Desire is my master, and my awakening is his hellish reign.
He entices me with hope and threatens me with pain. Hope that I will one day receive the peace I yearn for, pain if I do not comply with his every demand. He rewards my obedience with enough comfort, relief, and satisfaction to keep me in servitude. But he is quick to withdraw it the moment I fail to serve.
He offers me hope: I know he lies. For the release I seek cannot be found in servitude to my master but in escape from his bondage. He is a master of deception, and desire is his weapon against me. Everything out here is the device of my master: the water to quench my thirst, food to satisfy my hunger, distractions to entertain my mind, and bed to cradle my body. All are devices of desire. This entire world I awaken into is a trap. To defeat him, I must reject his offerings.
He offers me food: I eat less. He offers me water: I drink less. He offers me entertainment: I resist. He offers me comfort: I choose severity. He offers curiosity: I choose indifference. He offers me pleasure: I choose restraint.
To defeat desire I must see my own bondage to him. I must rise against him by rejecting his offers to me.
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