53. The Five Strands of Sensual Pleasure
By Luang Pu Thate Desaraṅsī
April 30, 1988
On Uposatha days, the fifteenth day of the lunar fortnight, we gather together to recite the Pātimokkha. As we listen to each training rule, we review the various rules we are practicing, in order to examine and check ourselves. In truth, we are constantly examining our actions — at all times, in every moment — examining our body, speech, and mind. There's no need to look elsewhere. No need to wait fifteen days for an inspection like when we listen to the Pātimokkha. What is truly real is right here with us: our own body, speech, and mind. We know ourselves well.
Is our body good? Is our speech good? Is our mind good? Are they correct? We know ourselves at all times. We don't need others to tell us, don't need others to remind us. We are constantly acting — this is called having mindfulness to control our mind. We have come here to practice. What else would we practice other than training our body, speech, and mind? We do it right at body, speech, and mind — to make them peaceful and proper. Don't let body, speech, and mind be reckless in various ways. When they are not calm, be aware of it. Whether thoughts are good or bad, coarse or refined — we know them in every moment. Only then can we be called practitioners — eliminating the defilements that scatter to various places, gathering them into calmness right here.
Defilements have infiltrated within us. All of us, without exception — they are right there inside us. Whether monk or novice, they have infiltrated within. The defilements we have accumulated for a long time, over countless lifetimes, gradually building up, gradually manifesting in ourselves. Having ordained as a monk doesn't mean we become a monk instantly. When will that happen? We are still laypeople at heart. All those defilements are still right there. No one can completely purify them as long as we are still in training. Even the noble ones who have eliminated defilements still have what are called 'functional actions' — but they understand those actions for what they are. We, however, don't understand and cling to them as a real self, as a real agent. Therefore, we must be careful — careful in every moment, at all times. Having ordained as monks, we are called practitioners. Practice is not somewhere far away. Practice is right here at the six sense bases.
The eye sees forms. There is love, delight, and satisfaction — that is not yet a monk; that is an ordinary layperson. One may be a monk in body, but the mind is still a layperson. If that love and satisfaction diminish somewhat, that's a bit better. It's nowhere else — it's right here. When our eye sees a form, whatever form it may be — even the opposite sex, or any external form like trees, mountains, and hills — when it sees external forms and delight, satisfaction, desire, wanting to have, wanting to be those forms arises, that is departing from these five strands of sensual pleasure, departing from the sensual world. That is not yet a monk; it is still an ordinary layperson. We should be aware, should wake up. People respect, revere, and offer veneration to monks. Are we worthy of their veneration yet? Or are we still acting the same as before? We should dissolve our ego, should always be aware.
Sounds we hear are the same. Pleasant sounds, unpleasant sounds, coarse or refined, sweet or gentle — if there is still delight and satisfaction, that is departing from the five strands of sensual pleasure. Love, delight, satisfaction — these depart from all five strands. These are the root causes. Understand that this is not yet a monk. If we contemplate to see their drawbacks, we should become disenchanted, see them as impermanent, suffering, not-self — that is still somewhat better than a layperson. Truly seeing their drawbacks is already better than an ordinary layperson.
Smells, tastes, tactile sensations, and mental phenomena are the same — all are the five strands of sensual pleasure. They are a cause for turmoil, a cause for distraction, a cause for the mind to be unsettled. Even if we cannot yet calm it, we should carefully guard and restrain it. Even if the mind is not calm, keep it restrained so that it becomes calm. That is somewhat better than letting it indulge heedlessly without bounds — which is truly a layperson, without even a trace of monkhood within.
Therefore we should be careful, should feel shame toward ourselves. Others may not know, but we should be ashamed of ourselves. We are monks, practitioners. People respect, revere, and venerate us, yet our own mind is actually more depraved than theirs. Those who practice see the drawbacks and dangers, so they gradually come to practice, to guard themselves, to become calm from those various mental states. That means they are better than us. As monks, if we don't develop any ingenuity or wisdom, we should seek knowledge and skill from books. Keep books for reference. Some monks are too lazy to read books, unwilling to contemplate, unwilling to take wisdom from books. In this era, there is much education available — we don't need to rely on teachers that much. With texts and treatises, we can manage on our own. When necessary, when stuck, we should study with a teacher — go to see and approach our teacher. Then it will accumulate, and we will become a person of high learning.