The Middle Way

[Abhishek Venkatesh]

Dear Venerable Ajahn Brahmali,

When the Buddha said that you need to abstain from indulgence in sense pleasures, did he mean that we still need to take a little bit of it from time to time so that is does not lead to pleasure deprivation and negativity and only causes a craving for higher forms of pleasures?

Also Ajahn Brahm mentioned in a talk that you need to have a little bit of pleasures to feel pleasure in meditation and he also mentioned that it's not like you go have a glass of wine and then meditate. My understanding of this statement is that you do need to take a little bit of the sense pleasures yourself, but to restrict it to the more subtle form of pleasures rather than the coarser. The Nivapa Sutta also suggests this I think.

With Metta.

[Ajahn Brahmali]

Dear Abhishek,

The only sensual pleasures you need to abstain from are those whose pursuit would constitute a breach of the five precepts. So don't deprive yourself of pleasure! If you do, you will just end up getting negativity towards Buddhism. The eightfold path is a gradual path. The reduction in indulgence in sense pleasures comes quite naturally as the path develops. Observe the painful agitation of craving and the pleasant peace of the even mind. The more clearly you see this, the more your mind will incline towards meditation and away from sense pleasures. But don't force it. Allow your understanding and wisdom to grow by careful observation and reflection. In sum, a little bit of restrain is good, but don't torture yourself!

Ajahn Brahm sometimes says that you need to "throw the dog a bone". I think this means that too much restraint at too early a point on the path can lead to the mind becoming rebellious and uncooperative. The main point is that as long as meditation does not provide you with joy and peace, you will be seeking for happiness elsewhere; i.e. in sense pleasures. As your mediation improves, the hold that sense pleasures have over your mind will diminish. And as the attachment decreases, your meditation will improve. You get into a good cycle. But be patient, because it normally takes a long time to eliminate this craving altogether.

With metta.

[Abhishek Venkatesh]

Dear Venerable Ajahn Brahmali,

Thank You for the reply. I have another question, how do monks approach this problem? What sense pleasures do monks involve themselves in so that they can maintain a healthy spiritual life?

With Metta.

[Ajahn Brahmali]

Dear Abhishek,

The spiritual life - both for monastics and lay people - is often a tug-of-war between craving and spiritual ideals. As the practice unfolds the craving side weakens and the spiritual side strengthens. Gradually the path becomes easier and more natural to follow.

At the early stages of the path, one tries to find happiness and contentment through kindness and generosity. And, yes, monastics too often enjoy their food. (In fact, even after the defilements are abandoned one still enjoys one's food; it's just that the craving is gone, see AN8:30 paragraphs 4-6.)

For most monastics the biggest problem - certainly in the early years - concerns the opposite gender. You just have to be as clear as you can that you don't want to go down that path. Why? Because it is fraught with suffering (see e.g. MN54 and MN75).

With metta.

[Abhishek Venkatesh]

Thank You Venerable Ajahn Brahmali for the answer.

With Metta.