For this month’s regular open-audience, open-discussion “Ask Us Anything” — continuing discussions about meditation and related topics — (despite some technical snafus) Denny and I pick one topic each we’ve yet to discuss much publicly — the Eight “Touches”, and wholesome sexuality(/sexual energy), respectively. (Amended) show notes are as follows:
(From Josh)
What is Kusala (Wholesome) Sexual Energy?
- Five Training Precepts are about refraining from — as in refraining from misusing sexual energy by avoiding breaking up relationships and sexual activity only in committed relationships
- So what’s the opposite positive version? Skillful and appropriate relational energy [6/8/2021 UPDATE: Equating relational energy and sexual energy may be my (mis)interpretation from hearing Ajahn Sucitto. I’m still re-listening to several talks for more references. Plan to post more clarification here if found]
- Most anything of sexual nature is taboo in the West for both skillful and wise reasons as well as unskillful and unwise reasons
- Cognitive dissonance of hyper-sexualization promoted in mass media and culture but along with #MeToo, sexual repression, dress codes, “princess code/programing“, “toxic masculinity”, emasculation, gender confusion, using sex to gain power, and “battle of the sexes”
(From Denny)
Five stages of mind practice
- Knowing
- Quieting
- Contemplating
- Deconstructing
- Emancipating
Eight “Touches”
- Movement (動) : interaction of all four elements, earth, water, fire and wind causing either regular or irregular movement or gyration of body
- Itchiness (癢)
- Cold or Coolness (冷)
- Hot or Warm (暖)
- Weightlessness (輕) : exaggeration of the wind element, body feels light, like cloud or dust, as if flying
- Heaviness (重)
- Smoothness (滑) : body feels smooth as butter or milk, can sense bright light
- Roughness (澀) : body feels rough, like sandpaper
Josh mentions similarities of Eight “Touches” to Four-Elements Meditation as taught by Venerable Pa-Auk Sayadaw. See page 114 on PDF of Knowing and Seeing and Mindfulness of Breathing & Four Elements Meditation [PDF]
“Tapussa the householder, here, has said to me, ‘Venerable Ananda, sir, we are householders who indulge in sensuality, delight in sensuality, enjoy sensuality, rejoice in sensuality. For us—indulging in sensuality, delighting in sensuality, enjoying sensuality, rejoicing in sensuality—renunciation seems like a sheer drop-off. Yet I’ve heard that in this doctrine & discipline the hearts of the very young monks leap up at renunciation, grow confident, steadfast, & firm, seeing it as peace. So right here is where this doctrine & discipline is contrary to the great mass of people: i.e., [this issue of] renunciation.’”
“So it is, Ananda. So it is. Even I myself, before my Awakening, when I was still an unawakened Bodhisatta, thought: ‘Renunciation is good. Seclusion is good.’ But my heart didn’t leap up at renunciation, didn’t grow confident, steadfast, or firm, seeing it as peace. The thought occurred to me: ‘What is the cause, what is the reason, why my heart doesn’t leap up at renunciation, doesn’t grow confident, steadfast, or firm, seeing it as peace?’ Then the thought occurred to me: ‘I haven’t seen the drawback of sensual pleasures; I haven’t pursued [that theme]. I haven’t understood the reward of renunciation; I haven’t familiarized myself with it. That’s why my heart doesn’t leap up at renunciation, doesn’t grow confident, steadfast, or firm, seeing it as peace.’
[1] “Then the thought occurred to me: ‘If, having seen the drawback of sensual pleasures, I were to pursue that theme; and if, having understood the reward of renunciation, I were to familiarize myself with it, there’s the possibility that my heart would leap up at renunciation, grow confident, steadfast, & firm, seeing it as peace.’
“So at a later time, having seen the drawback of sensual pleasures, I pursued that theme; having understood the reward of renunciation, I familiarized myself with it. My heart leaped up at renunciation, grew confident, steadfast, & firm, seeing it as peace. Then, quite withdrawn from sensuality, withdrawn from unskillful qualities, I entered & remained in the first jhana: rapture & pleasure born from withdrawal, accompanied by directed thought & evaluation.
“As I remained there, I was beset with attention to perceptions dealing with sensuality. That was an affliction for me. Just as pain arises as an affliction for a healthy person, even so the attention to perceptions dealing with sensuality that beset me was an affliction for me.
[2] “The thought occurred to me: ‘What if, with the stilling of directed thoughts & evaluations, I were to enter & remain in the second jhana: rapture & pleasure born of composure, unification of awareness free from directed thought & evaluation—internal assurance.’ But my heart didn’t leap up at being without directed thought, didn’t grow confident, steadfast, or firm, seeing it as peace. The thought occurred to me: ‘What is the cause, what is the reason, why my heart doesn’t leap up at being without directed thought, doesn’t grow confident, steadfast, or firm, seeing it as peace?’ Then the thought occurred to me: ‘I haven’t seen the drawback of directed thought; I haven’t pursued that theme. I haven’t understood the reward of being without directed thought; I haven’t familiarized myself with it. That’s why my heart doesn’t leap up at being without directed thought, doesn’t grow confident, steadfast, or firm, seeing it as peace.’
Selection from:
Aṅguttara Nikāya
Book of the Nines
9.41. To Tapussa
Many people shaken by fear go for refuge to mountains and woods,
to places with beautiful trees.
That is not a secure refuge,
that is not the refuge supreme,
nor is it the refuge to come to that liberates from all suffering.Whoever has gone for refuge to the Buddha,
Śaraṇavagga — Bhikkhu Ānandajoti
the Dhamma and the Saṅgha,
and who sees as it really is the four noble truths.
That is a secure refuge,
that is the refuge supreme,
that is the refuge to come to that liberates from all suffering.
Patna Dhammapada
13. The Chapter about Refuge
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