佛言 愛欲莫甚於色 色之為欲 其大無外 賴有一矣 若使二同 普天之人 無能為道者矣
fó yán ài yù mò shèn yú sè sè zhī wéi yù qí dà wú wài lài yǒu yī yǐ ruò shǐ èr tóng pǔ tiān zhī rén wú néng wéi dào zhě yǐ
Key Message
Sexual desire is the greatest of all desires. It is fortunate that it is only one — the practitioner must face its power honestly.
▸Among all desires, none surpasses sexual desire.
Among all desires, none surpasses sexual desire. Sexual desire as a craving is incomparably vast in its power. It is fortunate that it is only one — if there were two such desires, no one under heaven would be able to attain the Way. This is a frank and somewhat paradoxical acknowledgment of the immense power of sexual desire: rather than denying or suppressing it, the Buddha recognizes its strength with a note of dark humor, urging practitioners to see clearly what they are dealing with.