Humans enjoy things that sound nice. They enjoy messages filled with hope and happiness. They enjoy the sweet taste.

As I have stated, in the mechanical elements, prescriptions can be employed to some degree. But in the non-mechanical elements, which happens to be the overwhelming majority, prescriptions will sabotage his outcomes. For Art has no use for prescriptions. S: Art has no use for prescriptions. Are you saying that one cannot be taught Art, Master. M:

In employing prescriptions, he will approach the non-mechanical in a mechanical way. He will replace the power of his instincts, with manufactured notions of correctness and incorrectness. He will replace his inner voice with the voices of others. And when the prescriptions begin to fail, he will need new ones.

Master, what about pursuits such as in sports, business, the performing arts . . . Are prescriptions equally poisonous in those domains. M: Yes. S: But there is a technique to those things, is there not. M: There are indeed some mechanical elements. Such as physical technique. And, as they apply to a mechanical element, prescriptions may be of some

If you do not desire something in the depth of your bones, you will have an endless tolerance for failure. If you do desire something in the depth of your bones, you will have little tolerance for failure. As Buddha had. And once the prescriptions fail, as they always do, you will be forced to find your own way. S: So the only people who continue

All things lead back to seriousness and sincerity. Sincerity, not in a moral sense. But in the sense of a true and genuine and pure desire to reach one’s goal. S: Most humans simply are not this way. M: Most humans like to play games. They are window-shoppers, band-wagon-jumpers, and fad-followers. Such is the effect of societal conditioning.

When Buddha practiced prescriptions, he did not reach his goal. As he himself proclaimed that he had eaten one grain of rice per day and drank his own urine and meditated for years and was no closer to wisdom than he was when he left his father’s house. But he did not achieve Enlightenment solely because he left the prescriptions. He achieved

Anything can give one anything for a fleeting moment. Sitting in meditation, or even going for a walk can give one peace. But it does not last. That is the point.

M: Because he has been conditioned to believe that if he does X, Y, and Z . . . he will attain the thing he is trying to attain. He fails to understand that the X’s, the Y’s, and the Z’s serve only themselves. They do not serve the thing he is trying to attain.