How To Stop Lustful Thoughts and Develop a Healthy Mindset | Buddhism

are you strugging with unwanted thoughts that clge your mind and keep you from living peacefully in this video we'll explore powerful Buddhist teachings that will guide you on how to overcome lustful thoughts and cultivate a healthy clear and focused mindset these simple yet transformative lessons will help you take control of your thoughts and build a life of inner peace and fulfillment lesson one accept lustful thoughts without judgment being mindful or being fully present with whatever comes up in your mind without resisting or judging it is an important part of Buddhist beliefs this is the first

thing you need to do to stop having lustful thoughts when we have lustful thoughts our first instinct is often to push them away because we feel bad or ashamed but these thoughts can get stronger if you try to fight them Buddhism instead tells us to accept these thoughts without giving them any moral weight lust is a normal part of Being Human but it doesn't make us who we are realizing this helps us make room in our minds where these thoughts don't have as much power like a river moving through water lustful thoughts are like leaves

floating on the water you don't have to jump into the river to try to stop the leaves you can just watch them from the bank let them know you see them but don't give them any power stopping yourself from judging yourself gives you the mental Focus you need to get past these thoughts Being Human means having lustful thoughts when we accept this we break the loop of guilt and shame this kind of understanding is the first step toward a healthy mind you can stop these thoughts from getting stronger by not fighting them or denying them

over time this helps keep your mind calm and clear lesson two replace them with positive thoughts after we learn to accept our lustful thoughts without judging them we need to replace them with good helpful ideas Buddhism says that the mind is like a garden if we water it it grows if we give lustful thoughts food they will take over our minds if we feed our thoughts good things they will grow instead when a hot thought comes up consciously focus on something that makes you feel better think of a person you look up to a goal

you're working toward or a kind thing you can do for someone else focusing on good traits like giving kindness and selflessness can change the energy in your mind that was previously used for lustful wants for instance if you notice that you're thinking about lust stop and thank God for blessing you think about the things in your life that make you happy and satisfied like your family friends health or past successes this change in your attention will help your lustful thoughts lessen their power over you meditation on loving kindness meta which is a Buddhist practice can

also help you replace negative ideas with positive ones wishing good things for yourself and others makes it a habit to think of kindness and love instead of wanting things as time goes on it becomes easier to switch from lustful thoughts to positive ones and your mind fills up with more and more thoughts that are good for you lesson three focus on self Improvement and goals Buddhism tells us to work on improving ourselves and make goals that are important to us and fit with our deepest values when we don't have a clear goal or path lustful

thoughts often come up when we focus on progress and growth as individuals we make less room for things like lust that take our attention away right effort or putting effort into developing good traits and letting go of bad ones is one of the most important ideas in buddh M because it clouds the mind and takes us away from our greater purpose lust is an UNH wholesome thought by setting clear goals we can direct our energy toward positive actions that help others and ourselves take some time to think about what you want to change in your

life do you want to be more responsible learn something new or make your relationship stronger setting small goals that you can reach gives you something good to think about and let you focus on on important tasks when you have clear goals your energy simply goes toward achieving them leaving less room for other things to distract you every step you take to improve yourself whether it's your health your job or your spiritual life makes it easier to fight lustful Thoughts by putting your energy into things that matter you gain a sense of purpose that makes lustful

thoughts less important Lesson Four strengthen self-control in Daily life self-control also known as discipline is an important part of getting over lust and developing a healthy mind in Buddhism self-control was a way to train your mind to control your bad urges like lust it also helps you control your anger greed and impatience we are better prepared to deal with bigger problems like lustful thoughts when we control our thoughts and actions in small everyday situations self-control is like a muscle the more you use it the stronger it gets you can start by being disciplined in small

things you do every day like watching what you eat sticking to a regular schedule or limiting the time you waste on useless activities like looking through social media every disciplined action makes your mind stronger and helps you fight off urges that come up during the day being mindfully aware is another great way to improve your self-control you can stop yourself before a wish takes over if you pay close attention to your thoughts and actions this gives you a chance to think about more positive things before lustful thoughts take over setting limits for yourself is another

good habit figure out what places or events might make you think of lust and come up with ways to avoid them by being disciplined in these areas you become stronger and better able to deal with lustful thoughts when they come up over time you you get better at controlling yourself and you can go through life with more peace and understanding lesson five surround yourself with supportive people what kind of people we hang out with has a big effect on how we think feel and act Buddhism stresses how important it is to pick your friends carefully

because they can affect your mental health and spiritual growth it is easier to develop a healthy attitude and break bad habits like lust if you hang out with people who promote good behavior and self-improvement supportive people make you feel good and push you to be your best self when you're having a hard time they help you refocus your attention and keep you on the road of self-discipline Buddhists talk about kalana which means spiritual friends or good company people who encourage us to follow the path of virtue and knowledge find people who share your goals and

beliefs and get to know them this could mean making a group of friends who are also committed to spiritual practice personal growth or being more aware having encouraging people around you can help you stay away from things that make you think about lust being with like-minded people makes us feel more grounded focused and driven to keep moving toward a healthier attitude stay away from places and people that might make you want to do bad things for instance if the people you hang out with support behavior that makes you feel lustful you might want to stay

away from them instead spend your time with people in groups that encourage self-discipline mindfulness and kindness when you pick the right people to hang out with you create an atmosphere that helps you grow and stay on track with your spiritual and personal goals lesson six practice gratitude to shift Focus being thankful is a strong way to fight lust and other bad feelings being thankful takes our attention off of what we don't have and puts it on the good things that already exist in our lives Buddhists believe that all cravings and desires even lust come from

being unhappy and feeling like you don't have enough we can break out of this cycle of wanting and be happy in the present by practicing thanks if you have a lustful thought take a moment to think about what you are thankful for something is simple as the sun's warmth the food you ate or the love of your family could do it being grateful ch changes your mind right away from wanting something to appreciating something which weakens lustful thoughts writing down a few things you're grateful for every day can also help you stay on track regularly

doing this helps rewire your brain to focus on the good things in your life which makes lustful urges less powerful that feeling of gratitude makes us see the world with new eyes and value what we already have instead of always wanting more becoming more grateful changes the way you see the world over time instead of being led by once the little things that make your life great make you happy you can let go of lust when you learn to be happy and at peace with the present moment gratitude then becomes the basis of a healthy

happy mind lesson seven keep yourself busy with useful things Minds that aren't doing anything are more likely to have bad thoughts even lustful ones the teachings of Buddhism tell us that doing good you useful things is important for keeping our minds clear and focused we leave less room for bad wants to grow when we are busy with things that matter you could spend your day doing things that help you grow as a person like learning new skills doing artistic Hobbies or doing acts of service to help other people not only do these things keep your

mind busy but they also give you a sense of purpose and satisfaction getting some exercise is another great way to stay busy and take your mind off of bad thoughts moving your body whether you're doing yoga going for a run or doing chores around the house helps relieve mental stress and low is the chance of having too many lustful ideas doing useful things makes you feel like you've accomplished something which improves your mood and makes you happier with your day lustful thoughts tend to fade into the background when you're focused on important goals or helping

other people you can live a life that is in line with your values and focused on personal growth by keeping your mind and body busy with useful activities when you're fully involved in things that make your life better and help those around you lustful desires lose their charm lesson eight learn to detach from Cravings Detachment is one of the most important ideas in Buddhism to get rid of lust you need to learn how to separate from your Cravings like all other cravings lust comes from holding on to short-term Joys we suffer when we hold on

to these wants because they are temporary and can never give us true happiness Buddhism tells us that the only way to find real peace is to let go of our attachment to these on Detachment doesn't mean giving up all of your wants or not caring about anything in the world that's why it means changing your mind so that your Cravings don't rule you when a lustful thought comes up see it for what it is a short-lived wish that doesn't Define you or what you do you can let the thought go without it bothering you if

you just notice it without holding on to it mindfulness meditation is a great way to learn how to be detached it helps you learn to be aware of your thoughts and feelings without getting attached to them when you relax you learn over time that thoughts even lustful ones are only temporary and don't have to control how you act Detachment becomes a natural reaction ction to Cravings after a while of practice vaults of lust become like clouds in the sky they're there for a moment and then they're gone developing this sense of distance will free you

from the grip of desire and make room for peace and Clarity inside you lesson nine maintain a healthy sleep and diet routine mental and physical health are closely connected and sticking to a healthy sleep and food plan is a key part of getting rid of lustful thoughts in Buddhism balance and awareness are stressed in all areas of life including how we take care of our bodies being wellfed and getting enough rest makes our brains clearer and helps us deal with bad thoughts and urges better sleep is important for keeping your mind clear and your emotions

in check when we don't get enough rest bad thoughts and desires can take over our thinking more easily set up a regular sleep schedule that lets you get enough rest every night before going to bed try to be in a quiet peaceful place that is free of anything that could make you think of lust eating a healthy diet is also important for keeping your mind and emotions in check eating healthy filling foods helps keep your energy and mood stable which makes it less likely that you'll give into bad urges like lust it's not good for

your mental health to eat too much or foods that make you feel tired or off B balance mindfulness is an important part of Buddhism it includes how we eat and rest mindful eating and sleep are good ways to take care of your body and build a strong base for mental focus and self-control having a healthy body and mind works together to help you get rid of lustful thoughts and build a focused calm and balanced mind these nine lessons which are based on Buddhist ideas will help you stop having lustful thought thoughts and live a better

more mindful life being mindful knowing yourself and making habits that are good for both the mind and the body are the first steps toward having a healthy attitude you can slowly break free from desire and find lasting peace and Clarity if you allow yourself to have lustful thoughts without judging them replace them with positive ones and keep your mind on important goals