Srinath Jellybaby:Felipe, one thing I wonder about is how indulging in fun and justifying this as actualism may lead to just gratifying instinctual passions and diving headlong into materialism.
The Buddhist moralising with regards to sex and the byzantine complexity of the vinaya always struck me as weird, unnatural and unnecessary. So I'm definitely not one for prudery or morality. On the other hand I wonder about whether there are 'skillful' or 'wholesome' gratifications so to speak.
Look how materialism implies a desire (an instinctual passion) and therefore the joy you feel in a materialism framework only comes when your desires are fulfilled. Therefore, it's a conditional, impermanent, extrinsic fulfillment. You need the external object to feel the feeling. Now take a look at felicity which acts actually in the reversed way: when there's felicity/harmlessness as a baseline, one is already virtually fulfilled and whatever materials that come will be more appreciated (specially in the sensuous pleasure department) as added values. Note, however, affective felicity is still conditional and compounded at some level (actual felicity, the felicity one has when one is actually free, is unconditional) but it's vastly less than the one that comes from passions/feelings such as desire, love, compassion, bliss, sympathy, etc. All that being said, there is nothing "wrong" or "incorrect" or "dangerous" in seeking felicity in the material, ordinary things as sources, provided that you are using them as tools to sincerely develop felicitous states. You just need to be sincere in your intent and intelligent on how you approach and relate to those things.
Also, it's useful to investigate why one goes for and emphasizes the material answers. The answer may be that one is trying to avoid or counter some negative feeling, which will produce, again, an attachment to that false answer (alcohol, drugs, television, religion, etc.). Actually, a good way to cultivate felicity is not by countering the negative feelings but by investigating and diminishing the passions that originates them. When both "good" and "bad" feelings are diminished, a spontaneous and natural harmony arises as your default state. Consider again that happy and harmless means no-sorrow and no-malice. Then, the free affective energy that comes from the liberation from those good/bad feelings can be used to stimulate felicitous/innocuous feelings. So, there are two very interrelated approaches to cultivate felicity: fueling it directly to develop your velocity and momentum, but also eliminating the obstacles that slow it down (investigating good and bad feelings).
If it's of any use, the following points illustrate how I've been experiencing/approaching reality during three phases: 1) normal, pre-spiritual mode; 2) spiritual mode (Tibetan Buddhism, which emphasizes compassion and putting the others before oneself); 3) actualist mode. All this with the disclaimer: this is how it's been for me personally, others may or may not relate to this.
1) Normal modeI see an attractive female body --> Lust, desire arise --> "Man, I'd like to fuck her!" (I use "fuck" to convey all the energy involved)
Self-centered. This implies the compulsive materialistic pursue in order to fulfill a sexual desire. The following feelings could be frustration, attachment, increased libido.
2) Spiritual modeI see an attractive female body --> Lust, desire repressed/sublimed into beauty, kindness, compassion, love arise --> "I'm glad for her that she's attractive."
Other's-self-centered (applied as an opposite to self-centered, but self-centered nonetheless). This implies the avoidance/sublimation/sugarcoating of sexual desire. The following feelings could be self-satisfaction, feeling good about oneself.
3) Actualist modeI see an attractive female body --> Low levels of lust, desire; instead, an aesthetic, pleasant appreciation --> "oh, look, that's pleasant to see."
Felicity-centered. This implies an aesthetic appreciation, a lot more free from attachment, desire, lust, shame, guilt. The following feeling could be keep feeling happy with whatever comes next to your sight, as you simply move on.
In summary, when in doubt, ask yourself when you do/think something pleasant but your not sure about its nature: Why am I doing this? Am I focusing on the fun or the object itself? Am I trying to fulfill some desire? Am I trying to avoid/oppose/sublimate some negative feeling with this? In what way an instinctual passion is involved here (is there some component of reproduction/survival that guides my behavior)?
Such an amazing ride!
- Felipe