There is immense satisfaction in using only what is needed. There is immense pleasure in having just enough. Indulgence is always weakening to the will. Underneath the enjoyment of excess, conscience saps my strength and opens the door to further error.
The sacrifice of excess strengthens will. Of course I am referring to my agreement to accept limits for myself, not ones imposed upon me or forced upon others.
How is sufficiency practiced? First you must discern what is needed, not what is wanted. Sufficiency is saying no to what is not required, saying no to what does not serve a purpose. This form of denial does not inflict pain, rather it conserves attention, energy and an open heart. Self-denial which causes pain to oneself is a distortion. Therefore, as I have said, the exercise of sufficiency is a pleasure, as all virtues inherently are.
