sensual stimulation, whether that be eating (taste), scents and aromas (smell), mental creativity (mind, thoughts, ideals), seductive or comfortable physical touching including sex, and wanting to be cool when it's hot and warm when it's cold, looking at pleasurable sights (good looking men or women, sunsets, animals, flowers, sports cars, TV, Internet, etc., listening to pleasurable sounds - music, nature sounds, and conversations.
Then try to meditate, where all sensual input is put on hold for a half hour or so. The body is kept still, noises, smells, and sights are subdued, thoughts are left go of. The mind becomes calm. This activity will bring up an awareness of how you rely completely on sensual input for your happiness. Once this is seen clearly, once you understand how you are intimidated and led around by the nose by your senses, there is the distinct possibility of escaping from this tyranny of addiction.
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More commentsI couldn't agree with you more. Humanity will do anything to NOT endure the suffering required for spiritual growth. Well done.Boy we can sure agree on that one! Thanks Ken.
Hi e.I think I understand "dispassion" a little better now. I've written an article for next week wherein I make a very small joke around "dispassion." I was thinking of you when I wrote it. If you read my article, I hope that it doesn't bother you. I'm going to let it stand as it is.You know, I'm not sure that I "rely completely on sensual input for your happiness." But I might just be deluding myself. I'll have to think on this.Thanks for another enlightening article.Hugs, DianneHugs back Dianne! Thank you.
I must say addictions are extremely hard to break, and discipline will have to play a role, but it can be done. Alcoholism for instance is a major contributor to domestic violence. No child should have to experience or witness this type of behavior, let alone, abusive or unstable guidance.Alcoholism is very destructive. I hope that someday people become settles enough in their hearts that they no longer need such a thing.
I seek and am addicted to the constant "buzz" of life Rock! Whether it be observing my 2 year old Grandson's fascination at the park and his discovering new things, playing my guitar and writing songs, writing articles, singing, a good joke, people who I can sit and have a conversation with, watching live bands, YouTube, music, sports, a great meal, etc. I bore easily!
If I was rich Raymond I would have been dead already from one "endless" excitement of some sort. When I have money in my pocket I am always seeking the next thrill. I am forever in search of the Peter Pan forever young mentality! I wish to feel high at all times. I am pretty sure I will drop dead one night while dancing and singing. :)It sounds as if you are living life to the fullest. That's a good way to learn about life. Thanks Kenny!
I'm addicted to being addicted to everything I'm addicted to, and probably some other stuff I'm too addicted to, to even realize. Phewww, never thought I'd get that off my chest. Thanks for giving me the chance Mr. Rock. Great article.Hah! Don't get addicted to getting things off your chest!! :)
Great! We all have our own pleasurable addictions, even if we don't realize they are addictions!And we don't! How can an innocent milkshake be an addiction! :)
i have my addictions though i wish i could get rid of it all i know if i did i would be a much healthier personOnce we really see what our addictions do to us physically and psychologically, how they are tyranny in action, we can usually do something about them. It's the seeing that helps. Kinda like some war veterans who now rant against war after seeing the experience of war up close and personal, and not just conceptually. Thank Ken.
Powerful words. I will be reading more of your work.Thank you Mr. Bond! I will try my best to write interesting, although sometimes controversial articles :)
I give this article high rating because it is well written and thoughtful, but I do not agree with everything here. There are many very positive addictions. For me once long distance running was very spiritual and put me into a world I still have dreams of. I admit to an addiction to creative thinking but that comes from only a calm mind and feelings close to spirituality.Thank you Robert. When creative thinking results from a calm mind, I wouldn't call that an addiction but an effect of a positive cause. Addictions tend to be strong desires, i.e., I have to have constant creativity or I feel bad.
Removing someone or something you are addicted to from your life is difficult, but removing them, or it, from your mind and heart is the real struggle. I wish we could all experience the sense of peace and calm you speak of, and maybe if we work at it as you suggest, we can. You always make perfect sense Raymond Rock.There is also an opposite struggle when one person of a relationship begins to have spiritual awakenings and tendencies while the other doesn't. In that case, removing his or her partner from their mind and heart is relatively easy because, as a child gives up her playthings and desires more mature things, the spiritual person will gradually lose interest in his or her partner's interests and activities. Then a problem can arise when the relationship becomes unbalanced as the person with spiritual tendencies tries to remain physically true to his or her partnership regarding their commitment to each other.Thanks Brianna.
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