[423] World Scripture - Subduing the Desires of the Flesh - 1.Extinguishing

[대태양/김현수]

Part Three - The Path of Life

Chapter 18 Humility and Self-Denial

6) Subduing the Desires of the Flesh

All Religions Agree That The Seeker of Ultimate Reality must restrain his or her desires and subdue the passions of the flesh. Striking and weakening the body through rigorous self-control, fasting, sitting hours at meditation, etc. are all commendable ways to struggle against the flesh’s desires and ultimately to dominate them.

For most people, the most challenging of them all is sexual desire. Jesus taught that we should be ruthless, “If your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out…” to which we add a Buddhist story of a nun who did just that—to quench her counterpart’s sin, not her own. Buddhism promotes the technique of meditating on “the loathsomeness of the body” as a bag of fluids, lymph, bile and feces to help men curb their desire for the opposite sex. Father Moon also recommends summoning up an attitude of disgust for the body, calling it “Satan’s dance-hall.”

Related passages on self-conquest are found in Chapter 12: Self-Control; yet perfect self-control is nearly impossible to attain. Father Moon explains this predicament as a consequence of humanity’s impaired condition after the Fall. Extreme and forceful practice is required to do what does not come naturally. Therefore, religions developed to teach the path of intense and unrelenting efforts at striking at the body and subduing its desires. In some religions these practices became organized into monasticism; nevertheless people in every walk of life should be making efforts in this direction.

1. Extinguishing the Desires of the Body

World Scripture 

Beloved, I beseech you…to abstain from the passions of the flesh that wage war against your soul. 1 Peter 2.11

Through the abandonment of desire the Deathless is realized. Samyutta Nikaya 47.37 (Buddhism)

Put to death what is earthly in you: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you once walked, when you lived in them. But now put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and foul talk from your mouth. Colossians 3.5-8

Is he who relies on a clear proof from his Lord like those for whom the evil that they do seems pleasing while they follow their own lusts? Qur’an 47.14

Only on complete obliteration of sensuality can one forsake violence. Acarangasutra 4.45 (Jainism)

Manifest plainness,
Embrace simplicity,
Reduce selfishness,
Have few desires.
Tao Te Ching 19 (Taoism)

When all the desires that surge in the heart Are renounced, the mortal becomes immortal. When all the knots that strangle the heart Are loosened, the mortal becomes immortal, Here in this very life. Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 4.4.7 (Hinduism)

Realizing that pleasure and pain are personal affairs, one should subjugate his mind and senses. Acarangasutra 2.78 (Jainism)

Confucius said, “There are three things against which a gentleman is on his guard. In his youth, before his blood and vital humors have settled down, he is on his guard against lust. Having reached his prime, when the blood and vital humors have finally hardened, he is on his guard against strife. Having reached old age, when the blood and vital humors are already decaying, he is on his guard against avarice.” Analects 16.7 (Confucianism)

Monks, there are these three feelings. What three? Pleasant feeling, painful feeling, and feeling that is neither painful nor pleasant. Pleasant feeling, monks, should be looked upon as pain, painful feeling should be looked upon as a barb, feeling that is neither painful nor pleasant should be looked upon as impermanent. When these three feelings are looked upon in these ways by a monk, that monk is called “rightly seeing.” Itivuttaka 47 (Buddhism)

Teachings of Sun Myung Moon

The true religious life starts from denying all relationships with the body. If you read the scriptures, can you find any guidance about eating good food and leading an easy life? It is impossible to find such guidance. Religion teaches you to serve, sacrifice, be gentle and humble. Therefore religious people pray for the sake of others even at the risk of their lives. The body by itself cannot do this. In this way you can knock down your body.

The mind and body fight when they have the same amount of strength. So you should make effort to weaken your body. When your mind can subdue your weakened body for several months, then even after the body regains its strength it will follow the mind out of habit. When you reach such a level, you will find that your plans turn out well, having support from Heaven. Then it will be difficult to lead the life you led in the past. You will gravitate towards living an upright life according to your conscience. This is the purpose of the religious life. (38:272, January 8, 1971)

Religions present teachings on how to conquer the body. They instruct us: Be forceful in restricting your body. Do not give in to what the body wants to do. For this reason, religions direct us not to go to theatres or walk through red-light districts. They command men not to chase after women, and advise women to consider men as thieves and to avoid paying attention to them. Can you ladies in the Unification Church date? No, you cannot. Can you men date? No, you cannot. Do I use force to keep you from dating? No. Go ahead, try dating if you want to, but you will find you cannot do it. If someone was stopping you by force, you would do it all the more. Go ahead and try it, and fall on your own back. What should you do with your body? You should subdue it. Seeking for goodness requires you to subjugate your body. That is why I am asking you to twist the neck of your bodily desires. The body likes to be arrogant. It demands that others serve it. Its philosophy is: “Mine is mine, and yours is mine.” (39:193, January 10, 1971)

You young men should cut off your desire to have every attractive woman you see. You should cut off the music you enjoy listening to—everything the world delights in. Religions direct you to strike the body. The highest religions advocate denying the flesh completely. Throughout history, religions have taught asceticism and sacrificial service. Why? There is a reason for it. To enter the Kingdom of Heaven, we have to realize heaven in this hellish human world. Is this world a place of misery or of happiness?

It is a world of misery. Can this world of misery and turmoil ever become a world of happiness if everyone keeps on eating, playing, drinking and dancing? No, the world will only become more miserable. Therefore, anyone seeking the world of happiness should go to a place of misery and there make a break-through. The way forward can only be found in a place of misery. If it is not there, then God does not exist. (91:286-87, January 30, 1977)

We strike the body to eliminate Satan’s influence. We strike the body to allow the Holy Spirit to take control. To strike our body is to strike Satan. When we strike Satan, the Holy Spirit can occupy what Satan had previously ruled. (1:126, June 27, 1956)