(Minghui.org) The Minghui Special Collection “Let Go Lust, Step out of Everyday People's Mentality” is a collection of articles by many Falun Dafa practitioners on the importance of letting go of attachments to lust and how to accomplish this. I have personally stumbled on this issue a lot and would like to offer my insights, as a supplement to these articles.
I was addicted to filthy kung fu novels in the 1980's, and hadn't done well cleansing my thoughts for a long time. It wasn't until recently that I was able to truly eliminate lust and desire, and gain control over my thoughts while facing interference from this environment with so many bad things in it. The following was learned from thirty years of struggle and ten years of studying Dafa.
A Clear Understanding of the Fa Enables Practitioners to Eliminate Lust and Desire
The ability to completely eliminate lust and desire is the result of a clear understanding of the Fa. It suddenly dawned on me one day, that everyone in the world has a life prearranged by the Fa. Everyone has a place where he belongs. We should have a clearly defined attitude toward people unrelated to us, similar to the attitude toward money that doesn't belong to us. As a Falun Dafa practitioner, we are responsible citizens in society, including the structure and order of the society, made up of countless numbers of families. This structure is aligned with divine will.
Most Dafa practitioners have a clearly defined attitude toward money or material interest: we don't take or desire more than what we have. The key is to not even give it a thought. The same thing applies to social relationships. Everyone has a predestined path as to where he or she belongs. Recognizing and respecting this predestination is part of our social responsibility.
Since I gained this understanding, I now view women in the same way I view others' money. People in modern society have lost traditional values and follow the trend of wearing provocative clothing. I feel sorry that they've lost their direction in life. Seeing women dressed provocatively is equivalent to seeing others' money – I stay away from it even though the money may be sitting right there on the table.
Some historical meditation methods attempt to eliminate lust and desire through imagining the image of a beautiful woman after death and decay. I think that this might work with that particular woman, but it doesn't essentially eliminate the attachment to lust and desire. This method relies on one's attachment to avoid dirtiness. If we don't follow the guidance of a righteous Fa from the bottom of our hearts, the attachment can't be completely eliminated.
Another method teaches keeping a pure mind, resisting all temptation and treating beautiful women as reflections of objects in a mirror. This method doesn't work over time, and as time passes, the more filthy things one sees, the more demon nature is brought out. A piece of white paper may remain white for a while when exposed to smoke, but will eventually be stained. I have learned many lessons about this.
The True Nature of Lust and Desire
Master said,
“I am not asking you to intentionally do something. I am only trying to make you understand the principles of the Fa so that you will have a clear understanding of this.” (“Expounding on the Fa” from Essentials for Further Advancement)
I believe that I can now see the true nature and substance of lust and desire.
Lust and desire are manifestations of demon nature. They are part of the human body. Reproduction through sex is part of human life bestowed by the heavens and should be limited to husband and wife. However, lust and desire go beyond the boundary of marriage. The so-called biological drive is an instinct of low intelligence and demon nature. When a person grows up, starts to understand family relationships and responsibility and reaches puberty, he will be driven by lust and desire. He will need to stay firm on morals and ethics, be kind and well-mannered. If a person can resist the drive of lust and desire and live a clean life – which is hard to do – he can dissolve karma and reinforce his Buddha nature. If he can cultivate himself, he will have a good chance of returning to his heavenly origin.
Practitioners need a clear understanding of the Fa and a firm basis, rooted in Buddha nature, which is the only way we can eliminate the shackles of demon nature. First, a practitioner has to be a truly good person, respect the family arrangements arranged by divine being from the bottom of the heart, and safeguard the morals regarding men and women.
Furthermore, a practitioner has to completely untangle the attachments of lust and desire before he is allowed to approach the realm of divine beings, because a practitioner's body needs to be transformed to a divine entity which doesn't contain everyday people's desires. A practitioner will become completely free from selfishness and the expectation of receiving love in return for kindness. We treat others well without expectation. If a practitioner can stay clear minded and remain well grounded in Buddha nature at all times, he will be able to get out of the entanglements of demon nature, because demon nature causes interference when a practitioner lacks a clear understanding of the Fa.
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Category: Improving Oneself
