sense pleasures

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befriend
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Joined: Thu Jun 09, 2011 11:39 am

sense pleasures

Post by befriend »

does indulging in sense pleasures lead to unwholesome thoughts, or perpetuate and increase in unwholesome thinking?
Take care of mindfulness and mindfulness will take care of you.
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Ben
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Location: kanamaluka

Re: sense pleasures

Post by Ben »

It depends, befriend.
I think its true that for the vast majority of people its impossible not to generate craving while experiencing sensory pleasure. Quite apart from being a support for unwholesome thoughts, the continued response to pleasant sensory data with relishing and craving strengthens the habituated response of craving to pleasant sensory contact (via sensation).
kind regards,

Ben
“No lists of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.”
- Cormac McCarthy, The Road

Learn this from the waters:
in mountain clefts and chasms,
loud gush the streamlets,
but great rivers flow silently.
- Sutta Nipata 3.725

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Alobha
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Re: sense pleasures

Post by Alobha »

Craving is the key. If the sense object is pleasant or unpleasant and one indulges in the sense heedlessly, then this is not supportive of mindfulness (in the sense of present moment awareness). Even more so if indulging in the particular sense object leads to remorse.

This is why mindfulness is so important and is guarding the sense gates. Attending a sense object with mindfulness dispells this disruptive power of wanting and becoming (or at least lessens it to some extent.)
dhammapal
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Re: sense pleasures

Post by dhammapal »

Hi befriend,

See the Magandiya Sutta
the Buddha wrote:"Now suppose that there was a leper covered with sores & infections, devoured by worms, picking the scabs off the openings of his wounds with his nails, cauterizing his body over a pit of glowing embers. The more he cauterized his body over the pit of glowing embers, the more disgusting, foul-smelling, & putrid the openings of his wounds would become, and yet he would feel a modicum of enjoyment & satisfaction because of the itchiness of his wounds. In the same way, beings not free from passion for sensual pleasures — devoured by sensual craving, burning with sensual fever — indulge in sensual pleasures. The more they indulge in sensual pleasures, the more their sensual craving increases and the more they burn with sensual fever, and yet they feel a modicum of enjoyment & satisfaction dependent on the five strings of sensuality.
From: Magandiya Sutta translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu
With metta / dhammapal.
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DAWN
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Re: sense pleasures

Post by DAWN »

It's distaction for mind.
When founds are flooded, we don't see what is hidden under this water.
Sabbe dhamma anatta
We are not concurents...
I'am sorry for my english
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