A long time ago when I was young my mother took me to see a movie that was based upon the beloved Cinderella story. It was a magical tale of two sisters, Snow white and Rose Red and an enchanted talking Dove. The dove was a Mystic and at key points in the move would speak profound truths. It was from this Dove that I first heard the statement “Pleasure and Pain, they’re both the same. My young mind could not grasp what that could possibly mean. They certainly didn’t feel the same. Pleasure felt good and I always wanted more while pain felt, well, bad and I wanted to avoid it at all costs. So it is for most of our lives… we live for the pursuit of pleasure and the avoidance of pain.
As we grow we develop in awareness and begin to see that pleasure and pain are not as black and white as first thought. Pleasure can lead to pain an experience we see in our addictions. Pain can be used as a pleasure of sorts to divert our attention from deep truths about ourselves we would rather not see. Denying, ignoring and repressing psychic pain only works for a while and then leads to more devastating experiences of pain. A state of confusion arises and we begin to question how to it is we are meant to live a happy fulfilling life.
It is in this state that many begin to search out one of the countless spiritual paths to find a way through this confusion. Many religions however, advise strict avoidance of pleasures that have consistently led to trouble – like food, intoxicants, and sex. What we see, however, is that most people who follow these instructions often end up living double lives this and fail to live up to the high ideals of their faith which leads to more pain.
So what is the answer? And how is pleasure and a pain the same?
Pleasure and pain themselves do not lead to unhappiness. It is our attachment to them that does. As we struggle to give up habits that we know lead to pain, we find ourselves locked again and again in the cycle of Pleasure, Pain, Renunciation, Peace, Mind, Temptation, pleasure, pain….. You get the drift. So pleasure leads to pain, leads to seeking pleasure … it is the same progression with the habit returning even stronger until we have truly had enough. Many teachers, leaders and people that gain high spiritual attainment can fall back into this cycle. This is why the Kahuna described the path of awakening; Puri Ota Ota - walking the knifes edge.
There is a wonderful story that Baba Lokenath tells from his training. I am paraphrasing here from a wonderful book on his life entitled: The Incredible Life of a Himalayan Yogi: The Times, Teachings and Life of a Living Shiva Baba Lokenath Bramachari by Shuddhaanandaa Brahmachari
After 12 years wandering the Himalayas with his Gurudev in deep study and renunciation his master brought him back to his home village. A young, beautiful, devoted widow asked if she could serve Baba Lokenath and his guru have his permission. Service turned to friendship which turned to deepening love which turned to attachment. 3 years later Lokenath woke up and asked himself, “What am I doing? Have I given up home, family, worldly goods, and 12 years of training only to indulge my desire?” He begged his guru for them to leave the village immediately to which his guru said no. Days kept going by and he kept begging to leave with the Guru intentionally delaying his request. Finally, he became uncompromising in his request and demanded they leave now. His Guru then pretended to be sick. Blind with anger he took up a big stick and said, “…..the moment I say, “let us leave this place, you start feeling ill. Today I will kill you and then myself to!” The master ran away and the came back and said, “Let’s go. Now it has happened”.
When Baba Lokenath asked the Guru why he had not listened before, the master replied, “You never said it the way you did today, my child. You had given up pleasures, the pleasures and attachments did not give you up.”
Life has pleasure and pain as a part of its unending expression. We live in order to learn how to let it be without attachment. We must find for ourselves the middle way.
No two beings whether they are students or masters are the same other than the final state of Cosmic Unity Consciousness they reside in. Though it may seem on the surface that people are on similar spiritual journeys every person is born to travel their own unique path. Eventually we all get tired of the pleasure and pain cycles. This only happens when we confirm for ourselves through our own unique experiences that this cycle is indeed endless. When that happens we naturally turn our attention to that which is unchanging, the total encompassment of our Space of Existence which is beautiful in all it expression, inclusive, undivided, and radiant.