Daily Meditation: Tuesday, December 13, 2005

Temptations - think before succumbing

12/13/2005

It is true that life presents us with all kinds of temptations, and most people consider it normal to succumb to these temptations. As they see it, this is more or less why they have come to earth: to throw themselves headlong into everything that attracts them. But the disciple of an initiatic teaching has a different point of view: he knows he has not come to earth to seek pleasure, but to carry out a work on himself. If he succumbs he is contrite, because he feels he has weakened and demeaned himself. In order to avoid these regrets and this suffering, before rushing into some venture or other he says to himself: ‘In doing this or that I will satisfy my desires, of course, but what will the repercussions be for myself and for those around me?’ And he reflects… Those who fail to pose these questions are surprised when situations or problems arise which they did not anticipate. Well, they need not be surprised, because what has happened was predictable. Consequences are always predictable.