Craving and Lust: Instinct or Trap? A Warning for Those Resolved to Practice

Opening: A Small Story About Instinct

There was once a young man who had been addicted to drugs. After recovering, he shared: "Once I was addicted, every other pleasure became meaningless. I gave up alcohol, I gave up my wife—only the drugs remained." This story reminds me of the Buddha's words: "This one desire alone has caused beings to become infatuated and sink in the cycle of birth and death. If there were another kind of desire like it, no being would be able to practice at all." So what are craving and lust, truly? Why are they so overwhelming? And how can we overcome them?

Craving and Lust: Two Faces of One Trap

In Buddhism, craving and lust are often mentioned as a pair, but in truth they have different shades of meaning. Craving is romantic love, the attraction between man and woman. It gives rise to certain states of mind: the desire for exclusivity, longing, jealousy, the wish for physical touch, the desire for marriage. Lust is sexual behavior, the pleasure arising from the sexual organs. Craving is the stepping stone; lust is the destination. Together they form a chain of mental states into which beings easily sink.

"The difference between friendship and romantic love is this: with friendship, the more people, the more joy; with romantic love, the fewer, the more joy." – Venerable Thích Chân Quang

Instinct, or Not Instinct?

Many people believe that craving and lust are natural instincts, indispensable. But if they were a vital instinct for survival, why did the Buddha forbid them? And why have some people overcome them? In truth, they are only a strong desire, not an instinct essential for survival. If we do not eat, we die; if we do not breathe, we die; but without lust, we still live. Therefore, it is a trap, not an unavoidable need.

"The Buddha said: Monks, this desire is extremely bewildering, extremely attractive, extremely delightful to beings. This one desire alone has caused beings to become infatuated and sink in the cycle of birth and death." – Venerable Thích Chân Quang

In Today's Age: The Trap Grows More Subtle

Modern society, with its permissive lifestyle, lewd films, and revealing advertisements, has made craving and lust easier to invade the mind. Even monastics find it difficult to remain pure without inner resistance. In many places, the Sangha has been deeply affected—in some regions, such as Japan, monks were even ordered by the king to marry. This has weakened the Buddha's teachings (Dharma).

"It is time for us to sound the alarm bell and take decisive measures to restore what the Buddha transmitted and taught." – Venerable Thích Chân Quang

How Can We Overcome It?

First, recognize your own capacity: if you see craving and lust as normal, your karma is still heavy; if you find them distasteful, you are moving toward the noble path. Guard your purity in small matters: avoid physical contact with the opposite sex, avoid stimulating images, and always contemplate their dangers. Practitioners, whether monastic or lay, can all help strengthen the Buddha's teachings (Dharma) through a life of purity.

"A disciple of the Buddha who can live in purity, unstained—whether monastic or lay—contributes to making the Buddha's teachings (Dharma) stronger and making this world more noble." – Venerable Thích Chân Quang

Conclusion: Choose the Noble Path

Craving and lust are a trap, but not an impossible one to overcome. Look to the noble monastics, those who conquered instinct to attain liberation. Each of us, with determination and the right method, can walk that path. Begin today: guard your mind/heart, live in purity, so that both yourself and the Dharma may endure.