Controlled By Pleasure

The most important thing to understand about being controlled by pleasure is the less there’s attachment to “I” the less you will be controlled because without “I” there’s no one who needs the next pleasure…

Pleasure is so controlling because it feels good, this is why it’s control is so powerful. There’s only issue with this because of the impermanent nature of pleasure. It simply will not last, it has no staying power so something will always be needed almost immediately following the attainment of each pleasure. Think about it, with all the pleasures that have been attained throughout your life regardless of what it was, it doesn’t bring the pleasure now that it brought at that time. Most times even if the same exact pleasure is physically repeated it’s usually not as pleasurable as the first experience. I used so many things as I was controlled by my pleasure seeking conditioning, but it was never lasting; the need for the next pleasure always arose. This went on all the time, attaining one pleasure after another and never being satisfied. 

I’ve come to understand that being controlled by pleasure is the main reason people start using alcohol, drugs, gambling, sex, money, tobacco products and an array of other things. If pleasure wasn’t sought nothing would be reached for so one would never be controlled, but unfortunately the control of pleasure has its way with people. It’s deeply ingrained in the subconscious and has been in place since existence began. I know pleasure is what controlled me for forty nine years and it was directly associated with “I”. Without “I” no one is there to be controlled. Even with this understanding being controlled by pleasure doesn’t just disappear, but it does subside somewhat. To me the most important thing to understand about this is, the less attachment there is to “I” the less you will be controlled by pleasure because without “I” there’s no one who needs the next pleasure…