Right way to look at sensuality

 

Buddha’s ‘No’ ‘No’ to sensuality confuses some people. Lot of questions get raised in their mind. “Can it ever be done?”, “What is wrong in going after sense pleasures?”, “Is the happiness derived from sense pleasures not worth it?”, "Is there something beyond these pleasures?",  and so on.

Buddha gives a very clear answer to all these questions (MN 13: Maha-dukkhakkhandha Sutta). Let me give a quick glance at Buddha’s reasoning.

By sensuality Buddha means any pleasure derived through any of the five senses – eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and touch.

What is wrong with sense pleasures?

Buddha gives a long list of ills of going after sense pleasures. He is not talking about some hell waiting for you if you indulge in sense pleasures. Buddha always talks about the effects that can be seen ‘here and now’. Just to give an example, Buddha says by going after sense pleasures

• you go through several hardships in getting those sense pleasures, you may have to toil, you may have to face adverse conditions etc.
• you are always worried about ‘what if I don’t succeed in getting it’
• even when you get it, you are always worried about others who may try to snatch that from you.
• you may have to do all kind of things to guard your possessions from others, even fight or kill someone.
• you may behave in a socially unsuited way in your greed to get what you want, and as a result, you may become disliked by others….

Buddha goes on and on,  listing the problems with being sensual.

Does it mean you need to deprive yourself from everything?

No, Buddha disagrees with the way of life led by some ascetics (Nighanta – probably refers to Jain monks) in his time, where a monk tortures himself by starving, by exposing himself to harsh weather, by going around naked, and so on. Buddha says that such an approach does not help in any way.

What exactly is needed?

Buddha says that you should just understand the ills of sensuality and be on the guard. You should not become slave to them, and restrain your sense desires to the extent possible.

Can it ever be done?

Buddha says that even he had problems initially to stay away from sense pleasures. But once he experienced something which is much higher than any sense pleasure, the desire for lower levels of pleasure automatically vanished. But till that time, Buddha says, one has to be vigilant.

What is the use of depriving yourself from pleasure?

Buddha says that when one reaches a level in his spiritual path, he experiences pleasure incomparable to any sense pleasure. He can remain more happy than a monarch with all his pleasure giving paraphernalia. This pleasure does not depend on any external things, but springs from within.  So, the motivation to have sense pleasure gradually subsides.

The first step to attain all this, is to have restraint over desires to sense pleasures.

Many modern Gurus misinterpret this by saying that once you have ‘realized’ the ultimate, you can live any which way you want. They claim themselves to be realized souls and go after all worldly pleasures without any restraint and say that such things don’t affect them!

It is like saying that “I am wearing a wonderful garment and I can roll over any filth, and the garment does not get soiled”. No, it does not happen that way. The garment can remain clean only by avoiding contact with dirty things and by constant washing. And that is true of even realized souls.

This is borne out by innumerable cases of great Gurus and Yogis in the past as well as in current times, falling prey to lowly pleasures and tarnishing themselves. Even in Buddha’s times, there were squabbles and rivalry among some of his ‘enlightened’ disciples. Sometimes these squabbles went to the extent of killing each other.

So, be on the guard, however evolved you think you are. There is no ‘garment’ that remains clean forever. As long as there is a garment, it is prone to get soiled ;-)