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, one 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 the happiness beyond that happiness, 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 beyond that happiness,
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=948507
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/samyutta/index.html
Updated:
13 Aug 2007
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Happiness_of_the_Flesh_and_Beyond.htm