Guest guest Posted April 17, 2006 Report Share Posted April 17, 2006 Friends: Happiness of the Flesh, Not of this World and Beyond!!! The Blessed Buddha once said:And what, Bhikkhus, are then this simple happiness of the flesh ? There are these five strings of sense-pleasure. What five ? Visible forms experiencable by the eye ... Hearable sounds experiencable by the ear ...Smellable odours experiencable by the nose ...Tastable flavours experiencable by the tongue ...Touchable objects experiencable by the body ...Recognizable mental states experiencable by the mind ...That all are attractive, captivating, desirable, irresistible, lovely, agreeable, tempting, pleasing, sensually enticing, seductive, alluring, and tantalizing...!!!These are the five strings of sense-pleasure. The happiness, that arises from these five strings of sense-pleasure: this is simply the happiness of the flesh … And what, Bhikkhus, is then the happiness, that is not of this world ? Having eliminated the 5 mental hindrances, mental defects that obstruct understanding, quite secluded from sensual desires, protected from any detrimental mental state, one enters & dwells in the 1st jhana; full of joy & pleasure born of solitude, joined with directed & sustained thought.Again, friends, with the stilling of directed & sustained thought, one enters & dwells in the 2nd jhana, calmed assurance & unification of mind with joy & pleasure now born of concentration, devoid of any thought! Again, friends, with the fading away of joy, the friend dwells in equanimity, aware & clearly comprehending, still feeling pleasure in the body, he enters upon & remains in the 3rd jhana, regarding which the Noble Ones declare: 'In aware equanimity one dwells in Happiness!'...This is the happiness ,that is not of this world! What, Bhikkhus, is then the happiness beyond that bliss, which is not of this world? When a bhikkhu, whose mental fermentations are eliminated, reviews his mind liberated from lust, freed from hatred, and released from confusion, there arises a transcendental happiness. This is called happiness which is beyond even that bliss, that is not of this world... Source (edited extract):The Grouped Sayings of the Buddha. Samyutta Nikaya. Book IV [235-7]section 36:11 On Feeling: Vedanā. Joys beyond this world ... http://www.pariyatti.com/book.cgi?prod_id=948507http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/samyutta/index.html Friendship is the Greatest ... Bhikkhu Samahita, Sri Lanka. http://What-Buddha-Said.net/ Buddha-Direct What_Buddha_Said Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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