L-R: Bhikkhu Pamutto and Vipassana Gossalaya Hong Keo, Meditation Master

Adapted from a talk by Gil Fronsdal, November 7th, 2004

As rain penetrates an ill-thatched house,
So lust penetrates an undeveloped mind.

As rain does not penetrate a well-thatched house,
So lust does not penetrate a well-developed mind.

~Dhammapada (13-14)

It is sometimes said that practicing mindfulness is easy; what is hard is remembering to do it. To help us remember, it’s useful to have a clear understanding of the forces in our minds that contribute to our forgetting. The one that the Buddhist tradition focuses on most is desire.

Desire is ubiquitous in human life. Living without wants, wishes, motivations, and aspirations is inconceivable. Some desires are quite healthy, useful, and appropriate; some are not. One function of mindfulness practice is to help us distinguish between these. And differentiating helps support the beautiful aspiration for liberation and compassion.

Any desire, healthy or unhealthy, can easily manifest as a compulsion. Wherever there is compulsion, we are not free. In the West, we sometimes call particularly strong desires “addictions.” Buddhism often refers to compulsive desires as cravings, clingings, or “thirsts.” Careful attention to our inner life, through meditation, for example, will quickly reveal that compulsions are deeply rooted in the mind. Continue reading →