With Gratification Craving Increases

Suppose, Monks, a great bonfire was burning, consuming ten, twenty, thirty, or forty loads of wood, and a man would cast dry grass, dry cow dung, and dry wood into it from time to time.

Thus, sustained by that material, fueled by it, that great bonfire would burn for a very long time.

So too, when one lives dwelling in gratification of things that can be clung to, craving increases…

With craving as condition, clinging [comes to be];

With clinging as condition, existence;

With existence as condition, birth;

With birth as condition, aging-and-death, sorrow, grief, pain, displeasure, and despair come to be.

Such is the cause of this whole mass of discontentedness.

(Reference: SN 12.52)

In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares how looking back to indulge in remembering enjoyable moments of past experiences allows craving to increase.

Reminiscing about the past when the mind was craving/desiring/attached to certain situations, relationships, material possessions, etc., can all arise pleasant feelings in the present moment. The mind may cling to these being unwilling to cut them off and let them go.

Allowing the mind to indulge in daydreaming, reminiscing, or looking back to indulge in remembering enjoyable moments of the past where craving/desire/attachment caused arising pleasant feelings will only result in increased craving, thus, increased discontentedness and potential for rebirth into a new existence.

Instead, a determined, dedicated, and diligent Practitioner who observes the mind “dwelling in gratification of things that can be clung to” would decide to cut that off and let it go. Otherwise, you can predict that craving will increase just as a fire would increase if one placed “dry grass, dry cow dung, and dry wood into it from time to time”.

Instead, if one is interested in eliminating the fire of craving/desire/attachment which is the cause of all discontentedness, they would extinguish the fire through not allowing the mind to dwell in the past where pleasant feelings arose. Train the mind to reside in the present moment disassociating with craving/desire/attachment that arises pleasant feelings basing its inner feelings on impermanent conditions.

Discussing past experiences and how to improve those can be a beneficial result of reflecting to improve one’s life practice. Even discussing past experiences where things went well can all be an aspect of life that helps a Practitioner continue to grow and improve their life practice.

The Buddha is not sharing that one cannot enjoy life or remember enjoyable experiences we have all had. Instead, he is guiding Practitioners to not allow the mind to long or dwell for the past clinging to those experiences wanting to repeat those pleasant experiences, thus, allowing the mind to potentially experience painful feelings when it realizes those conditions of the past no longer exist.

A Practitioner who is watchful over the mind can observe that it is not just remembering past experiences and discussing those openly, but instead, the mind is longing and yearning with a strong eagerness wanting those same conditions to produce pleasant feelings in the present moment. When this is observed, a Practitioner can train the mind to cut off and let go of the longing and yearning with a strong eagerness for the past rooting the mind in the present moment appreciating what currently exists.