Eradicating sex drive

Buddhist ethical conduct including the Five Precepts (Pañcasikkhāpada), and Eightfold Ethical Conduct (Aṭṭhasīla).
User avatar
tiltbillings
Posts: 23046
Joined: Wed Dec 31, 2008 9:25 am

Re: Eradicating sex drive

Post by tiltbillings »

reflection wrote:There is a tendency here that "eradicating sex drive" is a harsh formulation and may be the wrong way to go about it. Reading the OP also, I agree with that. But the Buddha also used quite strong words apparently:
"And which is even practice? There is the case where a monk doesn't acquiesce to an arisen thought of sensuality. He abandons it, destroys it, dispels it, knows it,[2] demolishes it, wipes it out of existence.

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .than.html

However I think we should remember that removing sensual thoughts totally is a very advanced stage in the practice and certainly not the thing to aim for if we are not in the right place for it.
And we should remember that the above words are directed at celibate monks.
>> Do you see a man wise [enlightened/ariya] in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.<< -- Proverbs 26:12

This being is bound to samsara, kamma is his means for going beyond. -- SN I, 38.

“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?” HPatDH p.723
User avatar
Sekha
Posts: 789
Joined: Wed Jan 20, 2010 12:32 am
Location: Earth
Contact:

Re: Eradicating sex drive

Post by Sekha »

tiltbillings wrote:
"And which is even practice? There is the case where a monk doesn't acquiesce to an arisen thought of sensuality. He abandons it, destroys it, dispels it, knows it,[2] demolishes it, wipes it out of existence.
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .than.html
And we should remember that the above words are directed at celibate monks.
If you mean to say those words are meant only for monks, I have to disagree. At AN 8.21 the householder Ugga explains that he undertook complete celibacy as his 5th precept. So, celibacy can also be a valuable and efficient practice for non-monastics. We should not try to convince ourselves otherwise.
Where knowledge ends, religion begins. - B. Disraeli

http://www.buddha-vacana.org" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
User avatar
Zom
Posts: 2712
Joined: Fri May 08, 2009 6:38 pm
Location: Russia, Saint-Petersburg
Contact:

Re: Eradicating sex drive

Post by Zom »

However I think we should remember that removing sensual thoughts totally is a very advanced stage in the practice and certainly not the thing to aim for if we are not in the right place for it.
Exactly so. I tried it 7 years ago, but didn't succeed. Only when I practised other things well (including those three I mentioned) I finally managed to handle it -) And what is more, at the moment this is no longer a harsh struggle (like before), but it goes smoothly for quite some time. So yes, I do know that substantial decreasing of sexual urges is possible by means of buddhist practice. But total eradication of this is a very different thing and, as I see it from texts, requires jhana and deep vipassana based on it.
Is there some mention of this in Buddhism, of the connection between the urges for food and sex?
Not much. But there is. For example:

"In the same manner, I say, O monks, should edible food be considered. If, O monks, the nutriment edible food is comprehended, the lust for the five sense-objects is (thereby) comprehended. And if lust for the five sense-objects is comprehended, there is no fetter enchained by which a noble disciple might come to this world again.

from here: http://www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=12444 :reading:
User avatar
reflection
Posts: 1116
Joined: Wed Mar 30, 2011 9:27 pm

Re: Eradicating sex drive

Post by reflection »

tiltbillings wrote:
reflection wrote:There is a tendency here that "eradicating sex drive" is a harsh formulation and may be the wrong way to go about it. Reading the OP also, I agree with that. But the Buddha also used quite strong words apparently:
"And which is even practice? There is the case where a monk doesn't acquiesce to an arisen thought of sensuality. He abandons it, destroys it, dispels it, knows it,[2] demolishes it, wipes it out of existence.

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .than.html

However I think we should remember that removing sensual thoughts totally is a very advanced stage in the practice and certainly not the thing to aim for if we are not in the right place for it.
And we should remember that the above words are directed at celibate monks.
Technically that's true, but that doesn't mean that the practice of celibacy is only for monks/nuns. Most suttas are directed towards monks, but the practice is obviously also for lay people. Suttas like the anapanasati sutta, to quote: "There is the case where a monk.. Always mindful, he breathes in; mindful he breathes out.", but obviously the practice is also beneficial for lay people. It seems that it is simply the case that discourses were remembered by the monks and passed on and discourses to the lay people not as much. You will probably agree that being a lay person doesn't mean you should have sex or should have a desire for it. Or to be more exact: any sensual desire. Because those, like desire for food, are included in the sutta.

Some lay people wish to be more 'like monks/nuns', or have plans to ordain or for whatever other reason they may want to decrease their sensual desires. At a certain point in the practice I think it becomes a natural desire to want to decrease sensual craving, because one sees the drawback of it.

But as I previously said I think such discussions are not the point of the thread.
User avatar
reflection
Posts: 1116
Joined: Wed Mar 30, 2011 9:27 pm

Re: Eradicating sex drive

Post by reflection »

greenjuice wrote: Is there some mention of this in Buddhism, of the connection between the urges for food and sex?
There is, but I don't know specifics in the suttas themselves. Other than that to totally remove sensual desire, all sensual desires (food/sex/music etc go together). I do however recall teachers pointing to practical aspects of the desires for food connecting with overall sense desire and thank you for bringing it up! :anjali:
Disciple
Posts: 513
Joined: Thu Sep 13, 2012 9:13 pm

Re: Eradicating sex drive

Post by Disciple »

How can we eliminate something that is simply a human biological need?
dxm_dxm
Posts: 423
Joined: Sun Aug 28, 2011 2:32 am
Location: Romania, Bucharest
Contact:

Re: Eradicating sex drive

Post by dxm_dxm »

How can we eliminate something that is simply a human biological need?
Same way you elliminate all the others biological, mental etc. needs: by having the right mindset and been able to abstain from it long enaught.

After a while (surprisingly short while) you will feel no desire for sexual activity anymore, the same way you do not feel a desire for heroin.
dxm_dxm
Posts: 423
Joined: Sun Aug 28, 2011 2:32 am
Location: Romania, Bucharest
Contact:

Re: Eradicating sex drive

Post by dxm_dxm »

I am not afraid of it, nor do I hold negative feelings towards it.
If you have a partner and she is not a wanna-be renunciate too there is no urgent reason to stop sexual activity. If you quit this one out of a billion pleasures that bring us dopamine you will still have the others to quit, like the mind wandering in search of pleasant sensations and avoiding negative ones. It would be bad to cut off this pleasure from the list depriving another human been of it too. Only thing you can do is get advanced in meditation and cut off more from the attachment to sensual pleasures overall.

However you seem to be a bit too aggressive on this subject, almost encoureging it but a particular kind of agression. The one that springs from seen too many people using the fact that they've quited sex for narcissistic supply and been way more radical against it than you are pro (pro in a particular context). Quiting sex is a huge source of narcissistic supply and as you can read in "The broken Buddha" it is kinda the one and only justification of those bad monks for been superior. Only 1% of the people are narcissist but 100% of people have more or less narcissistic traits been something needed for survival.

Been a narcissist who have quited sexual activity and not been a meditation master yet I can confirm you that this is a very big and special source of narcissistic supply for the next reasons:

1. Althow very easy to quit compared to any other medium/high pleasures, probably the easiest, it makes you feel "special", a thing that every narcissist wants. It makes you feel special because the other people think it is so hard that they do not even think it is possible and you try to lie that to yourself too.

2. Narcissist are a lot more asexual than normal people from the begining. Narcissist despise sex because anybody can have it, not only the "special" ones. Even a mentally retarded can have sex. That is why sex is considered too mundane for a special person like the narcissist.

3. Narcissist are misogins and love to sexually frustrate woman by refusing sex. After I quited sexual activity I found how big this pleasure really is and try to avoid it. (I also have great tips) If I would not be a budhist and be the most convinced hedonist of all I would give up sex for this reason alone.

4. It makes the narcissist less dependent on the world, something that he want's a lot too.



So keep in mind that the overreactions from the people who have quited it may cause the same need to overreact in you. Why do you think that there are so many people that from all pleasures have quited sex on this forum if not because of the narcissistic traits in all of us?

PS: I have to add that quiting sexual activity has a lot of big practical advantages that few know of witch I am gona enumerate if anybody is interested. If I would be a convinced hedonist right now trying to get as much pleasure as posible in this life I would for sure quit sexual activity with other people and keep only masturbation on my list.
User avatar
robertk
Posts: 5613
Joined: Sat Jan 03, 2009 2:08 am

Re: Eradicating sex drive

Post by robertk »

Actually I think that is rather insightful(the post on narcissism).
User avatar
Mkoll
Posts: 6594
Joined: Wed Dec 05, 2012 6:55 pm
Location: USA

Re: Eradicating sex drive

Post by Mkoll »

dxm_dxm wrote:PS: I have to add that quiting sexual activity has a lot of big practical advantages that few know of witch I am gona enumerate if anybody is interested.
Dear dxm_dxm,

I'd be interested in your views. Just for curiousity's sake, you know. :tongue:

:anjali:
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa
User avatar
manas
Posts: 2678
Joined: Thu Jul 22, 2010 3:04 am
Location: Melbourne, Australia

Re: Eradicating sex drive

Post by manas »

Regarding the original post...as I understand it:

if we wish to eradicate sex desire, we need to attain the third level of awakening, anagami;

if we wish to suppress sex desire, in such a way that we simply won't be troubled by it for a while, we need to master one or more of the jhanas;

But in the meantime, even without either of these, there is still a lot we can do in dealing with it in a skillful way. I think, though, that the idea of 'eradicating' it in the early stages of practice, is going to cause more stress than ease, because it just doesn't disappear that easily. Although over time, we can learn various skills that make it much easier to not be a slave to it, etc. But I would suggest a healthy dose of patience for those who want to 'eradicate' it totally.

:anjali:
Last edited by manas on Wed Jan 01, 2014 3:56 am, edited 1 time in total.
To the Buddha-refuge i go; to the Dhamma-refuge i go; to the Sangha-refuge i go.
User avatar
Mkoll
Posts: 6594
Joined: Wed Dec 05, 2012 6:55 pm
Location: USA

Re: Eradicating sex drive

Post by Mkoll »

Dear friends,

As manas said, focusing on the "eradication" of sexual desire will probably cause more stress than it removes. The anāgāmi has not only eradicated sexual desire, but all desire for the five senses. This is no mean feat. And it tells me that sexual desire is to be eradicated along with sensual desire in all of its myriad manifestations. So it's probably not a good idea to focus exclusively on sexual desire.

:anjali:
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa
Strive4Karuna
Posts: 318
Joined: Sun Dec 30, 2012 9:38 am

Re: Eradicating sex drive

Post by Strive4Karuna »

From my experience,

Seeing, accepting, not judging, not acting on it based on right intention to overcome sex drive

when you have done this, you need to do something to counter the lust, even if you have stopped the lust from growing in you, it is still there so you have to scoop it out. Meditate on the 32 parts of the body, how dirty our bodies actually are and it is our ignorance which is the reason why we see attraction in the human body which is like an animals. Meditation on loving kindness, compassion, equanimity, altruistic joy will help you control your lust a lot better. When you genuinely love someone, the love and care you have for that person helps you to see that person as a human first, your brother or sister in the world and how you can be of benefit to them instead of only seeing that person as an object of your gain and desire.
User avatar
manas
Posts: 2678
Joined: Thu Jul 22, 2010 3:04 am
Location: Melbourne, Australia

Re: Eradicating sex drive

Post by manas »

karuna wrote:how dirty our bodies actually are and it is our ignorance which is the reason why we see attraction in the human body which is like an animals.
I used to think like that, but lately I question whether seeing our body as 'dirty' is a very healthy way to live. Sure, I am not attracted to a sexual partner's internal organs, but only to how they appear on the outside. But so what? Anyway, to see it as filth is one perspective, but I prefer my current one: it is the most wonderful biological machine on Earth, worth taking good care of, and quite miraculous in how it functions, heals itself, etc. While the 'insides' are not conducive to sexual arousal, I still don't see them as 'dirty', but increasingly nowadays, as fascinating. If you look closely at the bones of the skeleton one by one, you can see that this 'inner structure' we have is actually beautiful, in it's own way.

manas

:anjali:
To the Buddha-refuge i go; to the Dhamma-refuge i go; to the Sangha-refuge i go.
User avatar
fivebells
Posts: 416
Joined: Thu Mar 12, 2009 12:52 am

Re: Eradicating sex drive

Post by fivebells »

They're both accurate perspectives, and useful in some contexts. If you're having trouble settling down due to desire, the disgust perspective is useful. If you're trying to brighten the mind, the wonder perspective is useful.
Post Reply