I just went to the college’s cafeteria and indulged in an afternoon sweet treat. The chocolate chip muffin, all pre-packaged and stamped with an expiration date, was quite desirable, but proved unsatisfactory.
That sums up all the illusions that lead to suffering, doesn’t it?
I was planning to make chocolate chip cookie dough from scratch, and then eat it (delicious and raw), prior to reading this thread. Instead I have post-poned it, knowing that I would probably eat too much and feel ill later.
Instead, I am going to enjoy the IDEA of chocolate chip cookies, which I can make [B]anytime I want[/B] (now that I have purchased the chips), [U]at my disgression.[/U] The option, and the anticiplation of doing so is actually more exciting than the cookies are… so I’m going to keep trying to postpone as long as I can.
Thanks.
I know the feeling. Sometimes the memory is sweeter than the actual expereince.
You see, without us being there, the chocolate chip is tasteless. No matter how many are there, home made or not, without us they are nothing. Than who is in charge, huh ? 
[QUOTE=Techne;20984]I just went to the college’s cafeteria and indulged in an afternoon sweet treat. The chocolate chip muffin, all pre-packaged and stamped with an expiration date, was quite desirable, but proved unsatisfactory.
That sums up all the illusions that lead to suffering, doesn’t it?[/QUOTE]
Well, yes, but…you needed to experience that disappointment in order to realize that the muffin wasn’t what you really wanted. So what are your choices? [ul] [li]You can keep looking for the really good muffins. []You can look for something else that is more to your liking. []You can resign yourself to eating mediocre muffins.[*]You can stop indulging in afternoon treats, because they inevitably lead to disppointment. [/ul][/li]What so you think?
Well, I was sharing a true-life metaphor more than asking advice, but as an update . . .
I have some raisins today.
I have more realistic expectations of raisins, so they will be satisfying.
If I had had realistic expectations of the muffin I would have been revolted by the idea of eating it, let alone paying for the ‘privilege’.
(he, he – do you see the advertised links at the bottom of this page that I do? That’s really clever.)
Oops. I was trying to extend the metaphor…didn’t mean to offer advice. So you went for the raisins, that’s good. I thought you might renounce afternoon snacks.
(I see Plentyoffish dating service)
Aha - thanks. Yes, let’s keep it going.
The solution was to pause and consider (when I could think with something other than my tongue) why am I looking for an afternoon snack, and what do I need it to do for me? What nourishment am I really looking for? (sensory stimulation, a sugar lift, a little walk outside away from the computer and desk . . . )
And then, what are the odds that Otis Spunkmeyer really wants to satisfy that need – instead of stoking it so I look for another muffin that much sooner?
And the next part I get to work on is noticing better when I’m thinking with my tongue rather than acting from my “native strength”, which is (what, at least half of) the work of yoga.
(I saw nestle ads; maybe it was more random than I expect from a computer program.)
When I came across this thread I was drawn to it immediately…
I was shopping hungry not long before dinner time this evening, and after filling my basket full of wonderful unprocessed, organic, whole and natural and foods, I found myself stopped dead in my tracks and staring down a large fresh take and bake (fully loaded) pizza in the deli department. Then I gazed down at the wholesome organic whole-wheat frozen soy pizza that I already selected for my easy dinner that night, and felt an overwhelming urge to swap it out for a slice of cheesy pie heaven. But… I didn’t, and in the end was very relieved that I did not give into that craving.
Of course, being human, this is only one example of many situations where a craving like this has struck me… but the difference now compared to where I was several years ago or so, is that allow myself to follow the cravings through to the end result - to look ahead and see where the act will honestly take me when I think as if. For example, the above situation with the pizza would have gone something like this:
I eat the gooey cheese pizza, it tastes amazingly salty, cheesy and good. It will taste so good and feel so naughty (and I’m already ravenous) that I will consume the pizza like a junkie. Within seconds one piece is gone and I’m on to the next… I will eat too much too fast, or really savor the experience. As a result only seconds after my last bite, I feel stuffed, sleepy and sluggish, and regret that I did not treat my body to a much healthier, energizing, and nurturing meal. :oops: This icky feeling will most likely carry with me through to the following morning - kicking myself for not having more willpower at the grocery store. Then I’m off to practice self-forgiveness, understanding and so on… lol
Craving…
Impermanence…
Suffering…
Cravings often only last 5-10 minutes, and come and go like waves… when we learn not to give into immediate self-gratification, and we practice mindfulness and patience instead, we then gain true insight and understanding into where these surges originate. The odds are what you were craving 10 minutes ago will vanish if allowed to pass.
I also often use the H.A.L.T. method (hungry, angry, lonely or tired) to avoid giving into a craving. It’s so simple and easy to remember when temptation calls.
I now buy grapes or fruit to munch on when in the store when shopping hungry, and munch on them the whole way home.
[QUOTE=Techne;21267]
The solution was to pause and consider (when I could think with something other than my tongue) why am I looking for an afternoon snack, and what do I need it to do for me? What nourishment am I really looking for? (sensory stimulation, a sugar lift, a little walk outside away from the computer and desk . . . )
And the next part I get to work on is noticing better when I’m thinking with my tongue rather than acting from my “native strength”, which is (what, at least half of) the work of yoga.
[/QUOTE]
I think this is a good practical example of how vairagya or dispassion works. I’ve said in the past that dispassion doesn’t consist of denying our desires but of replacing our baser instincts with something better. The action of rajas is overcome by sattva. Here, rajas is what you call “thinking with your tongue”. Sattva is stepping back and acting from your “native strength”. But you already knew that, didn’t you?
“But you already knew that, didn’t you?”
I’m not quite fluent with the vocabulary, and it certainly hasn’t become habit – but I do have reasons for my asanas practice outside my muscular system, yes.
Nice one Nichole!
You guys are making me feel bad now!
I am so bad at this yoga lifestyle.
I LOVE cupcakes.
Please don’t demonize one of life’s little pleasures.
Well, pleasure for me.
They’re good for my mental health.
Whatever happened to moderation being “the key”?
Oh, I just answered my own question. It’s better for me to eat the cupcake and be happy, then go around being miserable and feeling deprived.
Nobody yell at me please.
I DO eat well most of the time.
[QUOTE=wendy;22375]
Nobody yell at me please.
;-)[/QUOTE]
Don’t worry, be happy.
what a fun post! temptation being the silent killer? i do often do things like that and get instant stomach ache from that sort of food, it is so satisfying when i resist. far more satisfying than indulging and then suffering. nevertheless, i feel drawn to eat a biscuit now. we live and learn!
[QUOTE=Techne;20984]I just went to the college's cafeteria and indulged in an afternoon sweet treat. The chocolate chip muffin, all pre-packaged and stamped with an expiration date, was quite desirable, but proved unsatisfactory.
That sums up all the illusions that lead to suffering, doesn't it?[/QUOTE]
Well, this lady is 122 years old and eats one pound a chocolate a week. Every week. And she drinks cognac. She might think that is the cause if her longevity.
Seriously kidding.
Maya is the ATTACHMENT to the muffin, not the muffin itself.
what I took from this in the original post
seeing that muffin there was expeactions that the experience did not live up too. that was the maya. Rather then anticipating the experience, experience the experience.
Brother Neil
Maya is such a cute and whimsical way to think about life's sweetness and indulgence. It's a reminder to savor the little joys. Speaking of indulgence, I recently experienced the caps on the water customer service, and it was great – they really make you feel special. Just like enjoying a chocolate chip muffin, good service adds a touch of happiness to any day. All this can make a big difference in our overall well-being.