The Frightful Nature of Sensual Desires

The following account of how detachment from sensual pleasures takes place (kāmādīnava-kathā) is based on the Discourse concerning Potaliya (Potaliya-sutta, MN 54):

The faults and defects of the five objects of sensual pleasures are, in fact, quite numerous.

When a lean and hungry dog finds a piece of bone completely stripped bare of any flesh, with saliva trickling down from its mouth, it bites the bone but it cannot get satisfaction. Because of the rank smell of the bone, the dog cannot leave it and go elsewhere but continues biting the bone from the top to the bottom, from the bottom to the top and again in the middle, with the ardent expectation of relishing the meat and getting satisfied, but this dog may meet with its death without finding any meat on the bone.

In the same way, men and women, all sentient beings, cling to the bone-like material objects of sensual pleasures, both animate and inanimate, such as gold, silver, land and estates, wives and children, etc., just like the lean hungry dog. Although they enjoy having these objects for a long time with much longing and craving, they never become satisfied. They remain in great hope of finding relish and satisfaction. Being attracted and overwhelmed by the sense desires which were aroused in them by the objects of sensual pleasures, sentient beings cannot abandon these objects. Without any thought of renouncing the world to free themselves from the bonds of the pleasures of the senses, they fondly cling to them, eventually to meet their death at the feet of their wives and children while fulfilling their obligations of the household life.

Therefore, the five material objects of sensual pleasures are very much like a piece of fleshless bone as they are full of pain and suffering. Indeed, the desires for sensual pleasures are utterly undependable and full of faults and defects!

Take, for example, an eagle that flies away after snatching a chunk of meat, it is chased by a number of other birds which gather round and attack it. As long as the eagle holds the meat, it is subject to relentless attack and has to endure much suffering. But, as soon as he discards the piece of meat, he is relieved of such woe. Another eagle, which, in turn, picks up this piece of meat and flies away, is also being chased, surrounded and attacked by other birds. Thus each eagle which becomes attached to the meat, which snatches it and flies away, faces the same predicament.

In a similar manner, he who clings to the objects of sensual pleasures as “mine,” “my own,” is subject to the constant dangers of robbery, looting, and cheating, by the five enemies: water, fire, kings, thieves and unloved heirs, who will wreak havoc and misery at every opportunity.

If, on encountering these enemies, he puts up a defence against them to the best of his ability, he is likely to lose his life under unfavourable circumstances. As long as he keeps on clinging to these [269] objects of sensual pleasures, he remains surrounded by all kinds of dangers, and lives a life of restriction. Only through discarding them all will he get the opportunity to live in peace. Therefore, the five material objects of sensual pleasures are very much like a chunk of meat; they are full of pain and suffering. Indeed, the desires for sensual pleasures are utterly undependable and full of faults and defects!

When a large bundle of grass is lighted and carried against the wind, it will burn from the tip downwards, and unless it is thrown away, it will burn parts of the carrier’s limbs such as his hands and legs, etc. He would perhaps meet death or suffer intense pain bordering on death.

In the same manner, the material objects of sensual pleasure, when grasped and taken hold of with the hands of craving as “my own,” “mine,” “my property,” would burn all those, who rejoice in their possessions, with the fires of anxieties for their safekeeping. In spite of endearing care and attention, if these material objects of sensual pleasures, through the natural course of things, become despoiled and wasted, they would develop into a big fire of suffering through anxiety and worry. At times, these raging fires of the material objects of sensual pleasures will develop into the fires of death (maraṇa).

Therefore, to take possession of these material objects, both animate and inanimate, such as wives and children, land and estates, etc., is just like taking possession of the blazing flames and fires. The five material objects of sensual pleasures are very much like burning bundles of grass, they are full of pain and suffering. Indeed, the desires for sensual pleasures are utterly undependable and full of faults and defects!

Being covered by ashes with no visible smoke or flame, the pit of acacia wood embers looks deceptive as if it were not on fire. Anyone who descends into the pit, which has no recognizable signs of fire, would get burnt more severely than being scorched by a blazing flame. He may even lose his life.

In a similar manner, the five material objects of sensual pleasures appear superficially to be pleasant, as manifested through sight, sound, smell, taste and touch, and do not seem to be burning hot. By craving for and taking into possession these objects, when one descends into the ember pit of sensual pleasures, one suffers great pain and misery. Burning with visible blazing flames is apparent to all, but the burning of various tubers, such as arum, yam, etc., which are kept buried in a heap of embers, is not apparent, though the intensity of heat there is much greater than that of a blazing fire.

In the same way, those who descend into and sink into the ember-pit of sensual pleasures, are burnt, not with flames visible to all, but with an intense internal heat. Even as the various tubers, such as arum, yam, etc., kept buried in the ember-pit get burnt, so they are burnt internally by latent heat generated by various thoughts of sensual pleasures, by various difficulties encountered in earning their livelihood, and by all kinds of worry involved in maintaining and feeding their families, they suffer a great anguish unknown to others. This sensual world, which is replete with material objects of sensual pleasure, is like a large pit of embers; the bigger the number of the material objects of sensual pleasures, the greater the mass of burning embers in the pit. Sentient beings of the sensual world are like the tubers, such as arum, yam, etc., which are kept buried inside the burning embers.

Therefore, the five objects of sensual pleasures are very much like a pit of embers; they are full of pain and suffering. Indeed, the desires for sensual pleasures are utterly undependable and full of faults and defects!

A person, while in slumber, may dream of himself being a wealthy man, a provincial governor (padesa-rājā) or an emperor (eka-rājā), enjoying to his heart’s content whatever pleasure of the senses he wishes, thus leading a life of luxury. In his dream, everything seems so real. It appears as if there would be no end of this luxurious living, but when he suddenly wakes up before completely enjoying the luxurious pleasures in the dream, he finds them untraceable, intangible, and of no avail.

In the same way, men and Devas of the sensual world are indulging themselves in their respective [270] mundane and celestial pleasures, being led on by craving, and being deluded by craving (taṇhā), pride (māna) and wrong view (diṭṭhi) into thinking that their life of pleasure is real, permanent and enduring. They are just dreaming. During the infinitesimally short duration of the present life time, while in the course of enjoying the dream-like sensual pleasures, one has to pass into another existence, leaving behind all these sensual pleasures one is so attached to. Then, just as all those pleasurable things, which one encounters in one’s dream, vanish without any trace the moment one wakes up, so also all the material objects of sensual pleasures which one has clung to as “my own,” “mine,” “my property,” during the short duration of the present life, all of them without exception, turn out to be things which have nothing to do with oneself.

Therefore, the five objects of sensual pleasures are very much like things in a dream, they are full of pain and suffering. Indeed, the desires for sensual pleasures are utterly undependable and full of faults and defects!

For example, there are those people, who, having no possessions of their own, have to hire jewellery, such as precious stones, gold and silver, to wear on festive occasions. While they enjoy wearing them as their own with all the happiness that brings, they are asked by the owners to return them, and then they feel sad and dejected because they have none of the borrowed treasures in their hands after returning them to the owners.

In a similar manner, when their past meritorious deeds produce beneficial results in the way of enjoyment of sensual pleasures, they are liable to be deluded into thinking that such pleasures would last forever. When these objects are lost or destroyed as a result of one’s past evil deeds, or when one passes away, they turn out to be things of no use to oneself. Taking his course in life according to circumstances, he who had thought of himself as the real possessor of such sensual pleasures, is left with nothing in hand.

Therefore, the five objects of sensual pleasures are very much like articles taken on loan for temporary use, they are full of pain and suffering. Indeed, the desires for sensual pleasures are utterly undependable and full of faults and defects!

For example, there is a big tree bearing fruit in a big grove near a village. A certain man, roaming about in the grove in search of some fruit to eat, sees the tree and reasons: “This tree is full of tasty fruit but there is not a single fruit which has fallen on the ground. I’m skilful in climbing trees, so I will climb the tree and eat the fruit to my heart’s content. I will also pluck them until the fold of my waist-cloth is full.” With such thoughts, the man climbs the tree, and eats the fruit until he is full; he also plucks enough fruit to fill the fold of his waist-cloth. In the meantime, a second man with a knife in hand enters the grove also in search of fruit to eat. He sees the same tree laden with fruit and thinks: “This tree is full of sweet-tasting fruit. There is no fruit on the ground. I am not skilful in climbing trees. Therefore, I will cut and fell the tree from the base and eat the fruit till I am satisfied. I will also collect them until the fold of my waist cloth is full.” Then the man cuts down the tree. The first man already up in the tree is unable to descend before it is felled by the second man; he will either be maimed or may even lose his life.

Similarly, a wealthy man, enjoying fully the pleasures of the senses, could be approached by another person, who would beat him up and rob him of his material objects or sensual pleasures unless he disposed of them speedily. He would be severely beaten and injured or even meet with death on account of them. If he passed away with an obsession for, or a strong attachment to, sensual pleasures, he would meet with all kinds of suffering such as rebirth in the lower realm (apāya).

Therefore, the five objects of sensual pleasures are very much like the tree fully laden with fruit, they are full of pain and suffering. Indeed, the desires for sensual pleasures are utterly undependable and full of faults and defects!

Or, the five objects of sensual pleasures are like a ripe poison fruit. For example, there is a poison fruit called Kimpakka or Kimphala, which resembles the most [271] relishing ripe mango fruit, pleasing to the eye with alluring aroma and taste; but it causes those eating it to suffer untold pain even leading to death. Those who happen to eat this fruit just because of its colour, smell and taste writhe with pain, with their intestines breaking up and ultimately die in agony like one who has taken arsenic mixed with lime juice.

In a similar manner, the five objects of sensual pleasures are deceptive in outward appearance, deluding those without the eye of wisdom into thinking that they are indeed various delightful, pleasurable materials. Allured by their attractive outward appearance, those who take delight and indulge in them become suffocated with the unwholesome (akusala) poisons of greed, hatred and delusion and after going through all kinds of writhing pains and suffering through worry, anxiety, etc., they helplessly meet with death. Even after death, on account of the poison of sensual pleasures, they do not attain a happy existence, instead they encounter further miseries and difficulties such as rebirth in the downfall (apāya).

Therefore, the five objects of sensual pleasures are very much like a ripe poison fruit, they are full of pain and suffering. Therefore, the desires for sensual pleasures are utterly undependable and full of faults and defects!

For example, it is on the chopping block that criminals and hunted animals, such as deer, etc., are slaughtered; the meat of such game is also cut up and minced on the chopping block. The chopping block is where sentient beings are killed and minced.

In a similar manner, the five objects of sensual pleasures destroy all beings who take delight and indulge in them by cutting up and mincing them with the knife and axe of their own craving for sensual pleasures. All those, who happen to place their necks on the chopping block of sensual pleasures cannot develop the elements of renunciation (nekkhamma-dhātu) to escape to the open space and broad highway of concentration meditation and insight meditation, are destroyed and cut up into pieces with the knife and axe of craving on that very chopping block of sensual pleasures. They come to the end of their lives in a terrible manner.

Therefore, the five objects of sensual pleasures are very much like the chopping block on which the chopping or mincing of meat is carried out, they are full of pain and suffering. Indeed, the desires for sensual pleasures are utterly undependable and full of faults and defects!

For example, the exceedingly sharp edge of a sword or a spear cuts deep and pierces anything that comes into contact with it; they are only weapons for killing and destroying enemies, etc. So also, the five objects of sensual pleasures, possessing the quality of sharpness, cut deep and pierce anyone coming into contact or becoming entangled with them. For example, anyone pierced by the edge of the sword or the spear of a visible object (rūpārammaṇa) is like the fish caught by a baited hook in its intestines; he cannot extricate himself from it all at once, but follows its dictates with passive obedience. Being thus inflicted by the sharp edge of the sword or the spear of a visible object, he becomes forgetful and can no longer pay attention to the practice of morality (sīla), concentration (samādhi) and wisdom (paññā) which he has formerly cultivated. Thus he ends up in ruin. This example applies equally to the objects of hearing (saddārammaṇa), and the others.

Thus, the five objects of sensual pleasures, resembling the sharp edges of five swords or spears, are only weapons for killing and destroying beings. All beings, who have not yet discarded craving for sensual pleasures, have to remain like prisoners amidst the swords or spears of the five sensual objects aiming straight at them in whichever existence they might find themselves. The said five objects of sensual pleasures would automatically get themselves embedded in all beings coming into contact with them, without sparing anyone.

Therefore, the five objects of sensual pleasures are very much like the sharp edge of a sword or a spear, they are full of pain and suffering. Indeed, the desires for sensual pleasures are utterly undependable and full of faults and defects!

The head of a poisonous snake, being filled with potent, deadly venom, is loathsome and frightful. Just as the head of a poisonous snake would cause untold harm to all who happen to come into contact with it, so also the five objects of sensual pleasures are loathsome and frightful since they are filled with a kind of potent poison which could generate the bad blood of the defilements (kilesa), in those who happen to come into contact with them or who are bitten by them.

Just as the head of a poisonous snake would bring only harm but no benefit to the world, so the five objects of sensual pleasures would bring all kinds of frightful danger to the people of the world. Just as one who happens to come into contact with or step on the head of a poisonous snake, so one who happens to come into contact with, or step on the head of, the poisonous snake of the five objects of sensual pleasures, would be exposed to a great danger.

Therefore, the five objects of sensual pleasures are very much like the head of a poisonous snake, they are full of pain and suffering. Indeed, the desires for sensual pleasures are utterly undependable and full of faults and defects!

Or, as is said in the Discourse about the Dangers (Bhaya-sutta, AN 6.23): Indeed, great, frightful danger is the real name for the five sensual pleasures! Suffering is the real name for the five sensual pleasures! Disease is the real name for the five sensual pleasures! Big abscess is the real name for the five sensual pleasures! Tight fastening is the real name for the five sensual pleasures! Inescapable bog is the real name for the five sensual pleasures.

last updated: August 2024