What is sense restraint?

A discussion on all aspects of Theravāda Buddhism
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mjaviem
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Re: What is sense restraint?

Post by mjaviem »

User13866 wrote: Wed Jun 22, 2022 10:27 am ...
:bow:
Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Sammā Sambuddhassa
form
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Re: What is sense restraint?

Post by form »

For example, a picture of a sexy woman, then test your sense guarding ability. A meditative person will has a fast response to guarding. A normal person will fall into it. A meditative person will be fast to detect a "poison" of the five senses and "stay a distance from it", this is also guarding
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NotMe
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Re: What is sense restraint?

Post by NotMe »

form wrote: Wed Jun 22, 2022 10:13 am Apprehend neither the sign and its features.
The body is alive. We are not to become bumps on the log. Do not grasp it and nourish it.

It’s features should be explored down to its essence and you will find it harbors suffering. Know the features well. Then when it or one of its offsprings comes along you go oh I know you I don’t need to grasp and cling onto you and let you grow.
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mjaviem
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Re: What is sense restraint?

Post by mjaviem »

fmradio wrote: Wed Jun 22, 2022 7:14 am ...

Can anyone explains how we should approach things especially negative emotions? Thanks
Keep studying the Buddha's teachings. That's how you approach things. If you learn that you should avoid cheating on your wife/husband girlfriend/boyfriend that's what you do, if you learn that you should not kill even a spider on your room's wall that's what you do. If you don't understand a link when studying dependent origination you keep studying. If you experience a negative emotion you approach it the way it should be approached. That's what you do.
Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Sammā Sambuddhassa
form
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Re: What is sense restraint?

Post by form »

NotMe wrote: Wed Jun 22, 2022 12:39 pm
form wrote: Wed Jun 22, 2022 10:13 am Apprehend neither the sign and its features.
The body is alive. We are not to become bumps on the log. Do not grasp it and nourish it.

It’s features should be explored down to its essence and you will find it harbors suffering. Know the features well. Then when it or one of its offsprings comes along you go oh I know you I don’t need to grasp and cling onto you and let you grow.
This is from the sutta. The meaning is deeper than literal.
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NotMe
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Re: What is sense restraint?

Post by NotMe »

form wrote: Thu Jun 23, 2022 1:16 am
NotMe wrote: Wed Jun 22, 2022 12:39 pm
form wrote: Wed Jun 22, 2022 10:13 am Apprehend neither the sign and its features.
The body is alive. We are not to become bumps on the log. Do not grasp it and nourish it.

It’s features should be explored down to its essence and you will find it harbors suffering. Know the features well. Then when it or one of its offsprings comes along you go oh I know you I don’t need to grasp and cling onto you and let you grow.
This is from the sutta. The meaning is deeper than literal.
I am embarrassed. Thank you for the correction.

Metta

:anjali:
form
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Re: What is sense restraint?

Post by form »

NotMe wrote: Thu Jun 23, 2022 1:19 am
form wrote: Thu Jun 23, 2022 1:16 am
NotMe wrote: Wed Jun 22, 2022 12:39 pm

The body is alive. We are not to become bumps on the log. Do not grasp it and nourish it.

It’s features should be explored down to its essence and you will find it harbors suffering. Know the features well. Then when it or one of its offsprings comes along you go oh I know you I don’t need to grasp and cling onto you and let you grow.
This is from the sutta. The meaning is deeper than literal.
I am embarrassed. Thank you for the correction.

Metta

:anjali:
Please don't feel that way. I am still testing it with mindfulness. I do not know how to express it exactly also.
bpallister
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Re: What is sense restraint?

Post by bpallister »

i think it's when you look at porn, but only with the Dhamma Eye.
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NotMe
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Re: What is sense restraint?

Post by NotMe »

bpallister wrote: Thu Jun 23, 2022 2:24 am i think it's when you look at porn, but only with the Dhamma Eye.
After the yoga pants craze hit, I think a civilized world law needed to be passed to create the yoga pant police. I mean some people can just they should not you know when you see them it’s just like you can’t believe that they would but they do and you think oh my oh my.

I just thank God I am not a Christian I’d have to pluck my eyes out because they offend me!

Metta

:anjali:
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Akashad
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Re: What is sense restraint?

Post by Akashad »

I practice sense restraint daily.

I basically make a list of things i won't do and boxes and tick it off everyday.If i fail i add a new box.The longer you go the more it becomes a habit than it becomes second nature.

In my sense restraint practice these are the things i don't do:

1.dont listen to music
2.don't watch movies/tv.
3.don't use social media.
4.Only use youtube for educational or dhamma purposes
5.Dont eat junk food.
6.Don't engage in idle chatter.
7.Celibacy.

I also tend to keep my gaze down and dont lift my eyes up to take in the room,the sights and other peoples energies while losing my own.I only do it very briefly and im back focusing on my meditation object.I dont "open up" like when you see how people who are super friendly and extroverted open up and are super eager to chat.i dont do that. it bombards me with so much sensory stimuli i find it quite jarring.I can focus on one person wholeheartedly but i wont disperse my attention or energy on a group of people for no skillful reason beside elevator talk no.

Practicing sense restraint REALLY HELPS when it comes to samadhi practice . it speeds up samadhi i am almost Shocked not a lot of people are aware of this practice.

Sila and dana will help samadhi but not as fast as sense restraint will.If you really are making an effort to cut out sensory sources even ones as simple as not watch tv or music its like thats soooo helpful for samadhi.

I want to make sense restaint not just a practice but a lifestyle because ive seen how sensory pleasures come and go so fast.I mean ive Really seen it arise and break apart and it really hit me or dawned on me that its almost like a thorn.Its almost like when something pleasurable happens in that Moment.. I can Already see it end and that's the point where im like..oh no. Lol..no thanks..you can keep it im good.im not playing this pleasurable sense desires game anymore.Having practiced sense restrait its extremely jarring and coarse almost unbearable.

Like i kid you not forget sensory desires..but when i was doing anapanasati a lot...even metta...like the way the mind had to move to form the words...then the bliss/piti that came from metta seems disturbing...i know its wholesome..but for some reason i found it too disturbing...like...what an effort..emotions like euphoria as well..i find so disturbing to me for some bizzare reason.That intense high people get is not for me.

Even when i think of love and sex i cant even bear how much that weighs me down in life.I use to think love between two people was the greatest thing you could experience...but looking back its because i knew of no better mode of existence.Now due to constant samadhi practice i am like ..it really isnt.

The calm quiet happiness..Its definitly a greater happiness...more peaceful.Ofcourse its also desire.The bliss that conmes from sense restraint or keeping sila or meditation is also desire but it beats sensory desires and it lasts MUCH longer.MUCH longer.Not like a sugar high crash situation.

I do notice that the more i make merits and keep sila sensory pleasurable or deva realms existence phenomenons arise..because thats the cause for rebirth in the sensous deva realm..dana and sila...

If you want to be rich you want the greatest love life you want great sex you want fame you want success.

Sila and dana is the way to go

But existence as a deva burns A LOT of good kamma ..just existing as a deva..just having a good experience arise...so once you exhaust that you can only go down.

thats why i practice sense restraint...also when i practice brahmaviharas A Lot of sensual Pleasures arise..i find myself in situation where theres a lot of good food and a lot of beautiful situations and experiences..but theres always that feeeling that dull feeling of when the bright jewel loses its luster...that sickening feeling of a sugar high crash or when you find an old computer but you remember when you first got it brand new as a child decades ago..and it was the next best thing and you compare it to its old sad and haunting state it is in now ...these thoughts sit at the back of my mind everytime a pleasurable experience happens....i mean it really is quite sickening...theres an illness about it that i cant quite put into words...and then i remember the coolness the freshness the freedom and the NOWNESS of sense restraint..something that doesnt grow old..and it really doesnt compare...there is no question that the happiness i get from sense restraint is more superior..

So this is basically how i practice sense restraint personally.🙏
SarathW
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Re: What is sense restraint?

Post by SarathW »

In my sense restraint practice these are the things i don't do:

1.dont listen to music
2.don't watch movies/tv.
3.don't use social media.
4.Only use youtube for educational or dhamma purposes
5.Dont eat junk food.
6.Don't engage in idle chatter.
7.Celibacy.

I also tend to keep my gaze down and dont lift my eyes up to take in the room,the sights and other peoples energies while losing my own.I only do it very briefly and im back focusing on my meditation object.
:goodpost:
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
SteRo
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Re: What is sense restraint?

Post by SteRo »

SteRo wrote: Sun Apr 17, 2022 11:00 am
SteRo wrote: Sun Apr 17, 2022 6:23 am
SarathW wrote: Sat Mar 20, 2021 8:29 am What is sense restraint?
"sense restraint" is a strange expression. Senses passively receive what is casted onto them, so what might restrain their function can only be a physical illness of the senses.
Having said that
SarathW wrote: Sat Mar 20, 2021 8:29 am Is it garding five senses ...?
"guarding five senses" is a strange expression, too, because either the senses are functioning well or the senses are physically ill. So what might do the "guarding"? Maybe a doctor trying to treat a physical illness?
But in the context of cognitive process there is no cognitive moment that may act as an agent "guarding" preceding or subsequent cognitive moments. If such a "guard" is posited then that "guard" necessarily has to be a self existing independent of cognition, i.e. existing independent of the aggregates and - in some sense - being the master of the aggregates/cognitive process.
Bottom line is: Viññāṇa cittas are followed by sampaṭicchana and santīraṇa and it appears that this is determined. But contrary to what adhidamma says it doesn't appear to be determined that avajjana follows after santīraṇa. Also, even if avajjana follows after santīraṇa the quality of the javanas isn't determined. However a quality of 'self' sentiment may be part of javanas, so that the appearance of "guarding five senses" may arise.
Cleared. αδόξαστος.
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Re: What is sense restraint?

Post by Spiny Norman »

SteRo wrote: Sun Apr 17, 2022 6:23 am
SarathW wrote: Sat Mar 20, 2021 8:29 am What is sense restraint?
"sense restraint" is a strange expression. Senses passively receive what is casted onto them, so what might restrain their function can only be a physical illness of the senses.
Yes, it's an odd expression. "Attention restraint" or "mindful attention" seems more to the point.
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Alino
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Re: What is sense restraint?

Post by Alino »

Akashad wrote: Fri Jun 24, 2022 5:09 am I practice sense restraint daily.
....
Saadhu! 🙏😊
We don't live Samsara, Samsara is living us...

"Form, feelings, perceptions, formations, consciousness - don't care about us, we don't exist for them"
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mjaviem
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Re: What is sense restraint?

Post by mjaviem »

Akashad wrote: Fri Jun 24, 2022 5:09 am ...
:buddha1:

Thank you for sharing it. Very valuable.
Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Sammā Sambuddhassa
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