When you’ve made a practice of generosity and virtue, you’ve seen that restraint means the opposite of deprivation. You find that the mind really is a more independent thing than you imagined it could be. It can say No to itself.

"When you’ve made a practice of generosity and virtue, the mind’s ability to say No to its impulses has been strengthened and given finesse. You’ve seen the good results that come from being able to restrain yourself in terms of your words and deeds. You’ve seen that restraint means the opposite of deprivation. Now, as you meditate, you’ve got the opportunity to restrain your thoughts and see what good comes from that. If you really are able to say No to your vagrant ideas, you find that the mind can settle down with a much greater sense of satisfaction in its state of concentration than could possibly come with those ideas, no matter how fantastic they are.

You find that the satisfaction of giving in to those distractions just slips through your fingers as if it were never there. It’s like trying to grab a handful of water or a fistful of air. But the sense of well-being that comes with being able to repeatedly bring your mind to a state of stillness, even if you haven’t gone all the way, begins to permeate everything else in your life. You find that the mind really is a more independent thing than you imagined it could be. It doesn’t need to give in to those impulses. It can say No to itself."

~ Thanissaro Bhikkhu "The Dignity of Restraint" (Meditations1)

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