Abandoning Of Sensuality Is What Meditation Is

[@SBCBears]

This format pleases me because it seems like I am there, in the forest with you, hearing the Dhamma.

[@Same-l3d]

Sense pleasures :)

[@idpaydolr]

It seems so obvious but I didn’t see it. The primordial problem is valuing pleasure. This understanding very much assists in watching intentions, and noticing thru sense restraint that sensual desire (and ill will) is encased in pain. And that the way out is thru peaceful enduring (rather than trying to get rid of pain). I’m really learning a lot! Also, after a while of practicing restraint and being in solitude, there is a “joy” that arises that is not tied to pleasure.

[@AyahuascaMagic]

these are the best lectures. really grateful. thank you

[@jonathanaroi4629]

When pleasures have corrupted both body and mind nothing seems to be tolerable, not because the suffering is hard, BUT BECAUSE THE SUFFERER IS SOFT" -Seneca-

[@vadgme4665]

Well said. The sufferer is permeable

[@janetkocsis8066]

Excellent teaching Venerables. Thank you for your patience, sacrifice, and effort.

[@philalethes216]

May all sentient beings find "release into peace."

[@Sameer-er3wz]

The teaching is beautiful. Thank you. 🙏 🙏🙏

[@anniechua8985]

Excellent talk, this is very helpful! 🙏🙏🙏

[@kimberlyherrmann6324]

Desires naturally fall away when they are no longer valued. There is no longer a pull therefore it is not a struggle. 💚

[@khamano]

May the sublime Dhamma bring joy & happiness to all beings ... *verse 194* Happy is the arising of a Buddha; happy is the exposition of the Ariya Dhamma; happy is the harmony amongst the Sangha; happy is the practice of those in harmony. *verse 182* Hard to gain is birth as man; hard is the life of mortals; hard to get is the opportunity of hearing the Ariya Dhamma (Teaching of the Buddhas); hard it is for a Buddha to appear. *verse 290* If by giving up small pleasures great happiness is to be found, the wise should give up small pleasures seeing (the prospect of) great happiness. *verse 364* The monk who abides in the Dhamma, delights in the Dhamma, meditates on the Dhamma, and bears the Dhamma well in mind - he does not fall away from the sublime Dhamma._ May all beings be free from suffering. With Metta 🙏 🙏 🙏

[@anniechua8985]

Sadhu! 🙏🙏🙏

[@fabiocanestrari]

Thank you for sharing this teaching.

[@franknewmannz553]

Brillant! Thank you!

[@ishaansadhanand771]

Thinking is a sensual movement.

[@FRED-gx2qk]

Good Lesson Venerable Sirs

[@tinygreenpineapple]

I love where this was filmed. I could easily imagine this was 2500 years ago. My question is, if we abandon all sensuality why do anything? Am I not to enjoy eating beautiful, nourishing food, the natural beauty that surrounds me, swimming in the ocean where I live, that Spring is coming? Why would I go for a morning walk, or a bike ride, or travel, or play with my dog? I am aware that the things I am able to do now and that I enjoy now will not last, indeed could end at any moment, but I still DO these things intentionally and of course because I enjoy them. Sometimes Buddhism makes me feel like we must deny that we have bodies, senses, and are human. Is there a line between wholesome and harmful?

[@HillsideHermitage]

You should reframe your question and instead ask yourself: even if you don't abandon sensuality, why do anything? You'll see that the answer is "because of sensuality." Sensuality pressures you to act and seek enjoyment; otherwise, you would suffer if you didn't. And that's not really an enjoyable situation to be in-just like an addict who deeply enjoys his drugs but is thoroughly controlled and pressured by the need for them. That's not the position you would want to be in. Similarly, just like an addict who has yet to free himself from addiction, you feel that life without sensuality would be depressing and unenjoyable. But that's exactly what the drugs (Mara) want you to think so that you don't give them up and continue fueling the vicious cycle of need.

[@tinygreenpineapple]

Thank you, this is helpful 🙏

[@dilrukshijayalath877]

Hitha niwiiii sanasewa....

[@dilrukshijayalath877]

Sadu sadu sadu

[@pannavaddhi6573]

Venerable Bhante, in the video "Good time to get rid of sensual desires" you mention briefly sīlabbata-parāmāsa with "my virtue, my duty" versus "not making it my responsibility, making it my virtue, my duty" Could you perhaps discuss the topic of sīlabbata-parāmāsa in more detail in a future discussion? Thank you for your good Dhamma-work, it's very inspiring and helps a lot to reshape the practice. With metta, respectfully

[@HillsideHermitage]

We will probably dedicate a separate video to that topic sometime in the future. In the meantime check our talk titled "The Right Starvation", since it addresses the nature of the fetter of Virtue and Duty to some extent.

[@pannavaddhi6573]

@@HillsideHermitage Hillside Hermitage, thank you very much Bhante. 🙏 Interesting aspect ! Looking forward for a future video about this part of wrong view. With Metta, respectfully (The topic of sīlabbata-parāmāsa starts at 32:45 in the video "The Right Starvation" )

[@eyusleer5379]

So to understand this better- Could an anagami still experience physical discomfort in meditation and wish to be rid of that discomfort despite the fact that sensory aversion has been overcome?

[@abhaygupta876]

Bhante, All the talks have been eye opening and as a beginner extremely important and helpful. Is it possible to mail you and get your instruction regarding inputs about the practice. With Metta

[@HillsideHermitage]

Between running this channel, regular Dhamma meetings with the monks that live here, other duties, I'm afraid it is unlikely we'd have time for one on one personal correspondence. The only alternative is to ask your questions in the comment section to our videos, and we can then possibly dedicate future videos to answering it.

[@abhaygupta876]

@@HillsideHermitage Bhante, Understood, will try to get your guidance by means of questions in the comments. With Metta

[@haripriyamahanama2114]

🙏

[@dilrukshijayalath877]

Siyalu dewiyo araksha karath wa....

[@dilrukshijayalath877]

Kayika manasika duk piiida nowewa....

[@atozdhamma4248]

I am not living in jungle. But, I am not doubting Dhamma and seeing the present moment as just a moment of passing away. Therefore, I am sure I have nothing here to be attached. I can feel that I am not making suffering as I was before, when I had wrong view. Definitely not having seelabbatha paramaasa too. Basically matching all criteria for sothapanna. Still I am driving a car to work. I have no intention to get out of surroundings yet, but I am not valuing this normal life too. Am I doing something wrong here, not to make an effort to get out of society? Please answer for this genuine question.

[@aliciamontero7061]

Ajahns, could you talk about samvega and pasāda? Just a suggestion. 🙏

[@fantasticgiraffe4528]

At 9:27 you said "the whole point of Samadhi is viveka from that which is unwholesome. And you can't do that on account of your unwholesome states." Very interesting. So people cannot end up in jhana with the craving for unwholesome states? Seems like the number of lay meditators who achieve this would be much, much lower then. Something isn't lining up here for me..

[@samuelavraham4909]

What he said was situational from the context in my understanding? Not a blanket statement about everyone who meditates. He says that if you only chase the Jhanas for the sake of pleasure, then you won't end up having that experience. That's not the way into the walled city. Might you be wrong on the account of how many actually achieve this state? May it not be so that those unnamed lay meditators are experiencing other sensations but are too inexperienced to know what they just experienced? For someone experiencing absorption, relaxedness, or unexpected feelings of happiness for the first time in meditation, they will name it the only thing they've heard of.

[@dilrukshijayalath877]

Boho pin

[@aliciamontero7061]

Jhana can happen unintentionally, like it happened to young Bodhisatta Gautama, and later he remembered it and said it was wholesome pleasure, if I remember well. "I thought: 'I recall once, when my father the Sakyan was working, and I was sitting in the cool shade of a rose-apple tree, then - quite secluded from sensuality, secluded from unskillful mental qualities - I entered & remained in the first jhana: rapture & pleasure born from seclusion, accompanied by directed thought & evaluation. Could that be the path to Awakening?' Then following on that memory came the realization: 'That is the path to Awakening.' I thought: 'So why am I afraid of that pleasure that has nothing to do with sensuality, nothing to do with unskillful mental qualities?' I thought: 'I am no longer afraid of that pleasure that has nothing to do with sensuality, nothing to do with unskillful mental qualities " Maha-Saccaka Sutta 🙏

[@thornydiaz7387]

Nowhere in that passage does it say it was "unintentional", quite the opposite. The Buddha simply didn't consider it at the time as a way towards Awakening, but when he remembered it he quite intentionally entered it again.

[@pannavaddhi6573]

Well....it was the Buddha.

[@dilrukshijayalath877]

Sadu sadu sadu

[@hariharry391]

🙏