# Sensual pleasure is a loan

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Analogy
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-sutta-sensuality-like-a-loan
- Themes: addiction, sensuality, craving, debt
- Life situations: addiction, pornography, gambling, compulsive habits

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

The Buddha's simile, as Ajahn Brahm gives it: sensual pleasure is like taking out a loan — joy at first, then the payback; and to repay it you take another, bigger loan, until you're in such a financial mess there's no way to pay it back. A profound picture of addiction.

## The story, as told by Ajahn Brahm (verbatim captions)

he compared such sensuality like to borrowing money, taking out a loan. Which is actually very deep and profound because when say you are watching pornography or you know getting into some sort of sensuality there's a lot of joy there at the beginning. But often we have to pay it back afterwards. And sometimes like a loan the only way you can pay it back is by taking out another loan to the pay off the original debt and the loan gets bigger and bigger and bigger until one gets into such a great financial mess, there's no way you can actually pay back your loan.

## Teaching point

Sensual indulgence borrows happiness that must be repaid with interest — the shape of addiction.

## Reflection (in the spirit of Ajahn Brahm's talk)

The Buddha compared sensual pleasure to a loan: fun at first, then repayments, paid off with a bigger loan, until the debt can't be met. That's addiction in a sentence. If something has hooked you, look for richer pleasures, friendship, family, quiet, to replace it gently, and seek help without shame.

## Source

- [The Buddhist Attitude to Sensuality | Ajahn Brahm | 19-01-2007](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GV1f4G-hiDw) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 34:33 to 35:12: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GV1f4G-hiDw&t=2073s