The "Three P's": Basic Temptations in the Desert

An old Zen story tells of a contest between two Zen masters over which one was most enlightened. (Just as in Christianity, enlightenment, an overwhelming spiritual experience, brings only a limited degree of perfection.) The second Zen master won the contest when he announced “I eat (only) when I’m hungry, sleep when I’m tired and drink when I’m thirsty." To be enlightened, the story says, is to be so in touch with one’s body and emotions that one’s appetites are under conscious control. To be more fully enlightened is to eat, not out of habit, but in response to genuine bodily hunger. An enlightened person need not have anxiety interfere with sleep.

Many Buddhists will credit Jesus with being enlightened. Yet we read in Sunday’s gospel that he was hungry and did not eat. Why?

My teacher, Msgr. Chester Michael writes that Jesus met the three basic temptations in the desert. In so doing, Jesus shows us the way towards our own wholeness (or enlightenment). these temptations - “three P’s”- are pleasure, possessions and power. (For a complete discussion see An Introduction to Spiritual Direction .) Following the fourth chapter of Luke, there are related factors:

• Jesus’ temptation
• The basic temptations (pleasure, possessions, or power) result from what we used to call inordinate attachments. Following psychologist Gerald May , we can use modern psychological terms and call them addictions
• The relationship of that temptation with ourselves, others, or with God
• The remedy: fasting, almsgiving, or prayer
To these, I would add, the aspect of welcoming prayer that is applicable. This means turning over to the care of God our need for security and survival; esteem and affection; or power and control.

The relationships among these five factors are shown in the table below.

Comments

[Essy]

This is great...I like the three P's concept.