I've often asked myself the same question...

[Joey_Gleet]

Blinded by Passion

Because of the thoughts arising in the mind, passion and desire are born. The sense organs themselves are not dangerous.



I will tell you the story of a man from a rich family. He had all kinds of vices.


Overindulgence in luxurious food and drink and women. He could not stay for a single night without going to a prostitute. This is a true story. One night, in a big storm, he set out to go to the house of the prostitute, who lived on the other side of the river, which was in floods, and he decided to swim across. When passion comes, one does not know what one is doing.



He caught hold of what appeared to be a log of wood and crossed over to the other side. Saving the log of wood for going back, he walked over to the woman's house, which was locked. Mistaking a dead snake, which was hanging, to be a rope, he used it to climb up to the top floor. A very offensive smell was coming from his body. After he cleaned himself the woman asked him how he came and upon verification it was found that what he thought was rope was actually a snake and what he thought was a log was actually a dead human body.


The woman then asked him, "What is in this body of mine that you are so attached to, risking your life to come here"?


These words caused an inner awakening in his mind and instead of returning home, he went into the forest to try and meditate.



But the mind could not be controlled easily. After sometime he saw a beautiful woman and his old thoughts again came back and he followed her. This made him realize his weakness and thinking that his eyes were the cause of his weakness he pricked his eyes with thorns and made himself blind. This is the story of Surdas who later became a highly elevated soul.





Stitha Prajna Jan 2005

[everyman kc]

Interesting tale Joey, your post made me think of this passage.

" He said that when Narcissus died, the goddesses of the forest appeared and found the lake, which had been fresh water, transformed into a lake of salty tears. "Why do you weep?" the goddesses asked. "I weep for Narcissus," the lake replied. 'Ah, it is no surprise that you weep for Narcissus," they said, "for though we always pursued him in the forest, you alone could contemplate his beauty close at hand.' "But ...was Narcissus beautiful?"the lake asked.

'Who better than you to know that?" the goddesses said in winder. "After all it was by your banks that he knelt each day to contemplate himself!" The lake was silent for some time. Finally, it said ; I weep for Narcissus, but I never noticed that Narcissus was beautiful. I weep because, each time he knelt beside my banks, I could see in the depths of his eyes, my own beauty reflected."....... from "The Alchemist"

[algrace]

Originally Posted by everyman kc

Interesting tale Joey, your post made me think of this passage. ...The lake was silent for some time. Finally, it said ; I weep for Narcissus, but I never noticed that Narcissus was beautiful. I weep because, each time he knelt beside my banks, I could see in the depths of his eyes, my own beauty reflected."....... from "The Alchemist"

Paulo Coelho's literary works can be eye-opening. The Alchemist is a quick read, and reading it over a second or more times reveal more and more truths, just as in Coelho's Eleven Minutes.

[vitokc]

Come on guys,you're disrupting my thoughts about sex.