[Buddha-l] FW: beauty--or art-- (?) and the restraint of the senses

[Jayarava]

On Mon, 11/5/09, jkirk wrote:

> These terms (Bodhi) are: "desirable, lovely, agreeable, pleasing, 
> sensually, enticing, tantalizing." Were any of these kusala
> and bhaddaka? SN, Bhikkhu Boddi, 118(5), Sakka's Question, p. 1192 

The terms are in this sentence (CSCD ed.): "Santi kho, devānaminda, cakkhuviññeyyā rūpā, iṭṭhā kantā manāpā piyarūpā kāmūpasaṃhitā rajanīyā."  

There are, Devānaminda, forms to be recognised (viññeyyā) by the eye which are:

*iṭṭha - pleasing, welcome, agreeable (from iṣ - to desire, want, wish etc)
*kanta - pleasant, lovely, enjoyable (pp of kāmeti - c.f. kāma)
*manāpa - pleasing, pleasant, charming
*piyarūpā - delightfully formed (taking it to be a bahuvrīhi) 
*kāmūpasaṃhita - endowed (upasaṃhita) with kāma (see kanta) (karmadharya?)
*rajanīya - of the nature of rajas (gerund of rajati "to shine, to be
  coloured or light") meaning: arousing, exciting, enticing

It should be noted that none of these are seen as wholesome. I think this sutta really gets to the heart of the existential problem the Buddha identified: our relationship with pleasant sensations - we seek delight in them, we welcome them, and try to hold on to them, we try to cling to them, and when (as experiences must) they prove to be impermanent we are disappointed. 

I still have a long way to go on researching this, but this seems to be the arena in which dependent arising is intended to apply. Reading so far I haven't found anything which is strongly against this idea (in Pāli texts anyway).

Regards
Jayarava