“It’s like a pressure cooker.”

The teachings of Ajahn Suchart.

16th April, 2022

“It’s like a pressure cooker.”

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Question (F): Why do I find that the sensual desires tend to be more pronounced during meditation retreat compare to my normal days?

Than Ajahn: It’s because your sensual desire is being curbed more when you’re in a retreat.

You cannot let your eyes, ears, nose, tongue to see and hear things as they normally do because you have to meditate.

So, the desire can become stronger. It’s like a pressure cooker. When the steam inside the pressure cooker has no exit, the steam keeps on building up and it becomes very strong.

When you are not in meditation retreat, you can see, hear and do anything you like, whenever you like. 

The sensual pleasure has some forms to release its pressure, therefore, you don’t feel that the pressure. 

When you go for a retreat, you are closing the pressure releaser. It then builds up inside your mind and it becomes strong. The only way to deal with this is by using mindfulness and meditation.

When you have mindfulness or when you meditate, you stop your mind from creating cravings and desires. Then, the pressure will subside and disappear temporarily. But as soon as you come out of your meditation, if you are not mindful, you start creating more cravings and desires again.

Youtube: “Dhamma in English, Nov 9, 2018.”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
www.phrasuchart.com

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