Objects Recede, but the Taste of Craving Lingers
For one who abstains, the objects fall away, yet the taste for them remains. Only when even that lingering taste is released does craving fully subside.
Have I merely quit something outwardly, while inwardly still longing for its aftertaste?
📝Reflection
In this verse I marvel at the old teacher's subtle psychology. Quitting something in deed is only half; true freedom comes when even the lingering longing is released. Merely forcing restraint often swells the craving, so one must look into the root — the craving itself. It meets exactly the Buddhist view of craving as the root of suffering. When I give something up, I try to look honestly not only at the outward act but at the aftertaste left within.
🌱Apply It Today
If something you meant to give up keeps arising today, do not strain to suppress it — quietly observe, 'what remains now is the aftertaste.'
This verse is read as universal humanistic wisdom, not religion — no faith is promoted, and the reflection is 100% original ONGO content.
