Clinging to Worldly Pleasure

Clinging to Worldly Pleasure

Date of Advice:
January 2020
Date Posted:
May 2023

Rinpoche sent this advice, reminding a student that when there is attachment, even the greatest pleasure is only in the nature of suffering. Written by Lama Zopa Rinpoche; lightly edited for ease of reading.

How are you now? I think you forgot that samsara is in the nature of only suffering. Even samsaric pleasure, sense pleasure, like sex, whatever someone thinks is the greatest pleasure, with the most handsome person, or deva or deva girl, the most beautiful one, so that is suffering. It is in the nature of suffering, the suffering of change, and that came from pervading compounded suffering.

Pleasure with attachment—clinging to this life’s pleasures or mundane worldly pleasures, clinging with the self-cherishing thought—of course, it is only in the nature of suffering.