Moderation is Not the Middle Way

The Middle Way practice
Avoiding the two "extremes" that are actually quite subtle
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[@hariharry391]

🙏

[@StanleyFamilyFun]

Love u my brother in the Dhamma

[@j.m.kocsis2557]

Endurance exposes true compassion and loving kindness.

[@bkhpanigha]

I think it's beneficial to reflect carefully on the magnitude of what is signified by the word "sensuality". Maybe it is the case for others as well that the word takes on an overly coarse connotation, and we can unconsciously fall into the attitude that we've dealt with it already if we've been living fairly restrained. But really that term covers the Whole spectrum of being under the grip of sense objects, and that basically includes our whole day-to-day experience. Hence it's impossible to be truly disconnected from sensuality if the mind is still engaged in any of the other hindrances (i.e. anything unwholesome, rooted in mental pressure, craving). All the 5 hindrances are ultimately concerned with sense-objects, and can thus be said to partake in the extreme of "SENSE-uality", even if only indirectly.

[@theinngu5560]

Brilliant..sounds so simple but the mind is so driven by unwholesome habits and craving and so we (I) have to accept that discomfort will need to be endured again and again… 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼. Many thanks for the clarity.

[@sebclement6253]

Wow.

[@ThaniyoBhikkhu]

The sutta in question: Dhammacakka sutta Sn56.11 “These two extremes/domains should not be gone to by one who has gone forth. What two? 1-The practice of sensual indulgence - kāmasukhallikānuyogo, which is inferior, vulgar, the way of an ordinary man, ignoble, unbeneficial; 2- The practice of self-punishment/mortification - attakilamathānuyogo, which is painful, ignoble, unbeneficial. Without going to either of these domains/extremes, the Tathagata has awakened to the middle way, which is for developing insight, which produces knowledge, and leads to calming, to full understanding, to awakening, to Nibbāna."

[@marka2188]

I wonder whether it is better if we mention the Kaccānagottasutta (SN 12.15) also. May be not as this one is little bit advance. From the sutta: “This world, Kaccana, is for the most part shackled by engagement, clinging, and adherence. But this one with right view does not become engaged and cling through that engagement and clinging, mental standpoint, adherence, underlying tendency; he does not take a stand about ‘my self.’ He has no perplexity or doubt that what arises is only suffering arising, what ceases is only suffering ceasing. His knowledge about this is independent of others. It is in this way, Kaccana, that there is right view. “‘All exists’: Kaccana, this is one extreme. ‘All does not exist’: this is the second extreme. Without veering towards either of these extremes, the Tathagata teaches the Dhamma by the middle” P.S., I haven’t listened to the talk.

[@FRED-gx2qk]

Couldnt get that bank accnt to work will use the old method i enjoyed this lesson feel as though im making progress much appreciated !

[@ThaniyoBhikkhu]

@@marka2188 Thanks, that is an interesting sutta. We might record a discussion on it later.

[@ogsus5773]

this is immensely useful and beneficial to me. i'm so grateful there are people that keep the buddha's teachings alive and practice themselves and are able to and *do* help others with the subtleties of it all. and for free, no less? it really feels wrong, somehow, at how fortunate i am. hahah. anyway, i could go on and on but i'll stop here. thanks again and the best of health to you!

[@samuelcharles7642]

Great video

[@marcusfossa6695]

The extreme of hedonism is indulging in sensual pleasures unmindfully, carelessly, and with wrong view. The extreme of asceticism is not indulging in any sensual pleasures. The middle way means you indulge yourself mindfully, carefully, attentively, and with right view. Mindfulness is what allows us to learn and gain wisdom and understanding.

[@harpreetsingh5545]

venerable sir. thank you as always for helping us confront our wrong views. could you please link me a talk on Bhava if you have done one? if not, could you please consider doing a talk on what full understand of bhava and giving up of bhava is?

[@googleuser9624]

If you keep watching the videos here, you will eventually encounter discussion of bhava. It is central to almost every discussion even though it is not named directly in every talk.

[@9tiesimonsomething]

Sadhu Bhante! One to think about. The "mechanical practice/method/technique" I found as an interesting wording- it made me think about what it means to see (and know) things as they really are and what it means to be "on top of things" or "fully aware". And what came to mind was, that; reality is much like music- it can not be halted or stopped since bad music is a form of evil, so it must go and flow. Being in tune (seing the things) and being "on-beat" (each at the right time as it occurs in the mind, seing the rising), it must be seen without distortion (wrong views) with respect to the law of kamma (knowing right time). Since reality itself or kamma(s) meaning causes and their results, they can not be controlled as an experiment provoking something and getting the results handed at the moment we have time or within our dedicated time (to observe). It is much more alive than just an experiment in a sterile environment, in the same way as music- one can not merely pluck the notes one by one and put them together like a puzzle, each note has its own limited timeframe and if it is not on time and ends at the right time, it is out of harmony. Another way to understand the similie, one could pluck all the notes to a piece of music and play them all together at once, making the music piece endure for only one notes time with them all sounding out at the same time, but this too would not be music. And so, when one hears the music- one can only then start dancing to it. Further, the dancing would be what we choose to do with our insights- be it to deceive or enlighten, one who understands things even if still limited- is able to do great things. There is nothing a pure mind can not do or learn (dance techniques) or to forego to learn, nothing it can not avoid (doing).

[@joy1196]

Every thing in moderation including moderation

[@sebclement6253]

Haha! I like that

[@breadman5048]

buddhism honestly sounds like just being a completely unfeeling unexpressive unloving being.. constantly walking some tight rope to remain totally stoic

[@robertm3139]

This is a misunderstanding. Once mindfulness is established and unwholesome mental mindstates are understood/rooted out, wholesome mindstates of love, compassion, empathetic joy, and equanimity naturally fill up the space. If you ever meet an accomplished Buddhist monk, and spend some time with him/her, you will understand that in no way are they unfeeling, unexpressive, or unloving.

[@j.m.kocsis2557]

True compassion and loving kindness are not emotions. They are the result of understanding non-ownership of self. Non ownership of self is revealed and cultivated by purposely enduring the pull of the senses without acting out of them. Sila and Virtue really do “come first”, as taught by the Buddha and the Venerables.

[@rajigunatilake2498]

Shuaib I do feel what you are saying. Ajahn Nayanmoli's explanation of dhamma can be very confronting or "heavy" if you haven't listened much dhamma talks before. This may be why you feel this way and I think that's completely fine (assuming here). Start with something simpler, a suggestion could be Ajahn Brahms talks.

[@andreypashinsky2335]

​@@rajigunatilake2498 I have the same feeling. These talks are quite strong and definitely not easy to contemplate seriously. And on the flip side they are so deep and honest, even frightening in some cases.

[@robbiepeterh]

If you start getting into this kind of level of complication in your life as this monk is expressing, you will join the club of the most neurotic and unhappy people in the entire world.

[@nejkagalun4851]

LOL!

[@Lipinki.luzyckie]

It's not about resisting happiness. It would be stupid. You could see him being pretty happy in many of these videos. Nyanamoli reminds to be careful about hedonism, in micro-scale also. Feeling happiness and craving happiness are two different things. If it sounds neurotic it's because Nyanamoli's language is pretty analytic.

[@theinngu5560]

That is a big misunderstanding…first you need to spend time with such people and check out if your assumptions are really true.

[@theinngu5560]

Furthermore just in case you read this if you watch people who are into a hedonistic lifestyle, you will very likely notice that they all experience depression at some time or other or forms of deep unhappiness that you won’t see in well practiced clinks/nuns.

[@theinngu5560]

Monks/nuns ..typo error