Why does the desire for pleasure continue to be so contested? Glorified by hedonists, blamed by Puritans and church canons?
Because itis the gate that leads to the essence of one’s being. For centuries desires have been
censored, distancing humanity from the greatest gift of divinity: the gift of life. Life is lived by
feeling it through all the fibers of the being, including experiencing pleasure. One cannot live
without the senses. Life is felt looking at the beauties that surround us, it is felt listening to the
silence of the night, the symphony of a day, it is felt tasting the delights it offers, it is felt
smelling the ephemeral perfume of a moment, or touching its smoothness with which it rests at our feet.
We are what we desire, more than what we think, because desires are more powerful and
involve a large part of our being. Desires define us, leading us to people and things that come to represent something to us. By knowing what we really want, we come to know ourselves, we learn the direction our desires point us to, urging us to follow them. At the beginning, there are many and they are incoherent. But, as we experience the act of living and get to know each other more and more, the desires are sorted, elevated, gain coherence. It is a betrayal of ourselves to turn away from their hidden calling. Many do not do it due to the limitations and inhibitions inoculated over time, transmitted for generations in the form of the expression that “it is not proper”. Replacing the true desires that are deeply rooted with the desires of those around, of family or friends, with those inoculated by society. Others are afraid of letting go, of losing control. Others reach excesses, losing themselves in their tumult. In reality, life is a risk, but we can’t say we really lived if we didn’t follow our desires. But we don’t really manage to master them if we don’t taste them. Fighting against our own desires divides us and weakens us.
I recently listened to a program where it was said that we should do what is good for us.I
think what really works for us is dictated by what we really feel deep down, whatever that
entails, as long as they follow the natural course of life. This is the true benefit, that we follow
our calling, experiencing life in all its glory. Anything other than what our own calling dictates
takes us away from us, from our uniqueness. A true survivor is one who follows his senses,
disregarding the advice of others. Sometimes we need to break ourselves, to find the way to
ourselves. Sometimes we need to go to extremes, in order to discover the middle way. We find our own center oscillating between extremes until we manage to stabilize. Great personalities
and even saints had a tumultuous youth that led them to perfection.
We perfect ourselves by living.It’s the only way. By isolating ourselves or listening to others
we move away from our own path, not experiencing an authentic life but living the lives of others.
