Mfcttrf

I noticed that I almost unconsciously revert to trying to fight cravings via willpower, i.e. resisting them. Let's take the example of food cravings. I usually make an internal commitment to avoid junk food, but the cravings nevertheless arise, and when my mood is low I fail to resist.

Are there alternatives to willpower in fighting cravings? I had been wondering whether other solutions -- like mindfulness or even seeking healthier sources of pleasure -- might be more effective.

More so, I believe I crave more because recently I experience less pleasure from activities or emotional sources. Does Buddhism have any technique specifically linked to pleasure?

Some stuff for you to try:

• Pace yourself, by letting cravings go in manageable steps (If everyone else deserves compassion, so do you in your practice of letting go)


• Don't quit cold turkey, instead replace your habits with alternative
  activitites (essentially anything related to the eightfold path, not
  least meditation)


• Do Asubha bhavana (foulness meditation)


• Study dhamma (disperses ignorance on this topic, and is also conducive to comprehension/panna and hope/saddha, as alternatives to viriya/willpower)


• Ask your sangha (You already did)

I usually make an internal commitment to avoid junk food

Buddhism teaches to use wisdom. Constantly think about the dangers of junk food.

yes sati is always the way to guard the senses and guarding the senses is always the way to nibanna

"And what is lack of restraint? There is the case where a monk, seeing
a form with the eye, is obsessed with pleasing forms, is repelled by
unpleasing forms, and remains with body-mindfulness unestablished,
with limited awareness. He does not discern, as it actually is
present, the awareness-release, the discernment-release where any
evil, unskillful mental qualities that have arisen utterly cease
without remainder.

"Hearing a sound with the ear...

"Smelling an aroma with the nose...

"Tasting a flavor with the tongue...

"Touching a tactile sensation with the body...

"Cognizing an idea with the intellect, he is obsessed with pleasing
ideas, is repelled by unpleasing ideas, and remains with
body-mindfulness unestablished, with limited awareness. He does not
discern, as it actually is present, the awareness-release, the
discernment-release where any evil, unskillful mental qualities that
have arisen utterly cease without remainder.

"Just as if a person, catching six animals of different ranges, of
different habitats, were to bind them with a strong rope. Catching a
snake, he would bind it with a strong rope. Catching a crocodile... a
bird... a dog... a hyena... a monkey, he would bind it with a strong
rope. Binding them all with a strong rope, and tying a knot in the
middle, he would set chase to them.

"Then those six animals, of different ranges, of different habitats,
would each pull toward its own range & habitat. The snake would pull,
thinking, 'I'll go into the anthill.' The crocodile would pull,
thinking, 'I'll go into the water.' The bird would pull, thinking,
'I'll fly up into the air.' The dog would pull, thinking, 'I'll go
into the village.' The hyena would pull, thinking, 'I'll go into the
charnel ground.' The monkey would pull, thinking, 'I'll go into the
forest.' And when these six animals became internally exhausted, they
would submit, they would surrender, they would come under the sway of
whichever among them was the strongest. In the same way, when a monk
whose mindfulness immersed in the body is undeveloped & unpursued, the
eye pulls toward pleasing forms, while unpleasing forms are repellent.
The ear pulls toward pleasing sounds... The nose pulls toward pleasing
aromas... The tongue pulls toward pleasing flavors... The body pulls
toward pleasing tactile sensations... The intellect pulls toward
pleasing ideas, while unpleasing ideas are repellent. This, monks, is
lack of restraint.

"And what is restraint? There is the case where a monk, seeing a form
with the eye, is not obsessed with pleasing forms, is not repelled by
unpleasing forms, and remains with body-mindfulness established, with
immeasurable awareness. He discerns, as it actually is present, the
awareness-release, the discernment-release where all evil, unskillful
mental qualities that have arisen utterly cease without remainder.

"Hearing a sound with the ear...

"Smelling an aroma with the nose...

"Tasting a flavor with the tongue...

"Touching a tactile sensation with the body...

"Cognizing an idea with the intellect, he is not obsessed with
pleasing ideas, is not repelled by unpleasing ideas, and remains with
body-mindfulness established, with immeasurable awareness. He
discerns, as it actually is present, the awareness-release, the
discernment-release where all evil, unskillful mental qualities that
have arisen utterly cease without remainder.

"Just as if a person, catching six animals of different ranges, of
different habitats, were to bind them with a strong rope. Catching a
snake, he would bind it with a strong rope. Catching a crocodile... a
bird... a dog... a hyena... a monkey, he would bind it with a strong
rope. Binding them all with a strong rope, he would tether them to a
strong post or stake.[1]

"Then those six animals, of different ranges, of different habitats,
would each pull toward its own range & habitat. The snake would pull,
thinking, 'I'll go into the anthill.' The crocodile would pull,
thinking, 'I'll go into the water.' The bird would pull, thinking,
'I'll fly up into the air.' The dog would pull, thinking, 'I'll go
into the village.' The hyena would pull, thinking, 'I'll go into the
charnel ground.' The monkey would pull, thinking, 'I'll go into the
forest.' And when these six animals became internally exhausted, they
would stand, sit, or lie down right there next to the post or stake.
In the same way, when a monk whose mindfulness immersed in the body is
developed & pursued, the eye does not pull toward pleasing forms, and
unpleasing forms are not repellent. The ear does not pull toward
pleasing sounds... The nose does not pull toward pleasing aromas...
The tongue does not pull toward pleasing flavors... The body does not
pull toward pleasing tactile sensations... The intellect does not pull
toward pleasing ideas, and unpleasing ideas are not repellent. This,
monks, is restraint.

"Thus you should train yourselves: 'We will develop mindfulness
immersed in the body. We will pursue it, hand it the reins and take it
as a basis, give it a grounding. We will steady it, consolidate it,
and set about it properly.' That's how you should train yourselves."

https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn35/sn35.206.than.html