Sensuality VS Agreeability

[@Ballymayock]

Sadhu Sadhu Sadhu. Thank you Bhantes. I found this very helpful.

[@miroslavpetkov3832]

I like how he ended with dependent origination. Very beautifully! Was waiting for it😄

[@selviskk]

Finally, now I know what the middle way is

[@pushpawijewickrema8260]

This is so straightforward and easy to understand.

[@googleuser9624]

Wonderful no? How many years i have spent before this trying to figure out vague explanations and bad translations!

[@AD-bf4tb]

How should lay practitioners deal with insect infestation? I have cockroaches in my apartment and I usually try to catch them and set them free outside but it is not working. I keep my apartment very clean but cannot solve this issue. I got bad food poisoning a few times because of cockroaches. At one point I couldn't take it anymore and started killing them but each time I had horrible nightmares and felt guilty afterwards. How should I deal with such situation? Should I use chemicals to get rid of the insects and just take responsibility for my kamma?

[@RubePhil]

lol Do you live in NYC??

[@theinngu5560]

Don’t kill or harm them…find another way, however difficult that is ..including moving. Peace of mind cannot be realised if one is harming other beings.

[@protagtom]

​​​​@@theinngu5560why is that so? The rabbits demise is the foxes delight and purpose? Is the fox evil for doing what it needs to? Does not both life and death severe equal purpose? Why would inducing the premature destruction of a cockroach prevent you from your realizing your true nature. If termites are eating the beams of the temple. It is perfectly reasonable and purposeful to destroy them. You aren't doing it to intentionally hurt the world. You're doing it to maintain a space that needs to be clean and free of pests. Why would him destroying the cockroaches be any different? Especially if they are causing his health and living space issues? You can't have much energy for spiritual pursuits if are getting sick all the time.

[@sumedhaindika9277]

Thank you shadu

[@17martin74]

Many thanks once again for another insightful discussion.

[@User24x]

I think the speaker's words may mislead a people due to his use of the word pleasure/pleasant. My takeaways, based on the suttas of MN 14 and AN 6.63, of what he saying, just in different words, is that the issue is not in the agreeability or disagreeability inherent in a given sense object. The issue is in the attachment or aversion (craving) in regards to the sense object. Some sense objects are more dangerous / prone to creating attachment, while some are not. But in either case, you don't go after it / do not feed the craving, and instead restrain yourself. 2:20 MN 14 sutta, buddha says sensual pleasure is any pleasure/happiness from sensory stimulation. But I think the speaker is saying "agreeable sensory stimulation is okay to have, but craving sensory stimulation is not because the craving is what makes it a sensual pleasure / sensuality." But the suttas say taking pleasure in the sense object, even the less dangerous ones, leads to craving. So, using the word pleasure in the video to refer to the quality of agreeability is misleading. Can anyone give the sutta here 3:27? The closest one I found was AN 6.63, but even that one says, greed causes sensual stimulation to be sensual pleasure / sensuality. Where the sense object itself is not sensuality, the greed is what turns the object to be pleasurable. I guess the speaker in the video is saying agreeability is in the object. But he said it is okay to take pleasure from it. I think the suttas say it is okay to experience the sense object, but that pleasure from it is the problem / sensuality / greed / craving. 22:25 Does anyone understand what they mean by not looking? I think using the example made it harder to understand. I guess he means "not having it be in your mind despite choosing to not physically or verbally go after it."

[@FrancisKöda-l1r]

Hey! I'm very new at the study of Buddhism, so forgive me if i can't elaborate it very well, but from what I could understand from what I've learned so far the Buddha himself had experienced a state of "bliss" or "rapture" while meditating, which is described as a pleasurable and peaceful sensation that arises from deep concentration and is considered a key part of the meditative process towards enlightenment, didn't he? Isn't the state that he felt while meditating similar to those agreeable sensory stimulation mentioned in the video?

[@1hullofaguy]

Sadhu!

[@atozdhamma4248]

Reminds me the OOGA THARANA Sutta. Float with right view without staying still or without trying hard.

[@marka2188]

Another excellent discussion by the two Ajhans. Seems like I have discovered this channel at the right time on my path. Not sure whether I remember correctly… there are several Suttas where Buddha talks about 4 ingredients for samsara to continue. These are physical food, sankhara, contact (phassa) and consciousness. My understanding is Ven. Ajhan explaining and connecting the first two using sensuality and agreeability. Food is needed even for Ajhans and arahats. But if anyone takes it as pleasant or unpleasant or even neutral then it results in Sankhara. The same with sense signals. If we take sense signals/inputs as pleasant, unpleasant or neutral then it is a Sankhara. Living with this understanding is the path and its fruits. Ven. Ajhan - is this way of thinking acceptable?

[@googleuser9624]

18:53 Is this what is meant by neutral feeling being felt as pleasant if it is paid attention to?

[@romanirlin5724]

Bhantes I am curious for your view. What is the issue of being provoked in a lay environment? Wouldn't it be an opportunity to practice self restraint, develop strength, and overcome attachment to objects? This question is coming from my view that the presence, actions, and sanskaras of others can trigger and help overcome ones own sanskaras

[@alecogden12345]

Bhante, how does mind and mind objects differ from the other sense-bases?

[@karrimzz]

Bhante has said you can not see your own eyes. so it is the same with the mind. For mind objects you can rewatch the video on Citta vs Dhamma The important thing is how you react to your thoughts, as every perception and action is ultimately based on thoughts. There are thoughts of sensuality and there are thoughts of agreeability. Can you differentiate them

[@TheDhammaHub]

I was searching for a while now and am still a bit puzzled on the concept of "fruitions" or cessation events concerning the eightfold path, especially when it comes to the types of noble persons. Those seem like discreet events to me, but I cannot find any real mentioning of them in the pali canon. Do you have any talk on that topic that I might have missed? Cessation of the "knowing" does occur and I think it can be discerned by the arising of it afterwards, but the Buddha never really talked about it. Could you shed some light on the topic, please? Kind regards

[@eli174]

Dear Bhantes, This is a great topic, thank you. You do not talk much about Sati though, Sati which is this awareness watching the mind and pulling him back when he wants to go play, the one that keeps the 6 sens doors under watch. Otherwise, i wished the monk on the right would let the monk on the left speak and express himself fully before continuing to talk, not sure but often sounds like his ego and pride is talking, but couldn't explain why. I would like if you could make a video about the danger of ego and pride taken in the knowledge and practice of Dhamma because i see in myself and others that it's a easy to fall in trap. Thank you for your dedication, Thank you for your knowledge, Have a good practice

[@melaniehickman4334]

Monk on the right is Teacher. Monk on left is Student. Who should do the talking?

[@cliffmilbrun2803]

24:37

[@cliffmilbrun2803]

Bhante sometime when I sit down to contemplate I have thinking which is mental which I notice sometimes moves my tounge a little but not actually speaking but at other times I have thinking which is alot smoother without the perception or connection of my tongue or mouth how can I develop this Thinking wholesome thoughts without the perception of my tounge or mouth? How can I develope that

[@medalxx12]

I experience this too . When i’m thinking linguistically with intent , my tongue will move in the way as if i was audibly pronouncing the words. Also with peripheral awareness my eyes will move as if my focus is toggling back and forth between paying attention to what is arising feeling-wise as well as breath

[@HillsideHermitage]

Perception of the tongue or mouth is not an issue as long as the mouth remains silent.

[@cliffmilbrun2803]

@@HillsideHermitage thank you. much appreciated so if it's not something I should overly think then whatever it is would then be seen clearly as long as I don't speak. I will keep that in mind

[@wimukthihashan5]

Can i spend some time with u pls

[@bayee2169]

Agreeability which will lead to addiction is what Sensuality is. Is this definition accurate?

[@HillsideHermitage]

Not quite, because a mind that is not free from sensuality is ALREADY addicted. Addiction is its starting point.

[@beabb3611]

thanxs for these differences. just for a better understanding : restraining the senses is a form of aversion isn'it? although it is a subtle one. what do you mean by lust, isn'it greed? i understood that the fine line btwn both is the pressure that the sensations are putting on the mind & body to act to either reject or prolong that sensation & also that the mind is dependant on the greed or aversion (maybe more on greed even). So seclusion is a very good way to guard against it & change the mind habits quicker? is it so ?

[@dicsoncandra1948]

restraining isn't a form of aversion. at any point, we're presented with any one of three kinds of feeling: pleasant, painful and neutral. aversion is our habitual response to the painful (or unpleasant) feeling and so sense restraint in this context would be to 'not reject' or accept the painful feeling more (whilst the experience of aversion is present). with the pleasant feeling, our habitual response would be to latch onto it, trying to increase or protect it and hence sense restraint in this context would be to 'not go' for it (while the greed or lust is still present). seclusion is a very good way to reveal our habitual responses and make it apparent for us to understand our mind and put in the work.

[@harpreetsingh5545]

hello sir, I have a question: True freedom comes from understanding. However, my attitude is that I have to do something for the sake of doing it, and hoping that it will result in understanding. What should my attitude be in daily life regarding understanding so that I can see what I'm doing result in understanding? When I am studying for school, for 2-3 hours, I am so focused that I lose awareness of the present moment. Is losing awareness in those moment ok or should I try to be aware and not lose awareness? If so, how could I improve my restraint on that?

[@exitsamsara]

👁️🙏👁️

[@light1518]

The Buddha, AN 6.63 “Sensual pleasures should be known. And their source, diversity, result, cessation, and the practice that leads to their cessation should be known.’ That’s what I said, but why did I say it? There are these five kinds of sensual stimulation. Sights known by the eye, which are likable, desirable, agreeable, pleasant, sensual, and arousing. Sounds known by the ear … Smells known by the nose … Tastes known by the tongue … Touches known by the body, which are likable, desirable, agreeable, pleasant, sensual, and arousing. However, these are not sensual pleasures. In the training of the Noble One they’re called ‘kinds of sensual stimulation’. Greedy intention is a person’s sensual pleasure. The world’s pretty things aren’t sensual pleasures. Greedy intention is a person’s sensual pleasure. The world’s pretty things stay just as they are, but the attentive remove desire for them.”

[@tesstess7005]

🛐☸🙏🌼🌹🌸

[@sadasivam123]

Sir, with all due respect. Whatever the mind says cannot be agreeable. How does it know it is sensual or agreeable? Who decides?When the mind seeks an object outside.. And finds it agreeable it is based on the knowledge it has of it.. It knows what beauty is and what a sunset is... Calling it a sunset is in itself ... Wrong view. When the mind goes outside it and likes or dislikes it is something uncontrollable because it is not us..not self.. We cannot avoid the mind seeking sense objects.. Seeking pleasure and pain on its own... This is the issue.. Nit the pleasure or pain itself... If one has labelled it... And is involved in the sunset... It is already moha... If we control it... and don't look at it.. It is self mortification.. As the chest will tighten up.. Rhe immediate karma of controlling.. Is the stuffiness... If we let it get lost... It is pursuing sensual pleasure... The middle way is impossible for this puttujana mind..the impossibility of it... Makes the mind release because it realizes it is not a self... If we like... Have an opinion have defined an object as an object..it is wrong.. And moha. Perhaps I am wrong.. Thank you for your videos. The cinematography is great and so is the content.