Illusions

Drawbacks
by Giovanni Voltaggio

True delight is found in the ending of craving, the cessation of desire. A chain of hedonistic pleasures causes much stress, despair, an increase of drawbacks. Equanimity arising from a multiplicity of uncontrolled delights results in vexation and weariness. Equanimity occuring as a result of singleness and dependent on singleness eradicates the attraction to worldly lures. These lures are cognizable by way of the senses; agreeable, pleasing, charming, endearing, fostering desire, enticing.

Contrastingly, human physiological reactive mechanisms have potent lures; anger has a peculiar experiencial attraction that is altogether problematic for the individual. The angered person turns profit into loss, drives away others, sleeps disturbedly, thinks and decides poorly, increases in ugliness, doesn’t see the dhamma, and is conquered by a mass of darkness. With the cessation of anger he smoulders like a flame deprived of necessary oxygen.

Overshadowing the consequences, these lures disable rationality and pure judgement which results in some level of slavery to the drawbacks produced by the lures. Working, striving, making all manner of effort, one experiences sorrow and grief, one laments and becomes distraught as the efforts required to obtain the lures becomes overbearing. The result of the strain far exceeds the level of equanimity achieved. All is futile, the drawbacks have now become clear; what was suspected to be a source of sorrow by the gentle conscience has clearly manifested itself and become a full-blown reality. Much effort was expended and pain experienced due to the individual’s decision to follow the leadings of the lures.

Emancipation is the result of following the calming voice of conscience. Passions and desires are subdued, their proddings are reduced and they instead become slaves to conscience and rationality.