Now the man who lives for the sake of sensuality ought to give a thought to an old saying: "Seeking pleasure in eating, sleeping, and sex and avoiding danger--all these man and beast have in common. What sets man aparti s Dharma. Without Dharma man in no different from the beasts."
This is an old saying dating back to pre-Buddhist times, and no doubt also current at the time of the Buddha. In any case it certainly accords with Buddhist principles. Human beings normally feel the same way as lower animals towards eating, sleeping, and sex, and danger in the form of disease, pain, and enemies. The lower animals can handle these things just as well as human beings. Preoccupation with these things, which any animal has access to, indicates a none too high level of intelligence. And because those objects of sensuality have such an influence over the mind, it is difficult for any ordinary being to recognize them for what they are and break free from them.
To live for sensuality by way of eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind will never lead to Liberation, The average run of people are far removed from the top level, the highest stage attainable in human birth. Having become obsessed with sense objects, they have got stuck half-way along the road, mid-way towards the goal. They are no to be taken as a model. If this sensuality were really as precious as they seem to think it is;then, they together with their animal counterparts ought to be rated the highest of beings.
At this point we ought to mention that even celestial beings dwelling in the "heaven of sensuality" (kakavacaradevata) are in no way especially well-off. They too are subject to suffering and anxiety. They too are impure constantly defiled by their inappropriate bodily, vocal and mental actions. Devatas of this type, whenever they succeed in elevating themselves, leave their heave of sensuality and go off in search of Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. Sensuality even in its highest form is not by any means the highest thing for man and no man should maintain that this was the purpose for which he was born.
This is an old saying dating back to pre-Buddhist times, and no doubt also current at the time of the Buddha. In any case it certainly accords with Buddhist principles. Human beings normally feel the same way as lower animals towards eating, sleeping, and sex, and danger in the form of disease, pain, and enemies. The lower animals can handle these things just as well as human beings. Preoccupation with these things, which any animal has access to, indicates a none too high level of intelligence. And because those objects of sensuality have such an influence over the mind, it is difficult for any ordinary being to recognize them for what they are and break free from them.
To live for sensuality by way of eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind will never lead to Liberation, The average run of people are far removed from the top level, the highest stage attainable in human birth. Having become obsessed with sense objects, they have got stuck half-way along the road, mid-way towards the goal. They are no to be taken as a model. If this sensuality were really as precious as they seem to think it is;then, they together with their animal counterparts ought to be rated the highest of beings.
At this point we ought to mention that even celestial beings dwelling in the "heaven of sensuality" (kakavacaradevata) are in no way especially well-off. They too are subject to suffering and anxiety. They too are impure constantly defiled by their inappropriate bodily, vocal and mental actions. Devatas of this type, whenever they succeed in elevating themselves, leave their heave of sensuality and go off in search of Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. Sensuality even in its highest form is not by any means the highest thing for man and no man should maintain that this was the purpose for which he was born.
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