This essay will focus on the topic of lust in particular. Lust hinders real love because lust is only based on physical attraction. Thus, it cannot be called love by any means. Lust causes issues such as infidelity, deceitfulness, and anger which are detrimental to real love. The brain is the seat of lust because it leads us to want things we don't need and to act without consideration towards the feelings of others. Lust harms not just other humans but also the environment in which we live and depend on for survival.
Lust is a strong passion for sensual pleasure, especially sexual desire. Lust can describe intense feelings of love, attraction and infatuation. Like the words "with", "love" and "desire", "lust" can be used as a verb (with an object). Lust can also be named as one of the Seven Deadly Sins in Christian denominations. In this context, lust is considered sinful because it violates the Ten Commandments. Sexual desire is highly valued in today's society; however, lust traps us in physical desires and neglects the inner self. The classical problem of lust is the desire for other people's spouses. Lust can be harmful to the person experiencing the lust, to people they care about, or to society. Lust is a sort of dangerous addiction that people girls and boys fall into easily. Humans suffer big losses because of this problem. A person becomes afraid or unable to look or face problems developing inside him when he becomes a slave of his lust.
Lust can be a high-level yearning to have sex with someone or something, an intense sexual desire. Lust has been extensively studied in relation to human sexuality and other desires. Lust takes many different forms and can take control of people's lives. It also has a strong correlation with crime and societal problems, because most crimes are committed by people under the influence of lust. unfortunately, lust is linked to emotion. lust clouds the mind and tempts one to act improperly.
The problem of Lust is a chronic disease spread across the entire earth. It's most prevalent in the U.S., where nearly 99.5% of men are infected. Fewer women (90%) are infected, but that's still roughly half the population. Lust is a serious problem. It's not solely a religious issue, or a moral issue, or a psychological issue. It's all of these things at once because it involves the human body, human desire, and how people interact with one another and with society at large.
The most common form of this is sexual lust. There are many myths concerning this problem that are commonly spread and believed, but the truth is very different from what most people believe. It's hard to admit our own problems with lust, so instead we usually project it onto other people, or pretend it's not a problem for us. One such popular projection is the belief that others who commit crimes of passion are "weaklings" or "primitives." There are other forms of lust besides sexual lust. Gossip, for example, is a kind of social lust, covetousness (the strong desire to obtain something that belongs to someone else) is a kind of materialist lust, and gluttony (excessive eating) is a kind of foodlust (although many people would not consider gluttony a sin).
Lust or lechery is a desire for sexual activity, not limited to the context of a committed relationship. Lust is normally associated with thoughts or acts of sexual pleasure and is often used in the context of pornography, non-marital sex, masturbation and sexual fetishes. Some religions place restrictions on lustful acts by using fasting as an outlet for lust. In Western culture, the term's meaning has been generalized to include simple strong desire elicited by advertising or going to bars or clubs for example. It can also be used to imply an inappropriate adolescent interest in sexuality.
Lust is a preoccupation with the pleasures of the body. Lust is emotional and desiring of the beauty of individuals, both male and female. Lust in itself is not considered to be a sin in all cases. In fact, many people use lust as a form of temptation to sin. Lust can lead people away from God because it is focused on physical things rather than spiritual ones. It can create unrighteous relationships or
damaging addictions that are idolatrous. Lust shows a lack of self-control over one's physical desires, preventing someone from living a virtuous life.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, lust is defined as 'a strong desire for something, especially sexual desire.' Clearly, it is a universal human phenomenon. Discussions include the arguments of whether it is an issue of morality or of biology; that is, whether it is just something people do because they are too weak to control their impulses or it is a craving in our DNA that we are unable to bear.
There is nothing new about lust. It has been discussed by philosophers, and religious leaders for centuries. Currently, psychologists, biologists, anthropologists and sociologists are studying the causes of lust and how it manifests in everyday life. It exists in every culture and is expressed in every human society. It was considered sin in Buddhism, Christianity, Islamic theology, Jewish law and philosophy, and Freudian psychoanalysis.
Despite the growing interest in lust, there is no widely accepted definition of lust among scholars.
Lust is a human instinct, with endless representations of it present throughout history and cultures. While it is considered one of the seven deadly sins and has been viewed as something negative for centuries, recent studies have shown that lust may be inherent in all living organisms and is not a choice but pre-programmed into our DNA.
Lust is a human phenomenon. Regardless of origin, lust affects everyone.
Lust is a persistent form of desire that arises from a human's need for sexual satisfaction. It should be distinguished from physiological arousal (sexual desire), which is a normal and instinctive process in all animals. The term lust can be used synonymously with sexual desire, but with the meaning of strong sexual desires that are sinful and/or socially harmful.
Like"the sin of gluttony affects the mind. The sin of lust attacks the body and your possessions, making you want to indulge any and all materialistic pleasures (Sixty-Four). Lust is a sin that has been around for thousands of years."(Tribe). Lust is not just a physical feeling but also an emotional longing or desire. How do we deal with lust? Do we put up with it or do we fight it?
Lust (or lechery) is excessive sexual desires. Lust is an inordinate desire for the pleasures of food, sex, and much else besides. Lust is also a standard canonical sin in Christian denominations, but neither lust nor the lusting of other people has much to do with why you can't get a girlfriend or boyfriend. So what should you read if you want to get beyond being a virgin loser and really move up in life?
Poetry as a therapy
This article intends to show the use of poetry as a therapeutic tool and how it can help patients acquire new coping mechanisms for their problems. At a time when our culture is in dire need of solutions for healing psychological afflictions and other mental disorders, such as anxiety or depression, and lust, poetry can play a pivotal role in this process.
Students and psychological care professionals have already discovered that reading, writing, and listening to poetry can help relieve symptoms of depression and anxiety. Poetry is regarded as the reflection of one's personality and intellect that often help identify ones' emotions, beliefs, desires, and values.
It is widely known that the world's cultural, physical, and mental well-being has declined steadily with the onset of new technologies. The advancement of aggressive media with its sexual onslaught everywhere intensified the sexual desire. Poetry has played a key role in facilitating these relationships for thousands of years, as a tool for awakening our senses and promoting relational connection and emotional healing. Today more than ever, these facets have become invaluable as we strive to mend and maintain a healthy balance.
Whether it be preparing for a speech or writing an essay, poetry is still a form of therapy that has been used by many people in the past. In its simplest use, it provides a pleasurable activity during which we can focus on our identities and heal ourselves in the process of writing down our thoughts.
Enhancing one's own self-image can often be a difficult task but poetry can provide just the help needed to complete such a complex goal.
A few years ago the American Medical Association (AMA) declared that a new kind of therapy based on poetry can be used as a valid method to treat several mental disorders. The method was developed by Dr. Patricia Francis, a psychologist and professor of psychology.
Intro
Professional help is the modern and most popular way of treating various psychological disorders. However, there are also some less conventional ways to relieve your tension, anxiety and stress. Some proven ways to do so have been tested for ages such as meditation, talking with a therapist, exercising etc. One of them is poetry therapy - that has emerged relatively recently as one of the most promising methods of dealing with depression or simply gaining new perspectives on life's issues.
What this article will be about is the use of poetry as a means in psychological therapy, specifically for treating and coping with depression.
Psychiatrist Viorica Patea, who authored the book Yoga-Poesie Therapy, has came up with a unique form of therapy called yoga-poetry therapy. The therapy is based on ancient Indian spirituality and poetry and involves the work with three elements: writing poetry, meditation, and storytelling.
Whether as part of active therapy, as a personal comfort, or even as a means of personal expression, poetry has an unrivaled power and influence in our lives. Its healing properties have been known since time immemorial. From the ancient Greeks, philosophies such as Stoicism have applied the principles of Poetry Therapy to produce very positive results.
Poetry has for many ages withstood the test of time in utilizing it's therapeutic properties.
Poetry therapy is an approach to psychotherapy which uses the techniques of poetic expression as a way to induce psychological healing and insight. It attempts to help people become aware of their deeper conflicts and unconscious assumptions by means of symbolic language.
Milarepa’s poetry: dispelling the lust
Milarepa’s songs- a gift from the Tibetan poet Milarepa to later generations- offer a way to dispel the problems of lust and ignorance, which have afflicted people for centuries and have been obstacles to health, understanding and outlook toward life and others.
The 22 songs which comprise his creative works are like an encyclopedia of Buddhist teachings expressed in a manner which is both superbly poetic and provocative.
The teachings of Milarepa, written many centuries ago by the Tibetan yogi Master Milarepa, has deeply influenced with its timeless, simple and so easily memorable expressions. His songs (or lyrics) are widely sung and performed in both ancient and modern music traditions.
This timeless collection of spiritual teachings, songs and poetry by the Tibetan yogi Milarepa has deeply influenced many people with its simple yet powerful message.
In Buddhism the use of Dharma songs (Buddhist sacred music, also known as Lama Chöpa) has been suggested to be a powerful tool for improving health, understanding and outlook towards life. Milarepa's songs are filled with joy and light, as well as many insights on himself, his life and his visions.
After taking a serious tantric practice for a few months, I began to realize that my emotional perspective was very scattered and i could not stop myself from feeling some sort of emotional stress. In order to unwind myself i looked around the internet and tried to find something simple and relaxing because i felt I needed to relax after being so occupied by my job. Eventually, I found the teachings offered by Milarepa and started meditating upon them in a very relaxed manner. The best way to be relaxed is to follow his teachings which he used while practicing mediation while living in the cave of the
mountain which is now called as Taerila Mountain ( in Tibet ). These songs are very famous and contain easy effective techniques.'
The collection songs are a means to an end. Milarepa’s songs have been used in a therapeutic context by geshes (monks) as well as people outside the Buddhist tradition, since at least the 1950s. They are also recommended for use by traditional Buddhist teachers such as Geshe Kelsang.
Sexuality and crime
There is a growing body of research indicating that sexuality and crime are related. This link has been found to be particularly strong in cases of sexual assault, child pornography, and other crimes involving children or the exploitation of minors.
Why is this relationship between sexuality and crime significant?
It may seem counterintuitive at first, but understanding why these connections exist can help us better understand how criminals think and how we can prevent such crimes from happening in the future. It also sheds light on the psychological factors that contribute to criminal behavior.
India’s rape-related crime rate rose 70.7% over the last two decades from 11.6 per 100,000 women and girls in 2001 to 19.8 in 2018, according to a report by Public Health Foundation of India.
The study, based on annual reports of the National Crime Records Bureau said a majority of such crimes was reported between 2012 and 2018. (Sharma, Priyanka) https://www.livemint.com/
To attain nirvãn.a, a person needed to follow a path that was explained
by the fourth noble truth, which the Buddha called the eightfold path.
This was described as a middle way between the extremes of asceticism and hedonism. The path consisted of an integration of elements of wisdom, moral/ethical virtue, and meditation. The elements of wisdom were identified as right understanding and thought, which represented understanding of the four noble truths and thought devoid of lust, illwill, and cruelty. A to z of Buddhism pg 5
Mara, a demon like character named Mara shows up. Mara personifies all of the strong negative emotions that, when taken personally, cause us to suffer. These are the experiences of lust, fear, anger, and doubt, to name a few. Mara appears and tries to tempt the Buddha-to-be off his seat. Against the stream, pg11 The Buddha likened humans to the lotus flowers.
Out of the deluded mud of human existence, filled with greed, hatred, and delusion, in a world where wars, oppression, and lust rule the masses, there are those who can and will rise above the muck and emerge victorious against suffering. Pg 15
When we let go of or renounce ill will and the satisfying of lust, we cut off suffering at its root causes pg 35
The question of sexual ethics has been a thorny one for the Buddhist tradition. Buddhists have always claimed the moral high ground and attempted, with more or less success, to maintain an exigent ideal of purity. Any spiritual practice is fated to confront the obstinate realities of human existence, however. The desire for purity is in itself unable to rule out the defilement of lust. Buddhism was no exception to this rule. Nevertheless, it distinguishes itself by the ambivalent fashion in which it problematized the issue of desire. From the outset the Buddhist tradition has been divided between the most uncompromising moral rigorism and a subversion of all ideals in the name of a higher truth, transcending good and evil. Mah¯ay¯ana Buddhism, in particular, argued that the ultimate truth can be discovered only by those who awaken to the reality of desire and are able to transmute it. The red thread pg 5
Desire is almost as defiling as the act itself, however: “He who enjoys looking at women, even in painting, is not detached from the act.”3 In the traditional Buddhist classification, there are three passions: hatred, love, and ignorance. Desire, in the form of love (r¯aga, a word meaning
color, but also lewdness, concupiscence, lust, attraction), is therefore one of the “three poisons” that pollute and maintain human existence. According to this conception, all existence (human or nonhuman, because this is true even for the gods) is fundamentally defiled. The Buddhist notion of desire is not limited to sexual desire; it encompasses all sensual desires. Desire is usually described with ten similes: it is said to be like a dry meat bone, a piece of meat for which many birds are fighting, a torch made of straw carried against the wind, a pit full of burning coal, a dream of a beautiful landscape, borrowed things, a tree laden with fruit on which it is dangerous to climb, a slaughterhouse, the point of a sword, a snake’s head.4 Carnal desires are commonly associated with hunger and thirst, more precisely eating meat and drinking alcohol, and therefore nondesire implies not only chastity but vegetarianism and sobriety as well.5 Buddhist desire—this “creeper of existence”pg 17 Ah! What a shame! Born in this world, I know no way to make a living. Because of karmic causation I am bound by the net of lust, enveloped in cravings, combining death and life, running in all directions, and burning my body alive. p 191.
As with Buddhaghosa, many of these follow a logic of “antidotes”: Forbearance is the antidote to anger; vigor is the antidote to sloth; disgust with the body is the antidote to lust. He also describes many of the same kinds of meditation techniques that we saw with Buddhaghosa, such as contemplating the disgustingness of the body, especially imagining it decayed, dismembered, and as food for vultures, to dislodge lust and attachment to the body (BCA 5.59–67; 8.30–33). In his chapter on the perfection of vigor – an essential perfection because the bodhisattva must never slacken his efforts from weariness, distraction, or laziness – Śāntideva, again like Buddhaghosa, evokes the hellfire that so often proves indispensable in religious and moral exhortation: Fear generates urgency. And in the chapter on meditative perfection, he labors to set aside the distractions of lust, pride, worldly pleasure, and self-love. In these verses, Śāntideva refines and perfects the art of self-admonishment, scolding himself for holding on to anger, lust, weakness, and folly despite his earnest entreaties to abandon them. In many ways the phenomenologies and methods of Buddhaghosa and Śāntideva are similar: Both explore with great nuance the painful afflictions of evil and fear 48, buddhist ethics, maria heim
The Pali discourses and the Vinaya texts provide a number of mental trainings designed to overcome lust, including learning to visualize all women as one’s mother, sister, or daughter.16 Through this they cease to be objects of sexual desire. There are also extensive descriptions of meditative practices that involve observing corpses in various stages of decomposition. One begins with a mental image of a person of the opposite sex whom one finds particularly attractive, and then one visualizes her as a corpse, going through various stages: rigor mortis, becoming blue and bloated, decomposing, being torn apart by wild animals and devoured by insects, and as a skeleton whose bones are first scattered and then reduced to dust. In another meditation, monks are taught to consider the foulness of the constituents of their bodies and those of potential sex partners, which include blood, snot, urine, feces, bones, muscles, internal organs, hair, and so on. These induce revulsion when separated from the body and laid on the ground, and one should realize that the body is composed of many foul substances and is not worthy of desire. Men should further consider that when they have sex with a woman they are lying on her full bladder and that her body contains various smelly and unpleasant materials. celibacy in indian and tibetan buddhism 209
in the Māgandiya Sutta:
So, too, Māgandiya, in the past sensual pleasures were painful to touch, hot, and scorching; in the future sensual pleasures will be painful to touch, hot, and scorching; and now at present sensual pleasures are painful to touch, hot, and scorching. But these beings who are not free from lust for sensual pleasures, who are devoured by craving for sensual pleasures, who burn with fever for sensual pleasures, have faculties that are impaired; thus, though sensual pleasures are actually painful to touch, they acquire a mistaken perception of them as pleasant. 56, Consequences of Compassion, An Interpretation and Defense of Budhist Ethics
CHARLES GOODMAN, OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS 2009
Shakesperes hamlett eference
[Meghadatta] killed his mother and went to his mistress and in his infatuation laughingly told her what he had done. “I love you so much,” said he, “that for your sake I killed my mother.” The woman was horrifi ed, and said, “Don’t come to me any more.”
He fell in love with his stepmother, and so his stepmother told him, “Go and kill your father, and you shall become my husband.” And so he killed his father.
He came to be detested in the area, and his friends and relatives avoided him. And then he went from that area to another, saying, “No one 115 riven by lust.
From their frequent meetings, companionship arose, from companionship intimacy, from intimacy opportunity for corruption, and through lust minds opened to corruption, [such that their] consciousness of their monastic initiation and their relationship as mother and son disappeared. Then having transgressed the boundaries, they indulged in illicit activities, and having given themselves up to infamy, sporting together 126, riven by lust
142 Chapter 5
They are nothing
They can’t even rival the pores of Dhondup Gyal’s bodily hair”
Ah—Reasons reinforced by slaps
Sworn oaths presented as refutation
Hands prone to murdering
Theories composed of assumptions
Podiums tempered with heat
When all these clear away like ash and dust
The Third Generation will rise for the children like the sun
The Third Generation—will have made their preparations to die for poetry
2
Summer—the season of abundant rain and water
Yet the tears of the Third Generation stricken by drought
Winter—the season of bone piercing fierce winds
Yet the veins of the Third Generation strike sparks Autumn—the season of sunshine sprinkling from grass tips
Yet the songs of the Third Generation burn the white clouds
Spring—the season of smile-blooming flowers
Yet the heart of the Third Generation is iced up
When the primordially pristine natural reality
Is blown in the wind like a tattered street rag,
And falls gently upon your window sill
Love-crazed Third Generation
Will burn moxa along the spine of the city
And fly poetry into the air of the meadow
Down and helloes scattered off poetry
Will be carried off higher and higher, to merge into emptiness
You can never catch it with the eyes of lust
Nor capture it by the camera of ignorance
When putrid milk and butter made of slogans and praises
Feed the flames of the plastic butter-lamps
Poetic diction, caught on the wing-tips of suicidal fire-divers16
Will slowly burn in the depth of the thick darkness
Those who mistake the smell of burning for the grace of the Melodious Goddess
Are not the Third Generation—but the wood-block print like old men
Directly opposite of the Third Generation
When the long tail formed of impetuosity and bigotry
Attempts to catch the yellow moon in the well
The watery droplets leaning on the branches of the slender tree
Will gently fall from the sockets of the long night
Those who mistake the squelch for the footfall of great men
Are not the Third Generation—but the traitor-like children
Directly opposite of the Third Generation
On the whole in Tibetan communities since I was a child talk of sex is kept within the limits of a confined, private space. Bawdy and sensuous speech is widely used within certain circles, but it cannot be uttered before one’s family members or at a gathering where close relatives are present. It is an infringement of a serious taboo to speak of ordinary romantic relationships before one’s blood relations, let alone to divulge one’s sexual fantasies. On rare occasions, communal festivals can turn into social gatherings where youthful love-singing and courtship take place. For instance, during the famous Lurol (glu rol) festivals of Amdo Rebgong5 a variety of religious rituals are performed during the day, but by night it transforms into a more lighthearted event during which young people engage in witty and at times salacious love-song contests. However, in order for this transition to occur, permission must be asked in coded language. A singer covers his face with a flannel (literally hiding his shame) and sings a song akin to the lyrics quoted at the outset of this chapter. It warns parents (and siblings and other blood relations), “high mountains,” to make themselves scarce before “the Garuda” of love songs and wooing takes to the air. The subsequent songfest episode is short-lived and brings the official festivities to a close. Young people continue their flirting and courtship elsewhere, free from the prying eyes of “high mountains.” Thus the notion of shame places serious restrictions upon the expression of any sexual desire in public or familial space.
Creative literary production takes place within a public realm, be it at times only accessible to a highly literate audience with a rarefied taste. The above-mentioned constricting sense of shame is closely related to the second factor underlying Tibetan academic negligence of sexual themes in literary arts. Sex is regarded as a shameful subject matter unfit for public discourse. It is therefore also convenient to represent sex as a trivial matter in comparison with weightier issues such as religion, poetic diction, or the depiction of nature. In the rare instances of scholarly commentary on the depiction of graphic erotic scenes in Tibetan poetry, it is dismissed as an indecency or an embarrassment. For instance, many
Tibetan commentators on kāvya poetics do not see sexual lust as an appropriate theme and instruct potential poets to eschew “speeches that cannot be uttered in public” at all times.6 This phrase is an obvious euphemism for the graphic expression of the pleasures of the flesh. Meje, a young Tibetan scholar, condemns contemporary Tibetan erotic poetry as “poetry of dirty talk devoid of any decency.” He is concerned that its dissemination, spearheaded by the Third Generation, will result in moral degeneration.7 Meje’s statement, although relatively muted, nevertheless captures the mood of many readers who take offense at the online publication of explicit erotic poetry, which they denounce with great vitriol in their posted comments.
This sense of moral shame and conscious intellectual marginalization of sexual desire might partly account for the surprising omission of Treatise on Passion (’Dod pa’i bstan bcos) from the two major editions of Gedun Choepel’s collected works and from a volume of his selected writings.8 In his book on desire, Gedun Choepel attacks sexual inhibition and celebrates carnal passion for its inducement of pleasure, procreative power, and nirvanic potentiality. His subversive audacity is apparent at the outset of the book when he casts away pretenses and speaks of sexual passion in the following stanza using the pronoun “this” for sex:
The beggar turns up his nose at gold
The hungry guest spits at food
With their mouths all condemn this
Yet within their hearts all love this9
Gedun Choepel anticipates criticism of his erotic work, yet is prepared to compose the text for the sheer significance of sexual ecstasy: I am indeed insane these days
Those still sane may laugh at me
Yet it’s no small matter to feel bliss
It’s no small matter to produce young
Even more important it’s no small matter
To nurture passion with Blissful Emptiness10
Treatise on Passion can be considered as one long poetic composition featuring instructions on sexual techniques, descriptions of carnal ecstasy verging on nirvanic bliss, and profound reflections on the human condition including, for the first time for Tibetans, the issue of gender equality.11 It is written in a plain, lucid, and lyrical metrical composition, which is a hallmark of Gedun Choepel’s poetry. Although novel in terms of accessibility, the diversity of sources, emphasis laid on worldly sexual pleasures rather than divine sexual bliss, and aesthetic qualities, this erotic treatise is not unprecedented. A translated prototype of such an erotic text can even be found in the Tibetan holy scriptures of the Tengyur (bstan ‘gyur), the commentarial section of the Buddhist canon, which was penned by a certain Indian master called Lopon Zugsang (Slob dpon gzugs bzang).12 Ju Mipham (1846–1912) composed a longer Tibetan version which Gedun Choepel claims to have surpassed with his own erotic volume.13 Anyhow, Gedun Choepel’s Treatise on Passion perpetuates these and the textual tradition of esoteric tantric sex manuals found buried in the works of many great tantric yogi scholars.14 These manuals are couched in recondite language and are at times highly inaccessible, but to an ordinary reader uninitiated in tantric esotericism they are as sexually explicit as Gedun Choepel’s book on passion. Yet, while these tantric sexual instructions are included in published works of great tantric adepts, Gedun Choepel’s erotic text finds no space in the official editions of his collected writings. Sangdhor, a leading Tibetan writer and a great practitioner of erotic poetry, views this exclusion as indicative of contemporary Tibetan intellectuals’ attitude toward sexual desire and finds it extremely depressing and irksome. In his “search for Treatise on Passion” Sangdhor is aghast to find that not only is it “banished from Gedun Choepel’s (collected) works” but it is also concealed under a heap of various books “like something illegal” in Tibetan bookshops in Siling (Ch. Xining).15 Another reason for the editorial omission and the surreptitious sale of this text might be the need to observe obscenity laws propagated and enforced by
the CCP which, as shown by Gary Sigley, link the policing of sex-related issues to the maintenance of social stability and party authority.16 Nevertheless, it is apparent that Tibetan academic eschewal of sexual themes continues in the twenty-first century. Oral and Literary Continuities in Modern Tibetan Literature, 192
The Compendium of Training turns again to the Upa¯liparipr
ccha¯ to argue that of all the sins a bodhisattva might commit, sins associated with lust (ra¯ga) are least harmful to the bodhisattva as long as they are committed in order to attract living beings to the Dharma. Specifically, the text compares sins associated with lust and sins associated with anger (dves
a). Sins associated with lust are far less serious, because they are conducive to attracting living beings (satvasam graha), whereas sins associated with anger are conducive to rejecting living beings (satva-paritya¯ga).41 According to the Compendium of Training and some of its sources, bodhisattvas who possesses ‘‘skillful means’’ (upa¯yakaus ´alya) can use even sensual pleasures to productive ends. Skillful means entails having the right motivation for one’s actions (i.e., the desire to attract others to the Dharma) and not being attached oneself to sensual pleasures. Bodhisattvas with skillful means can use any resources at their disposal to attract living beings. Significantly, the Compendium of Training regards a bodhisattva’s bodied being as one of the most important means of attracting living beings. Such attraction, however, need not be sexual. There are many reasons why living beings are attracted to bodhisattvas. For instance, some may be attracted to the serenity manifest in a well-disciplined monastic’s features, gestures, and movements. When bodhisattvas give away their bodied beings, they confer a variety of benefits and pleasures on others, from the mundane benefits of providing food for animals or a home to a destitute woman, to the supramundane benefit of attracting living beings to the Dharma. Pg 28, virtuous bodies Bodhisattvas also performa wide range of meditations. For example, those afflicted with lust are instructed to meditate on the foulness of bodies (as´ubhabha¯vana¯). Those afflicted with anger are instructed to meditate on lovingkindness (maitrı ¯). Those afflicted with delusion are instructed to contemplate philosophical concepts such as dependent origination (pratı¯tyasamutpa¯da).pg 30
Bodhisattvas also performa wide range of meditations. For example, those afflicted with lust are instructed to meditate on the foulness of bodies (as´ubhabha¯vana¯). Those afflicted with anger are instructed to meditate on lovingkindness (maitrı ¯). Those afflicted with delusion are instructed to contemplate philosophical concepts such as dependent origination (pratı¯tyasamutpa¯da). 57,
MilarepaSpiritual poetry
Spiritual poetry for healing has a long history. Dating from the ancient period, saints, seers, philosophers, religious preachers, and enlightened beings used poetry to share their high sounding yet healing words with the people, mostly to purge them from mundane defilements and to show the higher way for supreme enlightenment. From ancient Greeks like Aristotle, Plato, Longinus, Rumi, to Tibetan spiritual verse writing, Japanese Haiku, other spiritual verses have always been effective in healing and curing physical and psychological ailments.
poetry therapy in ancient / across the world/ intro Poetry therapy is defined as “the use of language, symbol, and story in therapeutic, educational, and community-building capacities” (Mazza, 2012a, p. 1434). Once considered a form of bibliotherapy, poetry therapy has emerged as an independent field that is inclusive of bibliotherapy, narrative therapy, and journal therapy (all of which maintain their own independent field of study and practice). Literary scholars have provided perspectives on the human condition that have been all too often neglected in the clinical literature. ( Mazza, Poetry therapy, theory and practice.)
As a therapeutic device, the poetry of the Jalal-ad-Din Rumi may be particularly relevant. Naficy (2016) notes the positive effects of Rumi’s poetry in her work with elderly Persian immigrants at a rehabilitation center in the US. Poetry therapy using Rumi’s poems was also effective in increasing hope among breast cancer patients in Iran (Daboui et al., 2020). Drawing on the Islamic tradition of releasing control, Rumi’s philosophy highlights the ways that attempts to control circumstances can limit our effectiveness in relating to the world as presented in Radically Open Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (RO-DBT; Lynch, 2018). (Naficy, 2016) (Daboui et al., 2020).
Key concepts in Rumi’s teachings include “acceptance and acknowledgement of both positive and negative experiences; unlearning of old habits and looking at the world with new eyes; decentering, changing one’s focus from Self to Other; and attunement of body and mind through meditation, music and dance” (Mirdal, 2012, p. 1206). While Rumi’s poetry is integrally Islamic, his works have transcended time, space, and the boundaries of religion (Ciabattari, 2014), thus making his collection of spiritual poems a useful therapeutic tool for both Muslim and non-Muslim clients.
Hiltunen, S. M. S. (1988). Initial therapeutic applications of Noh Theater in drama therapy. Journal of Transpersonal Psychology 20, 71_/79.
Hiltunen, S. M. S. (2001). Seven stages of womanhood: A contemporary healing ritual from the Finnish mythology of the Kalevala . Journal of Transpersonal Psychology 33, 113_/129.
Hiltunen, S. M. S. (2003). Haiku meditation therapy. Japanese Bulletin of Arts Therapy 34, 52_/69.
Iimori, M. (1997). Poetry therapy in Japan: Haiku therapy schizophrenics. In R. R. Pratt, & Y. Tokuda (Eds.), Arts medicine . St Louis: MMR Music.
Tamura, H. (2001). Poetry therapy for schizophrenia: A linguistic psychotherapeutic model for renku (linked poetry). Arts in Psychotherapy 28, 319_/328.
Tamura, H., & Asano, K. (1997). Renku as psychotherapy: Japanese traditional poetry forms adapted to poetry therapy. In R. R. Pratt, & Y. Tokuda (Eds.), Arts medicine . St Louis: MMR Music.
The author has a clear and decided view on the creation of a poem. His grasp of this phenomnon is based on his vast array of knowledge and personal experience as a poet. What we are reminded of is the reality of the state of tension and a sense of unburdening oneself through the creation of a poem. In addition to the poem being an individual enterprise, it is reflective of the individual’s need to constitutionally discharge a product which we think of as art.
Poetry contains healing ingredients for a variety of reasons. The language, syntax, imagery, simile, metaphor, rhyming scheme, alliteration, subject, and a host of other factors combine to make for a unique experience, especially when the reader’s interest has been captured. In this regard poetry has its own dynamic and helping offering. One does not need a trained therapist to be present in order to enjoy or be enhanced emotionally. And in this regard too, individuals who are not therapists themselves can add greatly to the counseling/therapy moment by their presence working under the direction of trained personnel. Furthermore, if one wants to develop professionally in the field, the National Association for Poetry Therapy recognizes the difference between Certified Poetry Therapist and Registered Poetry Therapist in terms of respective developmental and clinical aspects. Writing poetry is a way of engaging oneself in his or her actions by externalizing one’s feelings and/or experiences. It is a way of realizing one is a special person with a special uniqueness. Often, this realization does not become a conscious phenomenon until one has been writing poetry for some length of time. Furthermore, it is safe to say that the early stages of writing verse carries with it much imitation and an unawareness of the craft which borders on the naive and reveals one’s innocence about writing in general. It certainly takes a heap of living and loving and much hard work to understand what is involved in writing a good line of verse or a good simple sentence
Poetry, like all the arts, offers us a sense of relief. understanding, and/or the challenge of creative unrest. Poetry then combined with therapy can help in roaming the plains of time and facilitate the healing experience when there is also cognate professional guidance. While poetry cannot assure a successful experience and journey through life, it includes the ingredients of making life richer and more tolerable. And in this regard, the same holds true of all the arts.(lerner).
Lust :
Lust is a strong desire, and an intense craving for anything. It is an uncontrolled and often as termed by religion, an unholy desire occurred due to ignorance, demonic interference, and immorality. It is one of the sins considered by almost all religions in the world. Lust, as exhibited in many forms, often is connected with sexuality, and an incessant desire for bodily pleasure. Religions call it immoral because its object or action of affection is improperly ordered according to natural law. It is governed by uncontrolled passion that a rational and regulated intellect.
Simon Blackburn portrays lust in general as a virtue rather than a vice. Blackburn turns David Hume’s traditional argument for chastity on its head by arguing that lust rather than Humean chastity is actually the useful disposition.4 There is also Alan Goldman’s account in his infuential article “Plain Sex,” which implies that little is virtuous about chastity in general beyond respecting consent and promise keeping within relationships.5
Lust is the seventh deadly sin, and lust means the desire for illicit pleasures in many forms such as fornication, whoring, adultery, debauchery, incest, sacrilege, unnatural vices, and other horrendous sin. the fires of lust.
In china strict adherence to moral conduct, particularly in gender relations was seen as virtue. the famous poet Huang Shangu (Tingjian) liked to compose poems with erotic messages. One time he went to visit monkYuantongxiu, and overheard the monk admonishing Li Boshi for drawing horses, “Why is a great man’swonderful skill of painting and calligraphy applied to this?” Poet Huang said with a smile, “Will I alsoreincarnate into a horse?” Monk Yuantongxiu said, “Boshi put too much effort into drawing horses, and it ishis own business if he reincarnates into a horse. Your poems with erotic messages have incited people’ssexual lust. The punishment for this sin is not only limited to reincarnating into a horse, it is possible that hellis awaiting you.” Poet Huang, after hearing that, became very ashamed and immediately stopped writing poems.
The Benefits of Discarding Lust
1. Maintaining good health
Discarding lust helps one to develop healthy living habits, and is very beneficial to maintaining good health. Confucius also said, “A youth’s vital energy has not fully developed yet and he should resist lust.” Discarding lust helps one to focus on more important things in life, such as developing meaningful relationships, pursuing meaningful goals, and cultivating a healthy lifestyle. It also helps one to avoid unhealthy behaviors such as promiscuity, substance abuse, and other activities that can lead to physical and mental health problems. Additionally, discarding lust can help one to cultivate a sense of selfrespect and self-worth, which can lead to greater self-confidence and improved mental health.
2. Cultivating virtue
An old proverb says, “Lewdness is the worst of all sins.” If a man cannot let go of lust, he cannot be called a gentleman, and he may even be an evil person. Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”
The five commandments of Buddha Shakyamuni also included “no improper sexual behavior.” In ancient China, the morale standards were the same. If one wants to upgrade his own moral standards, he must discard lust.
In today's society, it is easy to be exposed to lewdness. People are surrounded by all kinds of temptations, and it is difficult to resist. Therefore, it is important to cultivate a strong sense of selfdiscipline and self-control. We should be aware of the consequences of lewdness and strive to maintain a pure and noble heart. We should also be mindful of our thoughts and actions, and strive to be a gentleman who is respected by others.
The ancient Chinese said, “Lewdness is the worst of all sins.” These time-honored Chineseplaced rigid restrictions on the relationship between men and women, and considered lustful thoughts as aserious fault. In “
Chapters on Action and Response According to the Most High ,” one of the most identifiedand serious crimes was: “On seeing beauty in another, one is stirred to appropriate it.” The standards inWestern society are also high. Jesus said in the Holy Bible : “That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust afterher hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.”
First, lustful thoughts trigger many attachments. Chinese historian Wang Zhouci said, “The moment a thought of lust begins, other wicked thoughts arise too. If a lustful wish doesn’t get fulfilled, one becomes delusional. If seduction doesn’t work, one will create a crafty plot. The person will get angry at anything that gets in the way of the plot. Once one is infatuated with lust, he clings to it. Seeing another’s attractive spouse, one becomes jealous. When attempting to acquire someone’s love, the thought of killing may arise. Sense of shame and ethics are totally lost. Various forms of bad karma is generated from lustful thought. Kind wishesare killed by lustful thought.” Without getting rid of lustful thought, all that has been gained through cultivation becomes very fragile.
Second, lustful thoughts can lead to bad karma. The Buddha said, “If one has lustful thoughts, he will be reborn in the animal realm.” Lustful thoughts can lead to bad karma, and bad karma can lead to rebirth in the animal realm. The Buddha also said, “If one has lustful thoughts, he will be reborn in the hell realm.” Lustful thoughts can lead to bad karma, and bad karma can lead to rebirth in the hell realm.
Third, lustful thoughts can lead to suffering. The Buddha said, “If one has lustful thoughts, he will suffer in the human realm.” Lustful thoughts can lead to bad karma, and bad karma can lead to suffering in the human realm. The Buddha also said, “If one has lustful thoughts, he will suffer in the heavenly realm.” Lustful thoughts can lead to bad karma, and bad karma can lead to suffering in the heavenly realm. In conclusion, lustful thoughts can lead to many attachments, bad karma, and suffering. Therefore, it is important to cultivate mindfulness and cultivate a sense of morality in order to avoid the pitfalls of lustful thoughts.
Second, lustful thoughts do great damage to one’s health. Renowned ancient Chinese doctor Sun Simiao advised to not harbor this kind of thinking or activity, because it exhausts one’s energy and even makes one look tired and weary. Many types of diseases can then infect one’s body. Another ancient Chinese book stated, “As soon as sexual desire arises, it gets stronger and compresses the internal organs. The fundamental substance of one’s body is discharged through Mingmen (an acupuncture point in Chinese medicine). Even if it isn’t discharged, sexual desire is like fire, boiling water in a pot. It doesn’t take long before the water evaporates and the pot cracks.”
Third, lustful thoughts can lead to immoral behavior. When one’s thoughts are filled with lust, it is easy to be tempted by the opposite sex and to commit immoral acts. This can lead to a broken marriage, a ruined reputation, and even legal consequences. The Bible says, “But I say to you, That whoever looks on a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart” (Matthew 5:28).
The feelings of lust and entertaining it brought pleasure to me.I wondered when my lust could be removed and when I would not be swayed by such temptation. I enlightened to this principle and thought: “I am a Dafa practitioner. My flesh body should be controlled bythe true me and assimilate to Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance. That body that kept
pursuingsatisfaction is not part of me and it should be eliminated. I ask Master to strengthen my righteous thoughts. Iwill only walk on the path arranged by Master.”
Menchius, a famous disciple of Confucius, once said, “Eating and lust, those are fromone’s innate nature.” Confucius also made the following comments, “Drinking and eating, carrying outrelationships among members of the opposite sex, those are where the major desires of human beings lie.”
Confucianism promotes the idea of “tempering one’s desires.” I think the above words by Confucius can beconsidered a summarization of Confucianism’s position on “eating and lust.”
It is true that Menchius said, “Eating and lust, those are from one’s innate nature.”
Lusting is harmful as it is a sexual objectification, seeing someone only through the lens of body parts and sexualized fantasy rather than a person as a whole.
Milarepa’s songs: freedom from lust and libido
Spiritual poetry
Milarepa as a poet: his poetry, chrematistics, outlook about his poetry so far, possibility of using them as therapy.
In general, meditation, when correctly conducted, cannot provide an opportunity to escape reality. Quite the contrary, it offers an opportunity to explore individuals’ inner world in ways that psychotherapy alone is unable to accomplish. There is a general consensus among the transpersonal psychologists that meditation is a modality useful for therapeutic intervention and can be used to support psychotherapeutic goals.
Mindfulness or insight meditation encourages its practitioner to investigate calmly, without any judgment, the movements of one’s mind, thus focusing on the present moment with choiceless awareness. Literature on Buddhist psychology provides detailed conceptual references and comparisons with the Western psychological concepts.
The concept of consciousness that is based on Freud’s discoveries is far simpler than that found in the Eastern or Buddhist psychology. Subsequently, transpersonal psychology has evolved to include many complex theoretical hierarchies addressing consciousness, synthesizing the Western and Eastern concepts in defining the spiritual or altered states of consciousness. When the spiritual is ignored, a fundamental part of psyche is ignored. It is time for the transpersonal dimensions of consciousness to become an optional and acknowledged part of poetry therapy.
As for meditation, it is important to be aware of the hindrances and difficulties faced in meditative practices. Paradoxically, meditation can be used for many contradictory purposes. It can be used to center and to bring the meditator into the present moment and/or to unearth traumas. It can also enable the meditator to ‘‘launch off’’ to a peak experience or to the altered states, beyond their body/ego consciousness:
Have you heard the one about the Buddhist vacuum cleaner?
Are you kidding? What on earth is a Buddhist vacuum cleaner?
You know! No attachments!
(Kabat-Zinn, 2005, p. 51) Brief Report/Book Review, Sirkku M. Sky Hiltunen
Milarepa’s song on enlightenment, lust, ignorance
Songs of Milarepa: a path to live enlightened and happy life
How it inspired me to dispel the lustful thoughts
My song on love, lust
Review of lit
Poetry Therapy: Interface of the Arts and Psychology. By Nicholas Mazza.- Mazza is encyclopedic in his scope, applying the principles of poetry therapy to the clinical modalities of individual, family and group psychotherapy; to techniques of long-term as well as brief therapy; to use in all age groups from children to the elderly; and to application to unique populations, such as adolescents with suicidal urges, battered women and individuals with HIV disease. Mazza’s work updates the classic Biblio/Poetry therapy: The interactive process, by Hynes and Hynes-Berry (1986), through a detailed examination of how poetry therapy can be applied to specific clinical issues and within different therapeutic schools.
He presents an overall theoretical foundation for poetry therapy, compatible with traditional psychoanalytic, Jungian, Adlerian and psychodrama approaches. It provides clear, jargon-free explanations of the narrative and constructivist approaches to therapy, and their points of contact with poetry therapy.
POETRY THERAPY. By Jack J. Leedy, M.D. Philadelphia, Lippincott, 1969, 288 pages, Poetry Therapy focusing on the various aspects of “The Use of Poetry in the Treatment of Emotional Disorders”, explores reading and writing poetry as emotional catharsis, using poetry as the springboard for group psychotherapy, and, to establish a therapeutic relationship. Everyone agrees that poetry can be a valuable psychotherapeutic instrument, but there is no sustained methodical exploration of the psychological processes involved.
POETRY THE HEALER, EDITED BY JACK J. LEEDY. 220 p. J. B. Lippincott Co., 1973, $8.95. The book indicate clearly that poetry, used in a variety of settings, is a flexible, valid treatment modality.
Poetry and Story Therapy: The Healing Power of Creative Expression, G.G. Chavis. Jessica Kingsley Publishers, London and Philadelphia (2011). 256 pp., $29.95