The danger of indulging in sensual pleasures

[Alexander]

If one, longing for sensual pleasure,
achieves it, yes,
he's enraptured at heart.
The mortal gets what he wants.
But if for that person
— longing, desiring —
the pleasures diminish,
he's shattered,
as if shot with an arrow.

Whoever avoids sensual desires
— as he would, with his foot,
the head of a snake —
goes beyond, mindful,
this attachment in the world.

A man who is greedy
for fields, land, gold,
cattle, horses,
servants, employees,
women, relatives,
many sensual pleasures,
is overpowered with weakness
and trampled by trouble,
for pain invades him
as water, a cracked boat.

So one, always mindful,
should avoid sensual desires.
Letting them go,
he'd cross over the flood
like one who, having bailed out the boat,
has reached the far shore.

"Everything is on fire," the Buddha said. So, there is no escape from the fire (distress) of desiring sensual pleasures and not getting them; and the fire (purification) of renouncing sensual pleasures and becoming detached from them.

[Michel]

I keep coming across suttas like the one below that say all sensual pleasures are taboo. Some of us enjoy listening to the sensual pleasures of  musc. We are after all practicing for the renunciation of craving for the sensual. Was this idea added to the Canon by some puritanical monk?

Bound for the Plane of Misery
Bhikkhus, there are three who, if they do not abandon this [fault of theirs], are bound for the plane of misery, bound for hell. Which three? (1) One who, though not celibate, claims to be celibate; (2) one who slanders a pure celibate leading a pure celibate life with a groundless charge of non-celibacy; and (3) one who holds such a doctrine and view as this: 'There is no fault in sensual pleasures,' and then falls into indulgence of sensual pleasures. These are the three who, if they do not abandon this [fault of theirs], are bound for the plane of misery, bound for hell."

[Jhanananda]

Thank-you, Michel, for posting this interesting sutta quote.  I have read such lines throughout the suttas, and music is just not a part of most sanghas, so I believe it is reasonable that it originated with Siddhartha Gautama.

So, why did Siddhartha Gautama believe it was important to reject music?  If you consider that the sound charism sounds quite a bit like music, but is not a product of sensory stimulation, as well as the other charisms, then I believe Siddhartha Gautama's whole premise here was by directing our awareness to sensory phenomena we avoid the nonsensory of the charisms, so by starving the senses of stimulation, then the mind is driven inward toward the charisms (jhana-nimitta).

[Jhanon]

Thank-you, Michel, for posting this interesting sutta quote.  I have read such lines throughout the suttas, and music is just not a part of most sanghas, so I believe it is reasonable that it originated with Siddhartha Gautama.

So, why did Siddhartha Gautama believe it was important to reject music?  If you consider that the sound charism sounds quite a bit like music, but is not a product of sensory stimulation, as well as the other charisms, then I believe Siddhartha Gautama's whole premise where was by directing our awareness to sensory phenomena we avoid the nonsensory of the charisms, so by starving the senses of stimulation, then the mind is driven inward toward the charisms (jhana-nimitta).

Well, said. Although I wish to comment that the world has changed quite a bit since then. While the Buddha appears to have seen the future, I'm not sure he could account for every age that his teachings would still be around.

Last night I was meditating, and I got to fourth jhana. It's been a while since my last 4th jhana, and so it caused fear at first. I wasn't able to overcome the fear, like I should have. But then I intuitively turned on some really quiet soft music and put it in my earbuds. It helped me re orientate myself and make progress. I was absorbed in the charisms of 3rd jhana while I listened.

[Jhanananda]

Back a few decades ago I belonged to a number of Hindu Sanghas, which emphasized deep meditation, but they also played devotional music before the meditation session.  I found the devotional music created an excellent set and setting for deep meditation for me, so I expect it will work for others as well.

[Alexander]

The perks of modernity

[Jhanon]

Alexander lives!

[Michel]

The perks of modernity

What do you think? Is he listening to heavy metal or to a dhamma talk?

[Jhanon]

I very much doubt either. Lol. In my experience, it seems the more an individual progresses on the mystic path, the slower, softer, calmer, and spacey the music is preferred. I've also found in my observations over the last three years, that I'm not aware of any mystic who regularly attains 2nd jhana or higher, and at least one significant OOBE every month will have an affinity to lyric heavy music.

This makes sense to me, since lyrics are human concepts, and in those upper states the absence of human concepts is a significant relief and joy. Also, most lyrics are heavy with reference to worldly things--which is another quality a genuine mystic doesn't seem much interested in since the worldly is so unrefined and unsatisfactory. In my own case, after I had a few of these ecstasy (white wall of annihilation or samadhi 6 and higher) experiences, I lost almost any remaining affinity for lyrical music.

So, I doubt it was heavy metal But I also think the type of music and how it's used is significant to whether it could be considered sensory indulgence. If it's worldly in nature as I described above, or it's enjoyed for aesthetic (5 sense) quality, then it's sensory indulgence. However, if the music induces or facilitates mystical phenomena, like a kundalini rising or spiritual/emotional cleansing, then it is not sensory indulgence.

[Michel]

Very interesting observations, Jhanon, that is: music that indulges the senses vs. the use of music to induce mystical states.