If we don’t practice mindfulness, our cravings and sensual desires will overwhelm us.

When restless sexual desire arises, we pay attention to it with enough understanding and enough love that it dissipates and does not grow.

As a culture, we place great stock in external appearance. Our attachment to physical beauty is something that we need to let go of, yet it seems that the majority of people are racing toward it.

The root of that craving is our habit energy.When we look deeply at it, we can begin to untie the knot.

Habit energy is there in all of us in the form of seeds transmitted from our ancestors, our grandparents, and our parents, as well as seeds created by the difficulties we ourselves have experienced. Often we’re unaware of these energies operating in us. We may want to be in a committed relationship but our habit energies can color our perceptions, direct our behaviors, and make our lives difficult. With mindfulness, we can become aware of the habit energy that has been passed down to us.

When something is pleasant, lovely, and appealing, we’re caught by it. But appealing appearances are deceptive. We get hooked by them and once we’re caught, we suffer.

Sexuality should be accompanied by understanding and love. Without understanding and love, sex is empty.

We know that if we eat a certain food, it will upset our digestion, but we still eat it. The way out is to beware of the superficial appearance. From outside, something may look very pleasant. But we have to look deeper and use that deep understanding to see the superficial aspects of the object of our desire. Our understanding can overcome our cravings.