So if you can look at all things without allowing pleasure…
““So if you can look at all things without allowing pleasure to creep in - at a face, a bird, the colour of a sari, the beauty of a sheet of water shimmering in the sun, or anything that gives delight - if you can look at it without wanting the experience to be repeated, then there will be no pain, no fear, and therefore tremendous joy. It is the struggle to repeat and perpetuate pleasure which turns it into pain. Watch it in yourself. The very demand for the repetition of pleasure brings about pain, because it is not the same, as it was yesterday. You struggle to achieve the same delight, not only to your aesthetic sense but the same inward quality of the mind, and you are hurt and disappointed because it is denied to you.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Desires for repeated pleasure create suffering; letting go of craving leads to freedom and joy.
In simple terms: Chasing the same pleasure causes pain; release it for joy.
Key Takeaway
Release the need for repeat pleasure.
Themes
desire
attachment
mindfulness
Mood
calm
inquisitive
Type
philosophical
spiritual
When to use this quote
- personal growth
- meditation
- creative work
- relationships
Key Concepts
impermanence
suffering
joy
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you notice when you cling to pleasure?
- What practices help you accept impermanence?
A Different Perspective
It may be unrealistic to never seek pleasure.