Buddhism is not against making out, or ice cream, or any of our cherished delights. There’s nothing inherently wrong with these things, as long as we see them clearly for what they are: simply sources of transitory pleasure. The trouble comes not with desire, but with desirous attachment, which causes us to see those things in a distorted way, to exaggerate their perceived good qualities, to get mentally agitated, to try to merge ourselves with them. Next thing we know, we’re ruining someone else’s marriage, or we’re overweight, or addicted to some harmful substance, or in debt. In short,
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