habit and momentum
Jul. 3rd, 2023 08:04 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cattasallaChange is hard. Especially change that goes against our habits. We have at least one lifetime, possibly countless lifetimes, of habitually moving towards pleasurable things and away from painful things. If we want to be liberated, and not be pushed around by our desires, we need to make different choices and establish new habits.
Perhaps before we never knew we were even making the choices. We just went with our desires. And through some Dhamma practice, we have come to realize that we do have a choice. This awareness is a good first step, but if you're anything like me, you still continue to choose to give into desire over the liberating choice. I just have too much habituation to make the Dhammic choice.
But I've had enough of a taste to see that the life lived according to Dhamma is a better life. At least for me. So, no matter how difficult, I keep making the harder choice.
Fortunately, this builds new habits. This wears new grooves in the mind. Every time I make a choice in accord with Dhamma, I make the next choice easier. Momentum builds. The new choices create a pleasant life, more enjoyable than the previous desire-driven one. My mind's craving for pleasure is harnessed for the practice. This, too, makes the Dhammic choice the easier one.
It's all about building momentum, momentum which becomes new habituation.
Perhaps before we never knew we were even making the choices. We just went with our desires. And through some Dhamma practice, we have come to realize that we do have a choice. This awareness is a good first step, but if you're anything like me, you still continue to choose to give into desire over the liberating choice. I just have too much habituation to make the Dhammic choice.
But I've had enough of a taste to see that the life lived according to Dhamma is a better life. At least for me. So, no matter how difficult, I keep making the harder choice.
Fortunately, this builds new habits. This wears new grooves in the mind. Every time I make a choice in accord with Dhamma, I make the next choice easier. Momentum builds. The new choices create a pleasant life, more enjoyable than the previous desire-driven one. My mind's craving for pleasure is harnessed for the practice. This, too, makes the Dhammic choice the easier one.
It's all about building momentum, momentum which becomes new habituation.