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I am sometimes asked whether this

vow of celibacy is really desirable and

indeed whether it is really possible.

Suffice to say that its practice is not

simply a matter of suppressing sexual

desires. On the contrary, it is necessary

to fully accept the existence of these

desires and to transcend them by the

power of reasoning. When successful,

the result on the mind can be very

beneficial. The trouble with sexual

desire is that it is a blind desire and can

only ever give temporary satisfaction.

Thus, as Nagarjuna said:

‘When you have an itch, you scratch.

But not to itch at all is better than any

amount of scratching.’

有時我會被問到關於獨身的誓約

是否真的值得嚮往也是否真的可行.

完整說來這個練習不單在於如何壓抑性慾.

相反的, 必須要完全接受這些慾望的存在,

且用探究的力量來轉化它們.

成功時,在心靈上能產生非常有益的結果.

性慾所造成的問題在於它的盲目慾求,

而且只能得到短暫的滿足罷了.

因此, 就如龍樹菩薩Nagarjuna 曾說:

‘那裡癢你抓那裡.

但無論怎麼抓也不如根本不癢啊!.’