快乐的本质和真实的自由（3）

快乐与自由

第三章
坏苦（快乐）会增长我们的贪欲，而贪欲又会增长我们的痛苦
当一个人做一件事情，会给他带来坏苦（快乐）的时候，此时，会产生贪着心，他就会想不停的、重复的去做这件事，
所谓“贪著”，是指心缘着可意境，跟随着耽著上去。就像油沾在布上难以洗除，如是心耽在所缘境上，难以分离。

当他重复做这件事情的时候，每一次都会重复的串习这个贪着心，然后就变得很喜欢做这件事，这个贪着心就变成了贪爱心。
这时，做这件事情，就变成了他的一个爱好，他就会更加频繁地去做这件事情。贪爱心会不停的增长，就变成了贪欲心。
当贪欲心越来越强烈的时候，他做这件事情就上瘾了，变成了贪婪心，也就是瘾君子了。
“瘾”是什么意思呢？“瘾”在医学上基本释义是：“由于神经中枢经常接受某种外界刺激而形成的习惯性或依赖性”。“瘾君子”就是指“某种嗜好不能自我控制的人”。所以说，上瘾就是已经病态了。治疗比较困难。
当一个人对一件事上瘾的时候，这就会严重影响到他的生活、家庭、还有工作，更严重的，就有可能会走上犯罪的道路。
最典型的例子就是吸毒。
吸毒的人大多数都是因为精神空虚、无聊，消极悲观，或者精神压力比较大，或者情绪长时间低落、抑郁，或者对生活有一种厌恶感、无奈感。吸毒可以麻痹人的神经系统，使整个身心得以暂时的放松，会产生某些幻觉，甚至有飘飘欲仙的感觉，从而暂时缓解吸毒者精神上的空虚、颓废、忧郁等负面情绪。但是，吸毒犹如饮鸩止渴，等那个药劲过去了以后，他的经络又堵塞了，又收紧了，他的神经系统就像一个拉变了形的弹簧无法自然恢复，然后，身心就会生起无法形容的、极度的痛苦，。他需要更多的毒品来麻痹神经，打通经络，放松身心，缓解痛苦。

其实，很多事情，如果我们经常去做，时间长了，做着做着就变成爱好了，例如挣钱、追剧、追星、音乐、书画、舞蹈、游戏、打球、运动、竞争、打麻将、赌博、做官，甚至包括追求真理等等。在爱好的阶段，还能克制。如果再接着做，越陷越深了，那就跟爱好不一样了，上瘾了，变成痛苦了。这个时候我们就不由自主了。
当一个人的习气越来越重，越做越上瘾，时间长了，五脏六腑的功能都有可能开始紊乱，慢慢地身体肯定会产生疾病。例如心脏病、三高、癌症啊等各种各样的怪病。导致身体产生很大的痛苦，长时间的痛苦，乃至死亡。
当一个人的习气越来越重，越做越上瘾，时间长了，他的求不得苦、爱别离苦，还有怨憎会苦等心理上的痛苦，也会急剧地增加，然后长期地折磨他，导致他生不如死，乃至自杀。

总之，贪欲的来源是变苦（快乐），贪欲的本质是对变苦（快乐）的贪着心不断串习、增长造成的。
如果贪欲得不到满足，就会导致求不得苦、爱别离苦、怨憎会苦等心理上的痛苦，还会导致肉体上的疾病。
如果贪欲得到了满足，就会串习这个贪着心，贪欲心也会随之而不断增长，变得越来越强。
如果贪欲不能继续得到满足，就会导致更强烈的求不得苦、爱别离苦、怨憎会苦等痛苦。
如果贪欲能够持续地得到满足，这样就会快速地消耗人的精气神，使人迅速老去、生病、死去。
人类在这些痛苦的逼迫当中，不断地去寻求缓解的方法，贪着变苦（快乐），增长贪欲，衍生嗔恨，恶性循环，这就是我们的人生。
在科学技术高度发达的今天，整个世界，无论是东方，还是西方，随着信仰的缺失，道德的滑坡，大多数的人类都在崇尚个人主义、享乐主义、和自由主义。容易让人上瘾的事物越来越多。整个人类正在走向自我毁灭的高速路上。

The Essence of Happiness and True Freedom (3)
Third chapter
The Suffering of Change, understood as pleasure, increases our greed, which in turn increases our suffering.

When a person takes part in an act that brings The Suffering of Change, greed will arise, and they will want to engage in this act over and over again.
This so-called "greed" means that the mind is attached to wishful thinking. It is akin to oil on a cloth: the oil becomes difficult to rinse out. Simultaneously, the mind is difficult to detach from wishful thoughts.

When repetition of an act occurs, greed will persist, at the same time, indulging in that act will greatly intensify the greed.
What once was greed, has now become a hobby. A hobby which will absorb them. Covetousness will magnify and turn into greedy desire.

When the greedy desire has become stronger and stronger, he will become addicted and over time convert into an addict.
What does ‘’addiction’’ mean? In medicine, the basic definition of ‘’addiction’’is: "the central nervous system has been constantly stimulated from an external source and cause a habit or dependency to form as a consequence. ‘‘Addict’’ means a person who has lost control of himself in certain habitual behaviours. So, addiction is a pathological disorder; treatment is difficult.
When a person is addicted to one thing, it will seriously affect their life, family, and work; on more serious occasions, they may take the road of crime.
The most typical example is drug addiction.
Most drug addictions are the result of mental emptiness, boredom, negativity and pessimism, relatively high mental stress, long-term drop in mood, depression, or a sense of disgust and helplessness about life. Drugs tend to numb the nervous system, the body and mind will be under temporary relaxation; some hallucinations and a sense of ecstasy may emerge, thereby temporarily relieving the negative emotions such as spiritual emptiness, decadence, and depression. However, taking drugs are like drinking poison to quench thirst. After the drug’s effects has diminished, the meridians become blocked and tightened again. The nervous system becomes like a deformed mechanical spring that won’t bounce back. Tremendous physical and emotional pain will raise. Consequently, more drugs will be needed to numb the nerves, open up the meridians, relax the body and mind, and relieve the pain.
In fact, many behaviours-if done repeatedly-will become our pleasures; such as earning money, binge watching dramas, idolizing stars, music, painting, calligraphy, dancing, games, playing ball, sports, competition, playing mahjong, gambling, officialdom, and even the pursuit of truth and so on. When these hobbies are in the early stage of pleasure, they are still within control. With the passage of time, they will become more pronounced. Hobbies will then become addictions that cause pain. If we arrive at that point, we won’t be able to help ourselves.
When a person's habit becomes heavier and more pronounced, the more they do it, the more addictive it becomes. Over time, the functions of the internal organs may begin to become disordered, and gradually the body will develop diseases. For example, heart disease, the three highs (sugar cholesterol and blood), cancer and other strange diseases. The body will suffer great pain for a long period of time and eventually death.
Over time, that person won’t be able to satisfy their needs, when they suffer from love and separation, and resentment, all these will add to their psychological pain. This prolonged suffering will make one’s life worse than death, and in turn bring oneself to end their own life.
In other words, the source of greed is the Suffering of Change, and the essence of greed is caused by the habitual behaviours that expand and grow in the Suffering of Change .
If greed is not satisfied, it will lead to psychological pain, such as the Suffering of Not Getting What One Wants, the Suffering of Separation from the Pleasant, the Suffering of Association with the Unpleasant, etc. It will also lead to physical diseases.
If greed is satisfied, more habitual behaviours will be formed and the greedy desire will intensify.
If greed is not consistently fulfilled, it will lead to more intense suffering by the Suffering of Not Getting What One Wants, by the Suffering of Separation from the Pleasant, and by the Suffering of Association with the Unpleasant.
If greed can be continuously satisfied, it will quickly consume people's energy and spirit, and cause one to age quickly, get sick, and die.
In the midst of these painful persecutions, human beings continue to seek ways to relieve themselves, greed becomes the Suffering of Change, greed grows, anger derives, and a vicious circle is created. This is our life.
With today's highly developed science and technology, both in the East, the West and globally, comes the lack of faith and the decline in morality; many advocate individualism, hedonism, and liberalism. Addictions, nowadays, have become more prevalent. The entire human race is on the road to self-destruction.