Though,
I have to continue with the discussion of the 'Abstinence', as part-2
of it, a comment came up about the same, hence let us examine that
first.
When
one is led by 'guilt', because of a certain thing, such as
Anger as bad or sex as bad, by parents, teachers, society, etc., that
he/she would develop a 'guilt' and a 'disgust', towards such things
in their minds. Hence, such a one would, 'unconsciously',
without exploring and analyzing any of them, would hide those
feelings. And this hiding, since it it done unconsciously, one
would not know, what that one has suppressed.
(Note:
Developing a 'disgust' towards Anger, Desire, Lust, Ego and Ignorance
as a defilements of the mind having bad outcomes, harmful outcomes,
by understanding them as such, is not a bad thing, but a positive
thing, which would help in putting away those things from the mind,
which is not suppression.)
But
in Bhavana, one does not suppress any of the 'thinking', feelings or
emotions. In the contemplative or meditative stage in the practice of
Bhavana, one would 'Discover', all his 'thinking's feelings and
emotions, as it is, except any 'thoughts' , emotions and feelings
suppressed. The word used here is 'Discovering', as though one has
not suppressed, he was not aware of the any of his 'thinking's,
emotions and feeling, until he pays Attention to breathing. This
paying attention to breathing, and when it is distracted by these,
one would automatically become aware of those, and automatically pay
attention to such distractions, such as 'thinking's, emotions and
feelings, thus 'Discovering' the state of one's own self, as it at
present.
Science
started initially, not with the experimentation, But with
'Discoveries', and still the discoveries continues in many fields of
science. In the same way the practice of Bhavana starts, not with the
hidden things in the mind, but with the manifest things in the mind,
one usually fails to notice, fails to discover.
So
this 'Discovery' of oneself as it is, at present, gives an
opportunity change, in oneself to a better self, by putting away
unnecessary defilements of the mind, when one practices, as to
develop the 'Sati'.
Like
in the science, after these discoveries, one would come to the next
step, which is experimentation. Here one experiments with the
'thinking's, emotions and feeling, so as to identify their effects
and outcomes, by himself. Then he would identify that they are
creating suffering in him, but when he puts them away, temporarily
even for a few minutes, that the sufferings disappear. He would also
by contemplation on these things, about their outcomes, in the
outside world, would understand, that they are leading to harm of
oneself, suffering of oneself, as well as they are creating harm and
suffering to others as well.
With
these greater understanding of the 'thinking's, emotions and
feelings, after discovering them, and after understanding their
outcomes as harmful by oneself, and when one decides to put them
away, by making the necessary 'Adistana' (Determination, Resolution),
then it is not Suppressing things with a guilt, with
non-understanding, unconsciously, without knowing what one is doing.
Then
some meditation teachers, who themselves, apparently not have done
these things in their Bhavana, and therefore have not attained to
Samadi, advice the practitioners, to 'Let go' of things, as a
psychoanalyst or a counsellor would ask one to do. Hence it would
amount to a self suggestion by the practitioner, if he tries to 'let
go', and it would be without any understanding of the nature of those
'thinking's, emotions and feelings, which he would try to 'let go'.
Then there is a possibility that it would lead to the 'Suppression',
without understanding.
In
the previous post of 'Abstinence' (Sila), it was discussed as a
bigging of the topic proper, and only the 'Abstinence' of sex was
discussed to some extent. So let us examine the same, in relation to
'Suppressing', Guilt, putting it away and 'Letting go' of it.
In
the earlier post, it was noted that 'sex' is not termed as a sin or a
merit. Here sin means that it has a bad Karmic effect, rather than
one getting punished or rewarded by a god, for one's actions
(Karmas).
But
illegal sex is a Bad Karma. what are illegal sex, which are bad
karma, according to Buddhism?
If
sex is done with a party, who is unwilling, it is bad Karma.
If sex
is done with a minor, even if that minor is a free parson, it is Bad
Karma, illegal.
If sex is done with an animal, it is Bad Karma.
Over
indulgence in sex is Bad Karma.
Sex done with a major, who is bound,
who is under the protection of parents, etc., and therefore not a
free person, even with the consent of the parson, then it is Bad
Karma, illegal.
The
contraries of the above situations, they are legal and not Bad Karma.
These
situations are not relevant for the practice of Bhavana, in the
sense, they are not defilements of the mind, distracting one's
practice. But they would distract, once, when he has done a bad
karma, as the Karmic effect would take place in the thinking, as
well. By understanding these one has to completely avoid and abstain
from such bad Karmic actions, is unquestionable. But all the
abstinence should come with an understanding, why should one abstain
from.
Then
why one has to abstain from the 'thinking' in sex? It is only to
people who undertake the practice of Bhavana, since any
'thinking' of anything is a distraction to the practice, and this
'thinking' in sex, is addictive and more powerful than any other
'thinking' and one has to put away this 'indulgence' completely, if
one aspires to experience the 'thoughtless' state of Samadi. But if
one want to indulge in such a thinking in sex, it is OK, and even it
cannot be considered as a sin or Bad Karma, then one has to forget
about practicing Bhavana, and forget about achieving Samadi, the
Thoughtless state.
But
in their desire and urge to indulge in sex, there are practitioners
of Bhavana, I have met, where they have many ways of justifying the
sex, and continue the practice of Bhavana, as well. I am sure that
they will continue the practice, but never would come to the Samadi,
which can be achieved, within maximum of three months, if the
practice is right, but within three weeks if the things are right, at
the beginning of the practice itself.
In
the contemplation of 'thinking', when one is 'thinking' about sex,
and it is discovered and meditated upon the same, and once one has
understood the need to totally put away such thinking in sex, the
mind would present oneself with counter arguments, as not to put away
the thinking in sex, as well as 'abstaining' from sex physically.
These 'thinking's which comes as counter arguments are known as
'Deceptive Thoughts', and they try to deceive oneself from one's own
understanding, of the 'sexual thinkings' as harmful, and as a major
distraction to the practice.
These
'Deceptive thoughts' not only try to deceive oneself, in not to
abandon or put away the thinking in sex, but the 'Deceptive thoughts'
would arise to defend the thinking, in terms of Anger, Desire, Ego
and Ignorance, as well.
Deceptive
thinking is driven by the 'urge' to maintain the thinking in terms of
Anger, Desire, Lust, Ego and Ignorance, and when if one is lucky to
detect this 'Urge', by putting away that Urge one can easily do away
with the 'thinking' of the same. But is is doubtful, whether one
would be able to discover this 'Urge', as at the beginning stage of
the practice. Since, even without discovering the 'urge', one can
discover the 'Deceptive thinking', and should put away those
thinking, as well as indulgence in thinking.
Therefore
this putting
away of
distraction in the Bhavana, as 'thinking', as emotions, as feelings,
are neither a suppression nor a 'Letting go', as it is done with
understanding and with Adistana (Determination, Resolution).
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