Hi Jason,
I do not for a minute expect you to change your cherished views/beliefs from reading the following (likewise, I am unlikely to change my cherished views/beliefs in any great hurry from reading a paragraph or two posted on DhO).
However, I offer this up for your wise reflection:
[This is an excerpt from a book about the life of Acariya Mun (if you haven't heard of him, he is considered one of the greatest Thai monks of the last century (coming from the forest traditions - I hope that doesn't put you off that he did meditate in caves and secluded places. He did also mix with ordinary worldings and teach the Dhamma to simple villagers, city dwellers and monks/nuns and others (deities). It is a fascinating read and the author who only died recently (couple of years ago aged in his late 90s), was a disciple of his an also considered to be an arahant.]
I actually start with a note from the main text which follows.
If you are interested the book can be read online
hereP. 477-478 Note 19 (Ragatanha):
the belief that the body is oneself and that happiness can be achieved for oneself
through bodily sensations, rãgatanhã is the desire, even craving, to seek pleasure and
self-gratification by means of the physical body. With this mental defilement as the
driving force, most people attempt to overcome discontent and find fulfillment using
physical stimulation as the primary means. If such craving is allowed a free rein, it
easily becomes a preoccupation which gives rise to even more craving, leaving the heart forever hungry and disatisfied. For lust is a hunger that no amount of gluttony can satiate. The harder one tries to find satisfaction in this way, the more one suffers the consequences. This deep rooted sexual drive is the main fetter binding living beings to the Sensuous World (Kama-loka).
But as Acariya Mun points out here, Ragatanha has a more sinister side, for passionate intentions can easily become aggresive and violent. Thus, united in a passion for physical stimulation the kilesas of greed and aversion join forces in the guise of ragatanha, which strives to assuage its insatiable hunger by dominating and exploiting others. In this way, passion for sex and lust for power are two aspects of the same fundamental craving. The thirst for war and murder, the thirst for torture and all forms of abuse, all have their roots in ragatanha. As such ragatanha is a primary factor governing birth in sub-human realms (demons, ghosts, animals and hells).
P.81-84 (notes 17, 18, 19 in bold although I have only inserted note 19 (above which I feel relevent to this thread).
To the question “Where do human beings come from?” Ãcariya Mun’s
reply was:
“All human beings have a mother and father who gave birth to them.
Even you yourself were not born miraculously from a hollow tree. We
all obviously have parents who gave birth to us and raised us, so this
question is hardly an appropriate one. Were I to say that human beings
are born of ignorance and craving, this would cause more confusion
and misunderstanding than if I gave no answer at all. People have no
knowledge whatsoever of what ignorance and craving are, although they
are present there in everyone – except, of course, in the Arahants. The
trouble is people are not interested enough to make the necessary effort
for understanding these things, so that leaves the obvious answer: we
are born of our parents. This then opens me up to the criticism that
I’ve answered too briefly. But it is hard to give a reply which goes to the
truth of the matter, when the one asking the question is not really much
interested in the truth to begin with. The Lord Buddha taught that both
people and animals are born of avijjã paccaya sankhãra… samudayo hoti.17
The ceasing of birth, which is the cessation of all dukkha, stems from
avijjãya tveva asesavirãga nirodhã sankhãrã nirodho … nirodho hoti.18 This
condition is inherent within the heart of each and every person who has
kilesas. Once the truth has been accepted, it becomes clear that it’s just
this which leads to birth as a human being or an animal until the world
becomes so crowded one can hardly find a place to live. The primary
cause is just this ignorance and insatiable craving. Though we haven’t
even died yet, we are already searching for a place to be born into where
we can carry on living – an attitude of mind that leads human beings
and animals all over the world to birth and constant suffering. Anyone
wishing to know the truth should take a look at the citta that’s full of
the kind of kilesas which are frantically looking to affirm birth and life
at all times. That person will undoubtedly find what he’s looking for
without having to ask anyone else. Such questions merely display a level
of ignorance that indicates the inquirer is still spiritually inadequate.
The citta tends to be the most unruly, conceited thing in the world. If
no interest is taken in reigning it in, we will never become aware of
how really stubborn it is, and all our noble hopes and aspirations will
come to nothing.”
What is it that causes the sexual attraction between men and women and
animals of the same species, since they’ve never been taught this? Ãcariya
Mun replied:
“Rãgatanhã19 is not to be found in any book, nor is it learned in school
from a teacher. Rather, rãgataõhã is a stubbornly shameless condition
that arises and exists in the hearts of men and women, causing those who
have this vulgar condition to come under its spell and become vulgar
themselves without ever realizing what’s happening. Rãgataõhã makes
no distinction between man, woman, or animal, nationality, social status
or age group. If it is strong it can easily cause disaster in the world. If
there is insufficient presence of mind to restrain it and keep it within
acceptable limits, sexual craving will become like runaway floodwater,
overflowing the banks of the heart and spreading out to flood towns and
cities, leaving ruin everywhere in its wake. Such a condition has always
been able to thrive within the hearts of all living beings precisely because
it receives constant nourishment and support – things which give it
the strength to assert its suffocating influence continuously, sowing
havoc and causing misery around the world.
We hear only about
floods occurring in towns and cities, and how they cause destruction to
people and their belongings. No one is interested in noticing the flood
of rãgatanhã engulfing the hearts of people who are quite content to let
themselves and their belongings be ravaged by those surging floodwaters
all year round. Consequently, no one understands the real reason for the
on-going deterioration of world affairs because each and every person
is contributing to and encouraging this situation by failing to recognize
that rãgataõhã is directly responsible for the worsening situation. If we
do not focus our attention on the real cause, it will be impossible for us
to find any genuine sense of contentment.”
The original question asked only about that aspect of rãgataõhã
concerning the attraction between people, completely ignoring the
destruction instigated by rãgataõhã through hatred and anger. But in
his explanation Ãcariya Mun touched on the full range of detrimental
results stemming from rãgataõhã.
cont.... in next post
