Introspective meditation involves delving deeper into one’s own consciousness to find the answers. It is a very potent tool for spiritual development and refinement. It can be applied to various dilemmas that we face in everyday life. One such dilemma that a spiritual aspirant faces is whether to indulge in excessive pleasure-giving activities to derive satisfaction or follow moderation or abstain from them. There are schools of thought that support each of these stands.
Pleasure is an emotion or feeling. Emotions are different mental reactions that are expressed by humans and some animals as well. Physiologically speaking, it is the release of the neurotransmitters within the limbic system in the brain that gives us a feeling of pleasure. Evolutionarily, the limbic system is considered an older part of the brain which many animals also possess. The limbic system links newer parts of the brain such as the cerebral cortex that deal with higher functions corresponding to thinking, reasoning planning, and so on with even older parts of the brain that perform lower functions such as breathing, beating of the heart, and the like. Nature has endowed the capability to perform higher functions to only humans. In the hierarchy of brain functions the evolutionarily newer functions of thought processes are supreme, followed by emotions, and then come the physiological regulatory functions. However, we often let ourselves be governed in exactly the opposite direction, where we first succumb to physiological needs, followed by being driven by what emotions we like to have and thinking takes the back seat. Have you ever experienced this lopsided functioning? Should we be using more of our higher functions or simply accede to emotions and physiological needs?
Most of the time we believe that the sources of our pleasures are outward and thus make active pursuits in those directions. We feel we will get pleasure if we attain such and such status, or if we get such and such thing, or if we meet such and such person, or if we develop such and such relationship, and so on and so forth. Are the sources of our pleasure external? If it was so, then why do we get bored so easily after acquiring what we sought to achieve? Why is it that pleasures are so temporary and often elusive?
Likewise, by the time we reach our forties, for most of us, the joy of getting degrees and accolades from education vanishes. Looking beautiful and caring about how we look to others holds a special charm and gives us great pleasure but by the time we reach our fifties, for most of us, that source of pleasure also fleets away though for some it may continue lifelong. Professional accomplishments are often a source of joy, but these also do not matter after a certain age, usually after the sixties for most people. But then we see some people running after such power and associated pleasure throughout their lives. Another source of pleasure comes from material possessions and money. For most of us, this source also leaves its charm to us by the time we reach our seventies or eighties but for some, this may continue lifelong. If we reach the nineties or beyond the joy associated with the senses also vanishes and life becomes mundane. Ultimately all pleasures are linked to our sensory perceptions in one way or the other. So, can we hold on to these pleasures forever? Either we outgrow the pleasures, or the pleasures leave us. John D. Rockefeller (1839-1937)was an American industrialist who upon his death was worth an estimated $340 billion in present-day terms more than four times the wealth of Microsoft founder Bill Gates. Rockefeller once said, “Do you know the only thing that gives me pleasure? It’s to see my dividends coming in.” For many of us, money is a source of pleasure. A million is not enough; we want another million and then several million; and then why not become a billionaire? Is there a limit? And then we see what Rockefeller did with his money; he became one of the biggest philanthropists of our times. Why go after something when you must ultimately relinquish it and become the exact opposite? In my opinion, one should try to master pleasures at every stage of life and derive full and complete contentment from those at the right time and then just like a video game, after gaining mastery, prepare and move to the next level deriving complete satisfaction and contentment with each stage as one passes through life without holding oneself to any one level forever.
We also often find that overindulgence in pleasure leads to pain. For example, if we are fond of eating and we eat too much temporarily we might get pleasure but after a limit is crossed it causes pain both short term and long term by virtue of gaining weight which we may not like. Jon Favreau (1966-present), a contemporary American actor, director, and producer, once said, “For me, I love food. It’s my greatest pleasure and also the thing that could ruin you as well. It’s one of those things where, if you’re not thoughtful about it, it could be unhealthy. But if there’s a mindfulness about it; it actually is a wonderful tool of emotional expression.” Pleasure and pain seem to be cyclical. Just like Favreau mused, there must be a limit drawn to our pleasures and an ethical method to pursue our pleasures, especially if we are to move to the next stage of contentment in pursuit of our pleasures. The limit must be decided by exercising the power of thoughts on our emotions and physiological needs. Then a method that does not cause pain to self or others and is in harmony with societal standards can be called an ethical approach that needs to be sought to pursue those pleasures. We need to constantly ask ourselves, have we set a limit to something that gives us pleasure? Is our approach to attaining that pleasure ethical? Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi (1207-1273), a Persian Islamic scholar and Sufi mystic, has said anything whether it is power, wealth, hunger, ego, greed, laziness, ambition, or anything that gives pleasure if it is more than necessity it becomes poison. So, balance is the key when it comes to pleasures.
Here are the tips for introspective meditation before seeking any pleasure:
•Do I need this pleasure?
•Is it just based on comparison with others, or do I really need it?
•What do I have to invest or give up for obtaining this pleasure?
•What is the ethical method for seeking this pleasure that will not cause any pain to self or others?
•In what time frame do I have to seek this pleasure?
The author is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Social and Behavioral Health at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, USA..