Pleasure And Pain

[Guest guest]

Nature is neither pleasant nor painful. It is all

intelligence and beauty. Pain and pleasure are in

the mind. Change your scale of values and all will

change. Pleasure and pain are mere disturbances

of the senses; treat them equally and there will be only

bliss. And the world is, what you make it; by all

means make it happy. Only contentment can make you

happy -- desires fulfilled breed more desires. Keeping

away from all desires and contentment in what comes by

itself is a very fruitful state-- a precondition to the state

of bliss. Don't distrust its apparent sterility and

emptiness. Believe me, it is the satisfaction of desires

that breeds misery. Freedom from desires is bliss.

 

Q: How am I to fight desire? There is nothing stronger.

 

M: The waters of life are thundering over the rocks of

objects -- desirable or hateful. Remove the rocks by

insight and detachment and the same waters will flow deep

and silent and swift, in greater volume and with greater

power. Don't be theoretical about it, give time to

thought and consideration; if you desire to be free,

neglect not the nearest step to freedom. It is like

climbing a mountain; not a step can be missed. One step

less -- and the summit is not reached.

 

~Nisargadatta Maharaj

[Guest guest]

Nisargadatta , Pete S <pedsie5 wrote:

>

> Nature is neither pleasant nor painful. It is all

> intelligence and beauty. Pain and pleasure are in

> the mind. Change your scale of values and all will

> change. Pleasure and pain are mere disturbances

> of the senses; treat them equally and there will be only

> bliss. And the world is, what you make it; by all

> means make it happy. Only contentment can make you

> happy -- desires fulfilled breed more desires. Keeping

> away from all desires and contentment in what comes by

> itself is a very fruitful state-- a precondition to the state

> of bliss. Don't distrust its apparent sterility and

> emptiness. Believe me, it is the satisfaction of desires

> that breeds misery. Freedom from desires is bliss.

>

> Q: How am I to fight desire? There is nothing stronger.

>

> M: The waters of life are thundering over the rocks of

> objects -- desirable or hateful. Remove the rocks by

> insight and detachment and the same waters will flow deep

> and silent and swift, in greater volume and with greater

> power. Don't be theoretical about it, give time to

> thought and consideration; if you desire to be free,

> neglect not the nearest step to freedom. It is like

> climbing a mountain; not a step can be missed. One step

> less -- and the summit is not reached.

>

> ~Nisargadatta Maharaj

 

interesting timing

 

I was just reflecting on this topic this AM

 

the difference between simple pleasure

and desire is that with desire there is a *drive*

to optimize (a kind of) pleasure.

 

When (a kind of) pleasure becomes a *focus* then

desire as a process has kicked in.

 

but complete honesty and openness to What Is cannot

abide simultaneously with such a desire process.

 

there cannot be " two masters " .

 

so the presence of a desire process means that

there cannot be complete honesty.

 

 

Bill