To be able to answer this question, we must first understand what lust is. Lust is best described as an obsessive craving for something that blinds your rationality. People develop a lust for sex, money, food and various addictions like gambling, alcoholism, substance abuse, internet, gadgets or shopping.
In the grip of lust, passion overtakes a person such that he forsakes all moral values, familial obligations, and societal norms to fulfil it. It may sometimes make them cross to the other side of the law with little or no regard for human life, self, or others. Add to that there is the matter of preserving health and capping of expenses that one gives upon. In short, the person is willing to go to any lengths to fulfil his craving to the extent of using lies, deceit, cheating, hiding, immoral/blind actions and even violence.
So, why does a person become lustful? The reasons are below:
The person feels deprived. Lust stems from a severe sense of discontentment. Perhaps he was starved for good food, sex, love or restricted from living a free or fancy life, or deprived of what he believed was rightfully his.
Secondly, he has now associated attainment of that lust with pleasure. And when he does not get that pleasure, he believes he is suffering from yearning and wanting it. Thus he is in a constant fix trying to prevent the pain of deprivation.
Thirdly he thinks that his lust is a need like a hole or a vacuum that will fill once he has had enough of it. Thus the need to fill this hole and come out of the suffering and the pleasure of it and the pain of not getting it, makes him blind and confused.
Consequences of Lust
Firstly, it takes you away from the now. You were deprived of something at some age. Today, you probably don’t need it depending on your maturity, circumstances at home and career, position in society etc. So, the value you gave for that romance, sex, appreciation or fancy stuff would look meaningless when you look at it with the eyes of today. Even the lust for food or smoke or drinks can drop when you see your today’s body state, which could be forty plus, obese or ridden with cholesterol, BP or diabetes. Your lust for money would look meaningless when you see that what you actually have today which is a lot compared to your growing up years, has also not brought you happiness. If you just introspect and clear the cloud of lust for a moment, you will see how it is harming and has potential to harm your relationships, present standing, career growth and future.
In grip of lust, a person cannot fathom the consequences because of the detachment from the present, association with the past and illusions of the mind. It is like a cloud of ignorance and darkness covering your consciousness.
Needless to say, the consequences of lust are many, like emotional and health issues, low self-confidence, failed relationships, fall from grace, loss of reputation, downfall in career, depression and mental health disorders. One thing is sure that if you are not connected to the present, you are not in your natural state of joy, creativity, power, intelligence and abundance. You are like a deer running after its pod. You run through life like an ox in a mill flour, hoping to reach a point of goal fulfilment, only to around in circles.
Can overindulgence overcome lust?
Do you think eating to your heart’s content, will satiate you ‘one day’? Will you be full once you had enough of love, sex, fame and those fancy things at ‘some point’. What if that one day or some point will never come with this attitude? What if lust is like a fire that would never say “enough” and end up consuming you?
Understand that lust is not a hole to be filled because there was never a lack in the first place. Life perfects “complete” situations to make you realise your higher self, and your ego self defines something as missing or less. What if the problems you faced that you termed as compromising, made you get up on your feet faster and gave you that inner fire to explore your higher self? What if that boosted you to work harder, sweat it out, be more loving and caring and ultimately become a better version of yourself? What if your natural state was contentment all along and you have to now tune to it?
How do you overpower lust then?
- Look at your illusion of deprivation and release it in awareness with meditation.
- Release the non-acceptance for today and honour whatever life offers you in the present moment.
- Realise it wasn’t a deprivation but an impetus that gave you energy, power and desire to reach where you are today.
- Tune to your natural state of contentment and abundance. Whatever life deems fit for you, you shall receive.
Life is taking you to the self-realisation of your full potential through the experiences of the five senses. Everything is complete for this intention. Surrender to this flow of life, and then you will truly appreciate its grandeur.
