Upon seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting,
and touching, discriminatory thoughts arise.
Habits solidify. Control lessens.
Suffering increases.
Through our senses, we perceive our world. Feelings arise, ideas form. Opinions become set. Liking this, we want more; disliking that, we want it to go away. Such impressions accumulate in our store consciousness. And from these we form our habits. Habits like acting from assumptions rather than from facts, and acting emotionally rather than with understanding.
Reacting from habits, we do not stop to formulate the wisest course of action. We respond automatically, unaware that any control we have over our thoughts and behavior is waning. The more we fail to exercise control and the more careless we become, the more mistakes we make. Since we act negligently and harm others, our resultant sufferings will multiply.
What can we do? Observe clearly, but do not attach, do not discriminate. Act from understanding, not from emotions.