Well sexual relations lead to many problems between couples in general. The Buddhism as life itself is comperhensive and there are many ways to approach teaching a person, without being prompt to teach renunciation i do not think it makes much sense to try and establish a couple in the perception of loathsomeness or celibacy.Bundokji wrote: ↑Fri Apr 20, 2018 4:43 pm The Buddhist attitude towards desire in general and sexual relations in particular can certainly lead to problems between many couples. The practice of meditation in most cases results in the knowing faculty receiving more development that the service of the will requires, something most of us do not seem to be designed for!
You know suicide is like the lead cause of death in the west for males aged 18-30? The problem is of the human condition rather than a doctrine. I think you are GREATLY exaggerating the link to suicide and i doubt you would be able to demonstrate that Buddhist meditators are at higher risk of suicide.Bundokji wrote: ↑Fri Apr 20, 2018 4:43 pm I remember watching a short documentary about Ajahn Chah and his disciples, and to my own surprise, the video admitted how difficult the practice is at the beginning (not mentioning how long that beginning is) and that it is not uncommon for monks to try to kill themselves!
In this very forum, you would find many followers of a monk who did kill himself, and arguments on what level of enlightenment one is allowed to kill himself (as he would not be doing it out of desire/ignorance).
Sure one could meditate on loathsomeness of the body and develop an aversion leading to suicide although i personally have not seen it go that far. However i do know people who have commited suicides for worldly reasons.
It also makes no sense to establish someone in the perception of loathsomeness without balancing it. In general i would not be comfortable teaching briefly choosing between safety and effectiveness.
As for Ven. NV's suicide i am quite certain he would rather not have the stomach issues. Also he is not the only person with that interpretation of the doctrine, there are people who come to similar conclusions without knowing anything about him and being unfamiliar with his work and not doing the suicide (this i assume for i simply can't be arsed reading much more than the gist of his work personally but i saw no wrong in it). So there is no need to make him out to be some kind of a cult-leader.