(Clearwisdom.net) The influence of lust has affected me periodically. This situation appears mainly in my thoughts. For example, when someone around me talks about love affairs, it will cause me to think about my own past love affairs. Whenever this occurred, I would have a dream in which I was either staying in a dirty restroom, or was looking for a restroom. I understand that what appears to be a pleasant and attractive environment in this world is actually a dirty and terrible place in a higher realm. When I failed to control my thoughts, or I allowed myself to contemplate thoughts of lust, it was the same as seeking for a dirty place to stay.
Once this was clear to me, I have done my best to avoid being influenced by other people. However, yesterday on the Internet, I came across a picture of an actor whom I liked before I started my cultivation. Instead of continuing with what I was supposed to do, I clicked on the link that led to explanations about this picture. It turned out that this handsome and educated fellow was homosexual! I thought that this was really strange and unbelievable, and logged out. That night I dreamed that I was in the restroom again. When I woke up, I looked inward to determine why this happened. Apparently, I still had some interest in that actor, and wanted to know more about him. Master said,
A person is like a container, and he is whatever he contains. All of what a person sees with the eyes and hears with the ears are: violence, lust, power struggles in literary works, struggles for profit in the practical world, money worship, other manifestations of demon-nature, and so on. With his head filled with these, this kind of person is truly a bad person, no matter what he appears to be. ("Melt Into the Fa" Essentials for Further Advancement)
This is the reason why I stayed in the restroom. Master used the dream to alert me to this fact. Now I understand that we must avoid all bad influences. Whenever one reads something inappropriate, it requires some effort and understanding to remove its influence.
This is my personal view. Please point out anything inappropriate.
Category: Improving Oneself
