Sense restraint and not grasping at major signs and secondary features of objects within the sense faculties.

 

Sense restraint and not grasping at major signs and features of objects within the sense faculties

The theme today that I've been exploring is related to sense restraint. Sense restraint is mentioned in some suttas as the second point in the gradual training after establishing virtue, and setting down the five precepts as a starting point.

After virtue has been established, at least in motivation and memory, then one is recommended to start looking into sense restraint.

(DN.2)

"A monk thus consummate in virtue sees no danger anywhere from his restraint through virtue. Just as a head-anointed noble warrior king who has defeated his enemies sees no danger anywhere from his enemies, in the same way the monk thus consummate in virtue sees no danger anywhere from his restraint through virtue. Endowed with this noble aggregate of virtue, he is inwardly sensitive to the pleasure of being blameless. This is how a monk is consummate in virtue.

Sense Restraint

"And how does a monk guard the doors of his senses? On seeing a form with the eye, he does not grasp at any theme or details by which — if he were to dwell without restraint over the faculty of the eye — evil, unskillful qualities such as greed or distress might assail him. On hearing a sound with the ear... On smelling an odor with the nose... On tasting a flavor with the tongue... On touching a tactile sensation with the body... On cognizing an idea with the intellect, he does not grasp at any theme or details by which — if he were to dwell without restraint over the faculty of the intellect — evil, unskillful qualities such as greed or distress might assail him. Endowed with this noble restraint over the sense faculties, he is inwardly sensitive to the pleasure of being blameless. This is how a monk guards the doors of his senses.

and here:

From 'The Fruits of the Homeless Life(DN2:Samannaphala Sutta) in Long length Sayings:

'And how, Sire, is he a guardian of the sense-doors? Here a monk, on seeing a visible object with the eye, does not grasp at its major signs or secondary characteristics. Because greed and sorrow, evil unskilled states, would overwhelm him if he dwelt leaving this eye-faculty unguarded, so he practises guarding it, he protects the eye-faculty, develops restraint of the eye-faculty. On hearing a sound with the ear,. . . on smelling an odour with the nose,. . . on tasting a flavour with the tongue,.. . on feeling an object with the body,. . . on thinking a thought with the mind, he does not grasp at its major signs or secondary characteristics,. . . he develops restraint of the mind-faculty. He experiences within himself the blameless bliss that comes from maintaining this Ariyan guarding of the faculties. In this way, Sire, a monk is a guardian of the sense doors.

This then leads to the question of what exactly are the major signs and secondary characteristics of sense objects that come into contact with the sense doors?

At first one may think that this advice is to block sense objects from coming into contact with the sense door.. as in looking away from objects the invoke greed/desire or aversion. This is a drastic step and not always easily done, especially when out and about in the street or during daily life. However, with some mindfulness of the situation and knowing 'this object will trigger a reaction' one can avert one's attention in time and then avoid unwholesome states from arising.

There is also the event when the object unavoidably comes into contact with the sense faculty. In this case, major signs will be noticed (triggered) along with perception of the object and knowing what it is and how it is valued and what it is for. The major signs of the object arise in the mind based on the actual sense object characteristics (simple colour, shape, or sound form etc.). Secondary characteristics can then also arise, such as its desirability or aversive content, secondary labels and thoughts about the object, and triggered actions such as further immersion and commentary on features and details.

All of this triggering and attention to further detail and proliferation of thought and mind objects are part of the grasping at major signs and secondary characteristics of an object that has sense contact established.

The admonition to restrain the senses and not get involved with the major signs and secondary characteristics points to:

- stopping at the perception and labelling of an object (rather than commentary about it)

- releasing one's tight focus and absorption type attention on the object and thus furthering mind object proliferation

- expanding or opening one's attention to be situational and general in nature (a general mindfulness rather than a focused or tight mindfulness of objects)

- relinquishing craving through the relinquishing of attention on an object that triggers the 3 poisons and thus unwholesome states of mind due to - greed/wanting, or aversion. 

Have fun looking out for major signs and secondary characteristics today.

Q: Are all good feelings related to sensuality? Can't I enjoy things anymore? Why is sensuality a problem?

 Q: Are all good feelings related to sensuality? Can't I enjoy things anymore? Why is sensuality a problem?

The practice of virtue and sense restraint weans us off our reliance on sensual enjoyments, sensuality and addiction in sense objects. Since we're so involved in sensuality, we need ever increasing amounts of sensuality to receive the same level of enjoyment. This becomes a vicious circle because we crave sensual objects in greater amounts and greater intensity, and thus suffer when we don't have them, and fear their loss when we do have them (and never truly enjoy the present moment).

The Buddha advised his followers to initially practice sense restraint, so as not to trigger overt amounts of covetousness or aversion due to sense objects. This combines with the practice of virtue and keeping the precepts to avoid unwholesome mental states and craving.

Once this has been achieved, then sensuality no longer has the same enticing effect that it had before, and we're free to just enjoy pleasant feelings and pleasant sense objects without being addicted to grasping these objects (or pushing them away if they are unpleasant).

Eight Mindful Steps to Happiness- started.

 Really enjoying Bhante Gunaratana’s “Eight Mindful Steps to Happiness”, simple, concise and effective guidance with the eightfold path. #book 

Theragatha 14.1 quote “I delight not in life, I delight not in death..”

 

“I delight not in life, I delight not in death. I await my time like a hireling his wage. I delight not in life, I delight not in death,
I await my time mindful and aware.” 

Thag. 14:1

Craving as an obstacle to any meditation and contemplation. Check this first!

 Craving as an obstacle to meditation and contemplation

 Insight:

 Many people approach their meditation or contemplation practice by completing a set of steps or a 'method' that they use to come into pleasant or beneficial mind states.

One thing that is hardly ever, if ever, discussed by these methods and teachers delivering these methods is the fact that CRAVING is often present for the person attempting to practice a method or set of instructions for meditation.

Now, with craving present, it may still be possible to follow a method or set of instructions and bring about a pleasant, calm abiding. But this will only be temporary, and last for a set period of time. This is why it is difficult for many people to sit in meditation for long periods of time without any sense of effort of tension.

Craving in the background, for a result, for existence, for pleasant feeling tone, and for anything not present, especially sensual-related pleasure, will become an obstacle for progress in meditation.

Sometimes, the best thing that one can do prior to sitting, or even during sitting in meditation, is to actually check and verify whether the presence of craving is there in the mind or not!

If craving is present, this MUST be acknowledge first, and allowed to be seen and felt in the mind and body. A whole meditation session may just consist of this point alone. Any futher instruction or method or step should be abandoned at that point and just the presence of craving noted and allowed to come to the foreground.

If this is done correctly (ie right attention), then this can be termed 'right effort' and 'right mindfulness', since this is likely the only beneficial and skillful action that can be performed without skipping over craving, which always entails some level of suffering in the moment.

So do check for the presence of craving when sitting, and become very familiar with the feeling and presence of craving, and therefore suffering, before attempting to gloss over this with any feel-good method or technique in meditation (such as metta, breath awareness, body awareness etc.)

Peace.

Impermanence and the world- quote by yya Khema

 Impermanence and the world- Ayya Khema

#anicca #impermanence #contemplate #phenomena #threemarksofexistence

Food for the Heart: The Collected Teachings of Ajahn Chah- Review.

 

Dean Paradiso's Reviews > Food for the Heart: The Collected Teachings of Ajahn Chah

Food for the Heart: The Collected Teachings of Ajahn Chah
by 

Ajahn Chah,

 

Jack Kornfield (Goodreads Author) (Foreword),

 

Ajahn Amaro (Introduction)

Dean Paradiso's review

Dec 13, 2023  ·  edit

it was amazing

bookshelves: eastern-philosophy, buddhism, meditation, non-fiction

I enjoyed going through this book/audiobook. The audiobook was read out by Malcolm Smith and done in a relevant fashion. Some of the things I liked about this compilation were the variety of teachings, approaches, and ways in which Ajahn Chah expressed his approach. He made use of stories and colourful anecdotes that really highlighted the points that he was making about practice and how to approach the teachings of the Thai Forest tradition (Theravada) in general. Ajahn Chah's approach relies less on the suttas and commentaries, and more on practical advice and guidance that has been handed down in the Thai Forest tradition. Most of these talks were meant for monastics, novice monks and those who were serious about the practice of early Buddhism and seclusion. As such, they do require some background knowledge in the basic framework of the eightfold path, the Four Noble Truths, and the overall aims of early Buddhism. That said, beginners, can indeed gain much advice and insight into how to approach the path from a high level, and even some low level details related to sitting practice, walking practice and the importance of conduct (sila). AC uses the 3 groups of sila, samadhi and panna as his overall framework, rather than focusing on each of the eight steps in the Eightfold Path.

This compilation could be listened to multiple times, and one would gain something new out of it after each listening, since we approach the practice and teachings each time at a different stage in our development, and there might be some small piece of advice that could prove to be really useful at the time. I also appreciate that this compilation is one of the very few authorised compilations of Ajahn Chah's talks and teachings, and it serves a special place in preserving the approach taken in the Thai Forest monastic tradition of Buddhism.