The Teachings of Ajahn Suchart.
19 April 2024
“When you can instantaneously think of the organs of the body or when the body turns into corpse then you don’t have any problem with sexual desire.”
Than Ajahn: Asubha only has impact when you have sexual desire. When there’s no sexual desire, then the contemplation on asubha does not have any impact. Like if you don’t have a headache and you take a pain killer, it does not make any difference. But when you have a headache and you take some aspirins, then you will feel the difference.
In the same way when you have sexual desire and you contemplate on asubha, it can suppress or eliminate the sexual desire in the mind. So, when you don’t have it yet, you have to first prepare the ground work or do the homework.
You have to contemplate on asubha so that it can becomes instantaneous when you need it.
Once you can spontaneously recall these asubha images, then you should try to arouse your sexual desire to test whether or not you can suppress it using asubha.
When you don’t have sexual desire, it doesn’t mean you have lost them because it may be due to your physical condition. So, it is necessary for you to test when you have sexual desire whether you can suppress it or not. The reason is sometimes sexual desire is very devious (conniving) and you don’t know whether you have really lost it or not. You have to at least know that if it comes up, you should be able to always get rid of it.
The tool to get rid of sexual desire is the asubha practice. When you can instantaneously think of the organs of the body or when the body turns into corpse then you don’t have any problem with sexual desire.
This problem usually arises for those people who keep the eight precepts or monks who have to maintain this purity. They are not allowed to be near the opposite sex, so this can sort of pressure the sexual desire to come up.
So, monks have to always try to contemplate on asubha to suppress or to eliminate this sexual desire. But for laypeople sometimes you have other ways of enjoying yourself without having sex. You can enjoy yourself by having food or drink or going places of entertainment. So, maybe this sexual desire is put on the back burner.
Thus, you don’t feel the pressure to have to contemplate on asubha because you can still be happy without having sex. But for monks, they are prohibited from going to places to drink or to enjoy themselves through all the senses. Then, the pressure will build up and when a monk sees a woman, his sexual desire may suddenly just arise. If he doesn’t have asubha contemplation, he will just keep thinking about the woman and images of her will arouse his desire. Eventually, he will find that he can no longer remain in robe.
Have you heard of one of Ajahn Chah’s monks who disrobed after being a monk for about 40 years?
Layperson: Recently?
Than Ajahn: Yes, a Japanese monk. He was in close contact with a woman and he didn’t have this protection, I guess. So, instead of trying to get rid of her, he kept on having more contact, more relationship. Then, he eventually found it’s quite impossible for him to remain as a monk, so he had to disrobe. After disrobe, they got married or they lived together.
This is because he doesn’t see the asubha in that body. Every time he sees that body, he sees the attractiveness of that body, not the repulsiveness of that body.
By Ajaan Suchart Abhijāto
Youtube: Dhamma in English
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