The Craving

~ By Ajahn Jayasāro ~

In 1977, a remarkable video was released. It was called ‘Powers of Ten’. In it, the aerial view of a couple picknicking in a Chicago park starts drawing back by factors of ten: 10m, 100m, 100km … until finally halting 100 million light years from earth. Then the camera zooms back in on the couple, enters the man’s hand and keeps zooming inwards by factors of negative ten until it reaches 10 -16, at which point it is revealing quarks in a carbon atom. This video gives the most dramatic presentation imaginable of how a shift in perspective can bring about an immediate and radical change in how we feel about ourselves and the world we live in.

The nature of craving is to make the object of craving seems so real and important and necessary and right for us. When it appears in the mind, craving demands our attention without delay. Craving is usually far too strong for us to overcome with willpower. What we can do is to change perspective, to face up to it within the context of our moral values and spiritual aspirations. If we imagine craving as an intimidating ogre, its as if we change our focus on it from ‘portrait’ to ‘panorama’ view. Doing so, we become aware of the meanings, implications, consequences of following craving. It loses its power over us. Not easy by any means, but doable with regular practice.

We don’t have to stand toe-to-toe with craving as it shouts in our face and whispers in our ears. We can be aware of the space around it. We can even learn how to withdraw attention from the craving by factors of ten, until it’s a mere pinprick in the heart.

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"Food for the Heart", a series of Dhamma teachings handwritten weekly is posted on the Buddhadāsa Indapañño Archives page with Ajahn's kind permission.

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For other teachings by Ven. Ajahn Jayasāro, please visit the Panyaprateep Foundation website.