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Part Three - The Path of Life
Chapter 18 Humility and Self-Denial
6) Subduing the Desires of the Flesh
2. Feeling Revulsion for the Body and the Corrupt Senses
World Scripture
If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell. Mark 9.43-47
In Jivaka’s pleasant wood walked the nun Subha. A gallant met her there and barred the way. Subha said to him, “What have I done to offend you, that you stand obstructing me? For it is not fitting, sir, that a man should touch a sister in orders…”
“You are young, a maiden, and faultless— what do you seek in the holy life? Cast off that yellow robe and come! In the blossoming woodland let us seek our pleasure… If you will do my bidding, come where the joys of the sheltered life await you; dwell in a house of verandas and terraces…” “What so infatuates you about this carcass, filled with carrion, to fill a grave, so fragile, that it seems to warrant such words?”
“Eyes you have like a gazelle’s, like an elf’s in the heart of the mountains—‘tis those eyes of yours, sight of which feeds the depth of my passion. Shrined in your dazzling, immaculate face as in the calyx of a lotus, ‘tis those eye of yours, sight of which feeds the strength of my passion…”
“O you are blind! You chase a sham… What is this eye but a little ball lodged in the fork of a hollow tree, bubble of film, anointed with tearbrine, exuding slime-drops, compost wrought in the shape of an eye of manifold aspects?” Forthwith the maiden so lovely tore out her eye and gave it to him. “Here, then! Take your eye!” Her heart unattached, she sinned not.
Straightaway the lust in him ceased and he begged her pardon. “O pure and holy maid, would that you might recover your sight! Never again will I do such a thing. You have sore smitten my sin; blazing flames have I clasped to my bosom; a poisonous snake I have handled— but O, be healed and forgive me!” Freed from molesting, the nun went on her way to the Buddha, chief of the Awakened. There in his presence, seeing those features born of utmost merit, her eye was restored. Therigatha 366-99 (Buddhism)
The body, brethren, is not the self. If body were the self, this body would not be subject to sickness, and one could say of body, “Let my body be thus; let my body not be thus.” But inasmuch as body is not the self, that is why body is subject to sickness, and one cannot say of body, “Let my body be thus; let my body not be thus.”…
Now what do you think, brethren, is body permanent or impermanent? [Impermanent, Lord.] And is the impermanent painful or pleasant? [Painful, Lord.] Then what is impermanent, painful, and unstable by nature, is it fitting to consider as, “this is mine, this am I, this is my self”? [Surely not, Lord.]… Therefore, brethren, every body whatever, be it past, future, or present, be it inward or outward, gross or subtle, lowly or eminent, far or near—every body should be thus regarded, as it really is, by right insight—”this is not mine; this am not I; this is not my self.” Samyutta Nikaya 3.68 (Buddhism)
He who delights in subduing evil thoughts, who meditates on the loathsomeness of the body, who is ever mindful—it is he who will make an end of craving. He will sever Mara’s bond. Dhammapada 350 (Buddhism)
The mouth is a vessel filled with foul
Saliva and filth between the teeth,
The nose with fluids, snot, and mucus,
The eyes with their own filth and tears.
The body is a vessel filled
With excrement, urine, lungs, and liver;
He whose vision is obscured and does not see
A woman thus, lusts for her body.
This filthy city of a body,
With protruding holes for the elements
Is called by stupid beings
An object of pleasure.
Why should you lust desirously for this
While recognizing it as a filthy form
Produced by a seed whose essence is filth,
A mixture of blood and semen?
He who lies on the filthy mass
Covered by skin moistened with
Those fluids, merely lies
On top of a woman’s bladder.
Nagarjuna, Precious Garland 149-57 (Buddhism)
Get back, I hate you!
Don’t hold my sari, you fool!
A she-buffalo is worried of its life,
And the butcher, of its killing!
The pious think of virtues,
And the wicked, of vices;
I am worried of my soul,
And you, of lust…
Fie on this body!
Why do you damn yourself
In love of it—this pot of excrement,
The vessel of urine, the frame of bones,
This stench of purulence!
Think of Lord Shiva,
You fool!
Akkamahadevi, Vacana 15 and 33 (Hinduism)
Teachings of Sun Myung Moon
Your eyes, nose, ears, mouth, and hands are in contact with two roads. When your eyes see for “me” they become the Devil’s eyes; when your nose smells for “me” it becomes the Devil’s nose, and when your ears hear for “me” they become Devil’s ears. You should rather see with eyes that care for others, care for the nation, the world, and heaven and earth—in other words, you should see with God’s eyes. Those eyes of yours do not exist for your successful career… they exist for the sake of others—to save the nation and liberate humankind. (214:65, February 1, 1991)
When you come home at night and wash your face, look at the mirror and say, “Eyes, nose, ears, hands and feet; you are always a problem.” Ask them, “Did you do anything sinful today?” You should reflect upon what you have seen with your eyes, what you have said with your mouth, how you have acted, and everything you have done by your own power. Then you should go the opposite way. (122:264, November 21, 1982)
Who is your enemy? Your own eyes and ears, your nose, mouth, your thoughts—those are your enemies. You must make your eyes God’s eyes, your ears God’s ears, your nose God’s nose, your mouth God’s mouth, and your hands and feet God’s hands and feet. By doing so, you should find the “I” that can live entirely for the world.
That is your revolution. The borderline between heaven and hell is within your own self. If you move to the right you end up in the Kingdom of God; if you move to the left you end up in hell. Some people stay on the borderline, shifting sometimes to the right, sometimes to the left, back and forth. Others go to the left; they are headed for hell… Still others keep pushing themselves to live for God and His Will their whole life long… Among those three types of people, which are you? Even Unification Church members are divided among these three types. Some are A, some are B and some are C. Which type do you want to be? “A!” Oh, you people are ambitious! But you will face many difficulties…
You young men, when you see an attractive young woman, do you want to flirt with her? You must cut off that thought. You must cut off all the messages [about love] that you hear every day. You must cut off all the things the world says are good. You must cut off all of them. That is why religion commands us to strike our own body. The higher the religion, the more sacrifice it demands. Is that the correct thing to do, or not? It is correct. All the religions throughout history have taught people to live an ascetic life, to sacrifice and serve. There is a purpose for it. (91:285, February 27, 1977)
Do you women realize how much you are tempting men? If you are attractive, you should think, “I don’t want to have a pretty face.” (116:18, December 1, 1981)
You must deplore the reality that your body is the Devil’s dance hall. Your body is the Devil’s love nest. Having been defiled by the Devil’s love, your body inherited the Devil’s blood lineage.
You should recognize that based on this blood relationship, Satan’s realm of power is controlling you in order to trample upon your original character. Furthermore, Satan desires through this lineage to dominate you for millions of years to come. What can you do about this alarming fact? Your country cannot remove Satan for you. You have to do it yourself. (214:285, February 3, 1991)
Satan’s blood flows in my veins. Satan’s greed and Satan’s selfishness are in me. Recognize this fact, and always consider that Satan’s love, Satan’s greed, and Satan himself occupy your very self. Pull out this Satan! Pull out Satan’s blood lineage, Satan’s desires, and all self-centered satanic elements. With what can you pull them out? For this purpose God set up religions and has been leading the providence of restoration and salvation. (115:42, October 28, 1982)
There are two types of love: love that is pleasing to Satan and love that is pleasing to God… But if you are going about seeking temporary love, you will arrive at death. Whenever you feel an urge for temporary love, you should whip yourself and pray single-mindedly to strive only for eternal life, while thinking of the darkness of death that awaits you if you gratify that urge. (Blessing and Ideal Family 1.4.3)
Many times Eve was left alone. When she made a fuss, crying out loud under the shade of a tree, the archangel was there to comfort her. Sometimes he carried her on his back. Sometimes he sat her on his lap. When she was sitting on his lap face-to-face, his sexual organ would almost be touching hers. They had often seen animals mating and knew it was how they came to have their young. Under those circumstances, all the archangel had to do was push his organ into hers, and she would feel, “I like it!” Man and woman feel pleasure when their sexual organs touch. The thing was bound to happen sooner or later, and that is exactly how the Fall took place.
You men, if a woman comes to you, sits naked on your lap, and touches your sexual organ, would you accept it? Suppose she were very attractive; when she touches your organ, would it be erect, or not? Your love organ should not be hard and erect. No, it should remain limp. If you ever face such a temptation, know that it is an opportunity to restore through indemnity the action of the Fall. Therefore, even if a very attractive woman tries to force your organ into hers, you should push her away with such force that she tumbles to the ground, and chase her away to a far off place where you will never see her again. (285:201, May 4, 1997)
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