Is aversion to sense pleasures normal?

lotuspadma

Some time ago I used to be very undisciplined, and I wouldn't exercise much constraint over my whims. After getting more into Buddhism and meditation, those desires became aversions. For instance, junk food and entertainment used to delight me. It used to make me satisfied. Now I try to avoid it and it unsettles me to encounter them. I sometimes seek them out of habit, but then I try to get rid of them quickly. This is another extreme, I'm aware of it. But is this aversion a normal thing to encounter on this path, or am I doing something wrong?

gypsum

I think it is normal, I sometimes feel that initial response when Im with friends or family who are often not mindful of their activties or how they spend their time. My natural instinct is that I should remove myself from said situation, I guess that aversion is my first instinct.

However here lately I just try to practice, aka read or meditate during the situation.

I think this helps much more than avoiding the situations. You are definitely on the right track if you are mindful of the averson IMO.

person

This has been my experience as well. I guess I can't totally say whether its normal or not though. I find as my practice continues the things that I used to find enjoyable often become less so and are replaced by more wholesome activities which bring about more lasting happiness.

taiyaki

Its important not to make buddhism into another project.

Whether that is the case is up to you to decide.

With neither attachment nor aversion you can eat cake or not eat cake. Doesn't change a thing.

Its just cake.

zombiegirl

Like everything, I think it depends on how severe.

One thing I've noticed in myself is that not only do I have an aversion to certain pleasures, but failing to avoid causes feelings of guilt or depression, and success causes feelings of elation. When I was younger, I was an anorexic, so these feelings seem very similar. As discussed on here before, my anorexia wasn't due to weight issues, but rather punishment for things out of my control. I became somewhat obsessed with control. Aversion is a form of control.

Personally, I think I am on the extreme end of this. I look at people who have trouble dieting or quitting smoking (something I did cold turkey) and I don't understand it at all. But then, I realized that it's not just that I have strong willpower, I actually ENJOY this sort of success of denying pleasure. On the one hand, it can be useful in life to be like this (ex: I quit smoking, dieting and working out is no problem)... but on the other hand... this level of control really does cause some suffering to myself and those around me.

I would say, if you aren't to this level of control issues... you're probably fine, lol. IMO, the problem arises when it stops being about "not doing something for your own benefit" and evolves into either an obsession with aversion or you begin to take pleasure in the denial of your own pleasure.

So, for me anyways, I have been working on lessening my control... doing things that are contrary to my aversions. It sounds as though you are on what they call a binge cycle... where you avoid something for X amount of time, your will breaks and you give in, then you feel guilty and "try to get rid of them quickly". It could be that you have simply set too high of standards for yourself too fast. The aversions in Buddhism aren't just set up for no reason (intoxicants, etc.), but I find that until I can understand the reasoning behind it, it sounds like just another rule to me. Once I understand why I should not do something, it becomes much easier to avoid it.