Rough example: A person who is rich (or middle class) and successful in life (in all respects) becomes a monk. There, due to natural instincts, he struggles very much to keep the precepts. He lives in poverty and rough physical surroundings where he denies "life's little pleasures". His meditation is not exactly perfect, and his new life is a struggle.daverupa wrote:It doesn't, though. This is a hypothetical without a referent.Alex123 wrote:If Dhamma practice causes more suffering in the present,...
If he has sufficiently strong faith in rebirth than he can bear it for future ease. But if he lacks faith, then why ordain?
Similarly to a lesser degree with a layfollower. S/he can refuse worldly pleasures and try to meditate without much success (and thus bring all the disappointments, frustrations, lack of fullfilment if haven't followed this path). Lay person could deny life's pleasures in order to perfectly follow N8P and thus suffer more.