The cure for self-indulgence is self-discipline. But we do not like discipline. Asceticism is a bad word, and those who recommend it are seen as killjoys.
We live in the most self-indulgent time in world history, and I live in one of the most self-indulgent countries in the world: the United States. We seek comfort, pleasure, and indulgence in all kinds of entertainment. We even make a sport of seeing how much food we can fit in our bellies at all-you-can-eat buffets.
So when I suggest self-discipline, it goes against the grain. The truth is that the self has become our god, and we are enslaved to it. Whatever the self wants, we give it—which is the worst possible thing we can do.
We must deny ourselves and take up our cross. That means we must die to the self. The ego is not a friend but an enemy—a harsh master that destroys our lives and harms those around us. We must resist the ego. We must put it to death. It is the only way to live a spiritual life.
