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DHARMA IN EVERYDAY LIFE
- THE TRAP OF SENSUAL PLEASURES
By Nhat Quan
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The hunt,
the search for sensual happiness in the world keeps you
caught in the vicious circle of cause and effect, of love
and hate, friend and foe, through which every thought, word,
or deed is the cause that leads to the effect, and then that
effect becomes another cause, so that cause and effect
continue to arise. Every person who is greedy and deluded
goes through stages of this cycle. In daily life, upon
contact between the senses and the sense of objects, the
mind gives rise to pleasant thoughts and feelings. Then
craving arises from pleasure, then clinging arises.
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Once a
craving has arisen in the mind, selfish, narrow-minded
actions immediately follow. While chasing after whatever
lust you consider small happiness, you can also act rough
and easily make enemies. When craving for something
important like wealth, or the act of killing each other, the
consequences are even more disastrous, and constant
suffering can ensue. In the Sutra of the trap bait, the
Buddha shows you how not to fall into the trap of those
harmful desires, without the trap of the world, so that
there is no suffering. The Bible says this:
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At one time
the Blessed One was at Savatthi, at Jetavana, in the garden
of The Person who supports the Lonely Man. Here, the Blessed
One called the bhikkhus and preached as follows:
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Monks,
hunters who spread food for deer in the forest, will not
think:
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- We spread
this food to the deers to eat so that the herd can live
longer, be better, and be nourished for a longer time. On
the contrary, in the mind of the hunter, when spreading food
to the deer, he always thinks:
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- We spread
this food to the deer herd, let this deer herd invade, and
greedily eat the food. After infiltrating, infatuated with
food, they become delirious; by the confusion they become
distracted; due to distraction, they become animals made
according to the wishes of the hunter.
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According to
the scriptures:
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- Food is
synonymous with the world's five nurturing desires.
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- Hunter is
synonymous with Evil, or suffering.
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- The
hunter's relatives are synonymous with the demon's
relatives, or the associated bad retributions.
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- Herds of
deer are synonymous with every human being, you ...
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And as the
Sutra tells you, there are four classes of people.
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1- First
Class
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These first
types of people when they come into contact with the five
desires in the world, they are:
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- When you
see money, you like it
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- Beauty is
what your heart wants to possess
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- Fame means
you want to climb high
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- When you
want to eat, you want to eat well, you defy the toxicity
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- When you
sleep, you like a high bed with a large mattress, and lazy,
... And other-worldly desires.
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This first
class of people, because of the lack of mindfulness and
cultivation, are not aware of the dangers of the five
sensual pleasures in life, so they fall down and eventually
become deluded. Because of confusion, they become
distracted, insatiable, and no longer in control of
themselves. Therefore, this class of people certainly cannot
escape suffering, samsara, and birth and death.
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2- Second
Class
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These people
have mindfulness practices but are extreme, even though they
also know the dangers of the five pleasures and other
temptations in the world. Especially when they see the fall,
debauchery, and suffering of the first class, they tell
themselves not to indulge in sensual pleasures.
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So they give
up the social life, that is, completely give up the 5
sensual pleasures, nourishment, and worldly things, give up
scary things, go deep into the forest and stay. In the
austere and monastic life, they only eat grass or rice, eat
forest leaves, and eat fruit to get through the day. There
are also people who only eat brown rice, people who eat
mustard seeds, people who eat shredded skin, people who eat
rice husks, people who eat rice flour water, people who eat
sesame seeds, people
who eat grass, people who eat cow dung, people who eat
fruit, people who eat the roots of trees in the forest,
people who eat fallen fruit to live.
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Over the
course of many days, especially each year at the end of
summer, grass becomes scarce, and the bodies of these people
become extremely thin. Because their bodies became extremely
thin, their diligent energy was exhausted. Because the
strength of the effort is exhausted, the mind that
cultivates and seeks liberation is also exhausted. Because
the liberated mind is exhausted, the mind is driven and
begins to crave back the five pleasures, and otherworldly
passions. Once they indulge in sensual pleasures they become
bolder than the first and then lead to confusion. Due to
confusion, they become distracted. Due to distraction, they
are lost in samsara, suffering, and retribution like the
first class. These people you find in the ascetic practices
of the pagans.
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3- Third
Person Class
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The third
class of people is people who have mindfulness and practice,
but they are stubborn people. So when they see the first and
second classes of people falling down, they also have
thoughts.
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- The first
class of people, because they do not have mindfulness and
practice, only care about greed, enjoying the five sensual
pleasures, and being tempted by worldly pleasures, must
suffer retribution and fall into samsara.
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- The second
category of people, although they are aware of the dangers
of being attached to the five desires, and other worldly
temptations, have given up once, but because they are too
extreme in their practice, it is not right permission,
excessive asceticism should fall into exhaustion. Once one
has fallen into the passions of the five sensual pleasures,
and the other desires in the world, unable to control
themselves, they will fall into a situation of excessive
freedom, eventually suffer the fruit of suffering, and fall
into the cycle of birth and death
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After
analyzing the mistakes of the above two types of people,
this third class of people decided to establish firm
mindfulness and practice, live in harmony with society, and
contact with the five sensual pleasures but not indulge in
the five sensual pleasures and temptations world, so this
third class of people does not become deluded. By not being
delirious, they will not become distracted. But the biggest
obstacle of these people is to stick to their wrong views,
always asking the question:
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- The world
is permanent or the world is not permanent;
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- The world
is finite or the world is boundless;
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- Life and
body are one or life and body are different;
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- Tathagata
exists after death or Tathagata after death does not exist;
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Although he
has a dedicated spiritual practice, they do not indulge in
the five sensual pleasures and other worldly temptations.
But because of these wrong views, they end up suffering and
falling into samsara.
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4- Fourth
Person Class
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The fourth
class of people is the kind of people who have mindfulness
and practice seriously, and perceive three types of people:
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- The first
class of people, because of their greed for the five sensual
pleasures, and the temptations of worldly pleasures, have to
fall down in samsara.
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- The second
category of people, although they are aware that it is
dangerous to indulge in the five sensual pleasures and other
worldly temptations, they have given up once, but because of
their extreme mindfulness and practice, improperly,
excessive asceticism should fall to extreme exhaustion. When
the momentum can't control itself, it falls into a situation
of excessive freedom, eventually suffers, and falls into
samsara.
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- The third
class people, after analyzing the mistakes of the above two
types of people, this third class of people decided to
establish firm mindfulness and practice, live in harmony
with society, and contact with the five sensual pleasures
but not indulge in the five desires and other worldly
temptations. So, this third class of people does not become
deluded. But then they have strong wrong views, so they end
up falling in samsara
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After
contemplating the reasons why the three classes of people
suffer, and fall in samsara. The fourth type of person
decides to live in the world but does not indulge in worldly
pleasures. By not intruding, not coveting the five worldly
desires, and other temptations, these people do not become
deluded. By not being delirious, one does not become
distracted. Because these people are not distracted, on the
contrary, they still need to practice diligently. In the
process of practicing detachment from sensual pleasures,
away from evil dharmas,
so attaining fruition and staying in the first jhana, a
state of bliss arises due to separation from desire.
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Of the four
classes of people in the Sutra of the trap bait in the
Madhyamagama Sutra of the Pali canon summarizes four classes
of people:
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- The first
category of people are those who do not have mindfulness of
cultivation, do not know what cultivation is, but only care
about worldly pleasures, so they have to suffer.
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- The second
class has mindfulness practice, but falls into extreme
asceticism, so in the end, falls into a state of endless
suffering. This is a picture of the ascetic pagans.
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- The third
class of people are people who have mindfulness and
practice, but fall into a state of stubbornness, so in the
end, the path is not attained, but they also fall into
samsara.
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- The fourth
category of people are people who have mindfulness and
practice seriously. Living in the world without being
entangled in the world, is the image of the Buddha, the
Bodhisattvas, and the saints.
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You see the
fourth class of people who are considered to be superior
people, living in the world without all desires. When
craving and clinging have been eliminated, craving is
completely eliminated, and only the happiness of the present
life is guaranteed and complete liberation.
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As a
Buddhist, when you first entered the religion, you may not
know what to do to avoid the world's trap of sensual
pleasures, nor do you know how to practice properly. But
when you have realized the methods of practice, you begin
your journey, you will also have results.
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So it is
said that true happiness comes only when a craving has been
eradicated. Even if you think it is impractical to attain
the highest happiness, it is very beneficial to reduce your
petty cravings. The more you can let go of cravings, the
easier it will be to feel happiness.
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But how do
reduce or let go of cravings?
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When you
have a thought, you need to clear all conditions, all
cravings for sensual pleasures, reduce cravings, and resolve
to practice according to the Buddha's teachings, through
which step by step the practice of the Eightfold Path
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The way of
growing step by step in the path of the Buddha affects every
aspect of your life. This process can start anytime,
anywhere. You can start from where you are and progress,
step by step. Every new change for the better in behavior or
understanding is based on the will of each person.
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Among those
who have heard the Buddha preach, there are those with a
receptive mind who can achieve perfect happiness right after
hearing the Buddha's step-by-step instructions for the first
time. A few were ready, although as soon as they heard the
transcendental teachings of the Four Noble Truths, their
minds were completely liberated. Most Buddhist disciples
must try to practice the teachings, thoroughly understanding
each step before moving on to the next. It takes many of you
many years to overcome obstacles in understanding before you
can progress to a higher level of inquiry. It takes a lot of
work for most of you to disentangle yourself from the
self-harming attitudes, and others people that have
developed over the years. Yet you have slowly followed the
Buddha's step-by-step path with a lot of patience and
encouragement. Because not everyone can grasp everything at
once. So when it comes to spiritual growth, you all bring
your own past experiences and varying degrees of spiritual
cultivation.
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The Buddha
was a wonderfully subtle teacher. He knows what clear basic
understandings you need before receiving higher teachings.
The doctrine of the Eightfold Path that can destroy the trap
of suffering and lead to happiness consists of three stages
of being built, and dependent on each other: Precept,
concentration, and wisdom.
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The first
stage, precepts, involves accepting certain basic things and
living according to them. The Buddha understood that
thinking, speaking, and acting in accordance with the
precepts are the basic steps that must be taken before
progressing to higher spiritual development. But of course,
you have to have a mind to know what morality is. So He
begins by helping you to cultivate the basic level of Right
View which is the first step and Right Thought the second
step. These psychic abilities help you distinguish between
moral and unethical thoughts and actions,
between good deeds and actions that harm yourself and those
around you.
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Once the right view has
developed, you can begin to apply your new understanding by
practicing the third step of Right Speech, the fourth
step of Right Action, and the fifth step of Right
Livelihood. The stages of practicing good virtuous actions
help your mind to open up, free from hindrances, rejoice and
be confident. When the obstacles from negative actions begin
to fade, concentration can arise.
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- Phase two
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Concentration has three stages. The first is:
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The sixth
step of Right Effort helps your mind focus on each step of
the path. Such efforts are especially necessary when many
unwholesome thoughts arise in the mind while you are
meditating.
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- Followed
by the seventh step mindfulness. To have mindfulness
requires your attention to be complete every minute so that
you can control the variation of things.
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The eighth
step of Right Concentration allows you to rest your mind
uninterrupted on a certain object or thought. Because it is
a positive state of mind, without anger or attachment.
Concentration gives you the spiritual strength you need to
see through your true circumstances.
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- Stage
Three:
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Wisdom, with
precepts as its foundation, concentration will arise.
Therefore, through Concentration, the third stage on the
path of cultivation, wisdom will develop. This brings you
back to the first two steps on the path: Right View and
Right Thought. You begin to experience a burst of wisdom in
your actions. You realize how much you have created
suffering for yourself. You realize by your thoughts, words,
and actions how you have hurt yourself and others. You
realize your lies and face life as it really is. Wisdom is a
bright light for you to not fall into the trap of sensual
pleasures, and to live a full and happy life.
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In short,
when you realize the four ways of life and the four ways of
practice in the Sutra Of The Trap of Bail, through the
Buddha's prompting as a series of successive stages, it
operates in the direction from when you don't know how to
practice until you know how to practice. Practicing
asceticism and then falling into the forbidden precepts, but
finally liberating all, is when you know how to use the way
of using Precepts, Concentration, and Wisdom to support and
develop each other. Each step in the Eightfold Path
reinforces and promotes the remaining steps. As you begin to
practice the whole process, each step will unfold in turn
and each virtuous action or insight will motivate you to
move on to the next step. On the path of practice, you will
have many changes, especially the tendency to enjoy worldly
pleasures is no more, no longer tormenting yourself and
making others suffer. With each turn, you are ready to
accept more responsibility for your attentive thoughts,
words, and actions.
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Applying
your growing intellect to manifest virtuous action, you will
see the value of moral thought and action in everyday life
deeply. As a result, you will notice a change more quickly
in the way you act. Similarly, when you are able to see more
clearly which states of mind are beneficial and which states
of mind you need to let go of, especially let go of the five
worldly sensual pleasures and you put your diligence in a
more proper place. As a result, your concentration will
become deeper and insight will be developed. And in the end,
you will not fall into the trap of worldly sensuality
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chuaduocsu@duocsu.org
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