“If on a journey you do not find a companion who is better or equal, resolutely pursue your journey alone. There is no companionship with a fool.” (Dhammapada)
Even when we try to control our minds, the world around us is filled with temptation. In fact, it might be fair to say the world is made of almost nothing else. This is likely why, in the time of the Buddha, leaving worldly life behind was considered necessary to truly practice his teachings.
So how can those of us who cannot simply leave our everyday lives behind avoid being swept away?
I believe the hint lies within this quote: stay as far away as possible from things and places that could become temptations. “Do not take a fool as a companion.” Following someone wiser than ourselves isn’t all that difficult. The real challenge is refusing to travel with the “fool.” And in this context, the “fool” naturally refers to temptation itself.
Resisting temptation is hard because when something is right in front of us—just a reach away—ignoring it makes us feel as if we’re losing out. It’s human instinct. If it weren’t there in the first place, we wouldn’t feel any sense of loss. But when something is easily accessible and we choose not to take it, we end up feeling like we’ve missed a good opportunity. The key is whether we can manage this frame of mind.
A temptation right before our eyes feels tangibly real. It even creates the illusion that grabbing it will lead to future satisfaction and happiness.
Yet, these things too are part of impermanence (anicca). Temptation lacks any fixed substance, and no one can truly predict future happiness anyway.
By letting go of a single immediate temptation, we gain peace of mind in return. Building upon these quiet choices, step by step, is what creates a calm and fulfilling life.