Moderation.

In life we experience pleasure and suffering.

We desire pleasure.

And we fear suffering.

Fear of suffering makes us look for a pattern that may ensure that we avoid suffering.

Thus we look for rules.

 

Thinking that rules govern the universe.

Rules that entail rewards and punishments.

Thinking that this is the nature of God.

But there is no fear in God.

God does not punish pleasure and reward sacrifice.

Our rigid adherence to rules is inspired by fear.

The Buddha said that moderation was the answer to pleasure, not abstinence.

Jesus said: "'For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, "He has a demon", the Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, "Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners."'"  Luke 7:34 (NRSV)

But Jesus was the Messiah, not John the Baptist.

So it is evident that the way of moderation is superior to the way of Asceticism.

It is not possible to eradicate all pleasure from life.

And those who try are merely repressing their desires which come out as perversions and lies.

So moderation is the answer.

The sole pursuit of pleasure does not bring happiness.

Only love brings happiness.

       

And God is Love.

[Scripture quotations )marked NRSV) are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission.  All rights reserved.]

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