What is sense restraint?

[confusedlayman]

Mike
It appears to me that sense restraint include both solar and Samdhi.

Solar?

similar to nimmita but only the sun not the background

[mjaviem]

I think sense restraint is renouncing to enjoyment. You renounce to the idea that you will find some happiness by delighting in good things in life. It's about accepting there is truth in this and of course also see this for oneself.

I think it's not enough to blindly put a brake and avoid contact with delightful things such as the sight of a beautiful girl in the opposite sidewalk, a good movie or song, or a pleasant vacation on some nice place with nice restaurants. You need to first renounce to the idea that you will gain anything good from these things. We need to understand that there's no real happiness in those things, that it's only us seeking delight and this can't be sustained.

I think moderation is much easier when we believe we are not losing anything of value. We will be content with what little we have, not needing more.

[SteRo]

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.

[Alino]

I think sense restraint is renouncing to enjoyment. You renounce to the idea that you will find some happiness by delighting in good things in life. It's about accepting there is truth in this and of course also see this for oneself.

I think it's not enough to blindly put a brake and avoid contact with delightful things such as the sight of a beautiful girl in the opposite sidewalk, a good movie or song, or a pleasant vacation on some nice place with nice restaurants. You need to first renounce to the idea that you will gain anything good from these things. We need to understand that there's no real happiness in those things, that it's only us seeking delight and this can't be sustained.

I think moderation is much easier when we believe we are not losing anything of value. We will be content with what little we have, not needing more.

Also seeing them as a danger of poison. More we welcome and delight in some experience more it poisons our mind and more we suffer when time comes to be separated from it. Delight is a dangerous thing...

But this perception of danger comes from experience. When one is burnt after touching an object, he even stops touching it or makes it being protected. So in order to develop sense restraint one needs to start sense restraint, it is hard to learn to swim while standing on the shore, only by jumping into the water one can expect learn how to swim.

[SteRo]

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

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.

[cappuccino]

"guarding five senses" is a strange expression

I guard myself from wrong speech

[sunnat]

Better understood as a training. It's irrelevant whether there is a self doing the guarding or not. For most people there is a self. To think otherwise doesn't make it so. To think that thinking leads to the truth of the matter merely perpetuates the delusion. So the training is to try to maintain correct awareness of the senses. With that develops awareness that this and that phenomenon that one has long regarded as self, is in fact not-self, and gradually, as one approaches the goal, the tendencies to identify with the ephemeral phenomena are abandoned.

[Ontheway]

Sense restraint is Sila.

[Joe.c]

Sila is not exactly sense restraint but part of it.

Sense restraint is more than Sila. To be able to sense restraint, one needs to start from Sila and right view.

Sense restraint > Sila.

[mjaviem]

...
Also seeing them as a danger of poison. ...

Also knowing the escape...

As we do not know the escape, we seek pleasant feelings as the solution to our problems. But there's no escape in doing that. It seems happiness but we are jumping into a burning charcoal pit and we don't even notice it.

[Alino]

...
Also seeing them as a danger of poison. ...

Also knowing the escape...

As we do not know the escape, we seek pleasant feelings as the solution to our problems. But there's no escape in doing that. It seems happiness but we are jumping into a burning charcoal pit and we don't even notice it.

Indeed !

[fmradio]

I could not really find a good thread so I am asking this here. I am reading food for the heart by Ajahn Chah. I have a question which I like people to advice. All of us dislike suffering, be it worrying over love, work or any areas in life, as such we all go seek happiness be it travelling, sex, exercise to feel better and indulge in sensual pleasures to escape the other issues we have in life. We don’t like all the negative emotions to plague us in life.

Yet the book says all happiness and suffering are transient and void. These are desires and cravings which contributes to birth and death of all phenomena including samsara. We have been brought up by society education in such ways that I find it hard to comprehend this. Mediation is the way to see the feeling of suffering or happiness arise and fall and we should be aware of it and not get attached to anything.

I find it very hard to disengage from the notion of happiness and escape from suffering nor the seeking for sensual pleasures or happiness in life in general as it involves the very uprooting of what we experience and learnt in life.

Can anyone explains how we should approach things especially negative emotions? Thanks

[Lucilius]

It seems to me that sense restraint is simply an application of kayagatasati (and thus, satipaṭṭhāna).

SN 35.206 (sutta number on SC might differ):

“And what is restraint? There is the case where a monk, seeing a form with the eye, is not set on pleasing forms, is not repelled by unpleasing forms, and remains with body-mindfulness established, with immeasurable awareness. He discerns, as it has come to be, 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 set on pleasing ideas, is not repelled by unpleasing ideas, and remains with body-mindfulness established, with immeasurable awareness. He discerns, as it has come to be, 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.

“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, in any 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.

“The ‘strong post or stake’ is a synonym for mindfulness immersed in the body.

“Thus you should train yourselves: ‘We will develop mindfulness immersed in the body. We will pursue it, give it a means of transport, give it a grounding. We will steady it, consolidate it, and set about it properly.’ That is how you should train yourselves.”

(transl. Ven. Thānissaro Bhikkhu, https://www.dhammatalks.org/suttas/SN/SN35_206.html)

.....
With mettā.

[form]

Apprehend neither the sign and its features.

[User13866]

There is the case of the monk who not only hears that ‘In that village or town over there is a woman or girl who is shapely, good-looking, charming, endowed with the foremost lotus-like complexion.’ He sees for himself that in that village or town over there is a woman or girl who is shapely, good-looking, charming, endowed with the foremost lotus-like complexion. On seeing her, he falters, faints, doesn’t steel himself, can’t continue in the holy life. Declaring his weakness in the training, he leaves the training and returns to the lower life. That, for him, is the top of the banner. This individual, I tell you, is like the warrior who can handle the cloud of dust, but on seeing the top of the enemy’s banner, he falters, faints, doesn’t steel himself, can’t engage in the battle. Some individuals are like this. This is the second type of warrior-like individual who can be found existing among the monks. an5.75

"Lord, what course should we follow with regard to womenfolk?"

"Not-seeing, Ananda"

"But when there is seeing, lord, what course should be followed?"

"Not-addressing, Ananda."

"But when we are addressed, what course should be followed?"

"Mindfulness should be established, Ananda."

DN16

This is Nanda’s guarding of the doors of his senses: If he should look to the east, he looks focusing his entire awareness, (thinking,) ‘As I am looking thus to the east, greed & distress, evil unskillful qualities, will not flow out.’ That’s how he is alert there. If he should look to the west… the north… the south… above… below… to the intermediate directions, he looks focusing his entire awareness, (thinking,) ‘As I am looking thus to the intermediate directions, greed & distress, evil unskillful qualities, will not flow out.’ That’s how he is alert there. This is Nanda’s guarding of the doors of his senses.

AN8.9

‘Please, monks, think of women your mother’s age as your mother. Think of women your sister’s age as your sister. And think of women your daughter’s age as your daughter.’

This is a cause, great king, this is a reason why these young monks practice the full and pure spiritual life as long as they live, maintaining it for a long time.”

“But Master Bhāradvāja, the mind is wanton. Sometimes thoughts of desire come up even for women your mother’s age, your sister’s age, or your daughter’s age. Is there another cause, another reason why these young monks live the full and pure spiritual life for their entire life?”

“Great king, this has been stated by the Blessed One, who knows and sees, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha:

‘Please, monks, examine your own body up from the soles of the feet and down from the tips of the hairs, wrapped in skin and full of many kinds of filth. In this body there is head hair, body hair, nails, teeth, skin, flesh, sinews, bones, bone marrow, kidneys, heart, liver, diaphragm, spleen, lungs, intestines, mesentery, undigested food, feces, bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, fat, tears, grease, saliva, snot, synovial fluid, urine.’

This is also a cause, great king, this is a reason why these young monks live the full and pure spiritual life for their entire life, maintaining it for a long time.”

“This is easy to do for those mendicants who have developed their physical endurance, ethics, mind, and wisdom. But it’s hard to do for those mendicants who have not developed their physical endurance, ethics, mind, and wisdom. Sometimes I plan to focus on something as ugly, but only its beauty comes to mind. Is there another cause, another reason why these young monks live the full and pure spiritual life for their entire life?”

“Great king, this has been stated by the Blessed One, who knows and sees, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha:

‘Please, monks, live with sense doors guarded. When you see a sight with your eyes, don’t get caught up in the features and details. If the faculty of sight were left unrestrained, bad unskillful qualities of desire and aversion would become overwhelming. For this reason, practice restraint, protect the faculty of sight, and achieve its restraint. When you hear a sound with your ears … When you smell an odor with your nose … When you taste a flavor with your tongue … When you feel a touch with your body … When you know a thought with your mind, don’t get caught up in the features and details. If the faculty of mind were left unrestrained, bad unskillful qualities of desire and aversion would become overwhelming. For this reason, practice restraint, protect the faculty of mind, and achieve its restraint.’ SN35.127

Like a keen-eyed man shutting his eyes and looking away from some direction in order to avoid seeing visible objects come within sight, should the bhikkhu in whom evil, unskillful thoughts continue to arise in spite of his pondering on their disadvantageousness, endeavor to be without attention and reflection as regards them.
mn20

"Then, Bāhiya, you should train yourself thus: In reference to the seen, there will be only the seen. In reference to the heard, only the heard. In reference to the sensed, only the sensed. In reference to the cognized, only the cognized. That is how you should train yourself. When for you there will be only the seen in reference to the seen, only the heard in reference to the heard, only the sensed in reference to the sensed, only the cognized in reference to the cognized, then, Bāhiya, there is no you in connection with that. Ud1.10