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Precept 2:
Do not seek pleasure for its own sake
“I can think of nothing less pleasurable than a life devoted
to pleasure.” — John D. Rockefeller
Monk:
Pleasures are not all created equal. There is a distinction in the form
of pleasure that is being sought. For example, to go and get an ice
cream cone on a hot day is a simple little pleasure in life. Rarely if
ever do we need an ice cream cone for survival. Similarly, slathering
a little butter on my toast is a wonderful thing. Filling a hot tub with
ice cream and bathing in butter, on the other hand, is a pleasure for
pleasures sake overindulgence… and a little creepy. Being a
hedonist, simply seeking pleasure because it feels good, is a bucket
full of cravings that can never be filled. The need for more is always
present. So, seeking pleasure for its own sake is a path that can only
lead to sadness, a feeling of incompleteness as the constant desire
for “more” looms larger and larger.
Living a good life is a good thing. Living a great life is, well… great.
But the definitions are where the screw turns. It is possible to live a
good life? To enjoy a little ice cream
and
some butter on your toast?
The fact is that many humans do just that, live a good life. On
balance, they are balanced, and do the best they are capable of. But
what about Musashi? Where did he draw the line? He was resolute
in his austerity, living in the woods for much of his life, spending time
in
daimyo’s
castle occasionally, and then retiring to a cave in his later
years. He clearly was living a monk-like existence yet many monks
would consider his lifestyle extreme. Let’s face it, the majority of
monks have a nutritious meal and roof over their heads at the end of
the day. The level of austerity that Musashi lived was harsh and
deep, but wholly necessary for Musashi to be the person that he
was.
It is my belief that pleasure is an internal choice that everyone needs
to make of their own accord. If pleasure is defined by an external
authority, the results are personal conflict and discord since external
definitions of pleasure are not what truly resonates with any
individual person. Audit your own life and seek simplicity in as many
things as possible. Simplicity is as you choose it to be. One persons’
version of simplicity may very not jive well with another person’s
version, but that’s okay. Each person needs to explore this idea
deeply. Find your own path to simplicity and you will be rewarded
through the search as much as in the finding.
When you find your level, you will have found balance. The balance
between what the world tells you that you must have to be happy
and what you know you need (not want) to be happy. When you
remove unnecessary things from your life, when you simplify, you will
find new and profound levels of freedom. This brings liberty that is
deep and personal. Musashi could live no other way. Of course,
there are other manifestations of this burden-free form of life. Most
religious orders have some form of minimalism on a personal level.
The most extreme might be the anchorite sect. Anchorites were
people who lived in seclusion for religious reasons, dedicating
themselves to a holy site, a church more often than not, and in some
instances were sealed into cells built in or around those churches.
That, in my mind, is too much.
As for me, of course, simplicity is a vow that I have taken as a
Franciscan, but one that is expressed in a modern way. An example
of this is that my car is used. Not pre-owned, it is used… It does not
have the gee-whiz technology that most vehicles come with today. At
one time, while in the deep exploration of simplicity, I didn’t even own
a proper bed; my couch was where I slept. I lived with a toaster-oven
and two of everything needed for a meal—two cups, two plates, two
spoons, etc. That may seem overly austere, but let me assure you
that there was an unbelievable level of freedom in that simplicity. I’m
not in that stage in my life now, however. While I certainly don’t live
lavishly now, those several years could only be described as
delicious.
So, seek your level, not that of others, and express your life as best
you see fit. Seriously, give it a try… and watch the world open up to
you.
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