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Impermanence and Itching

RedsaintRedsaint
edited January 2010 in Buddhism Basics
Whatever rises, passes away. Do those who are enlightened ever have itches, and if they do, do they itch them? Or do they just let them be?

Comments

  • shenpennangwashenpennangwa
    edited January 2010
    Redsaint wrote: »
    Whatever rises, passes away. Do those who are enlightened ever have itches, and if they do, do they itch them? Or do they just let them be?

    I dont think Buddha's get itchy.
  • StephenStephen
    edited January 2010
    It would seem that they do, but depending on how detached you have become (your level of awakening), you would have much less of an emotion response, or attachment, concerning the itch. You may itch like mad but not feel inclined to scratch; you may have perfect equanimity for the sensation.
  • RedsaintRedsaint
    edited January 2010
    Aldrisang wrote: »
    It would seem that they do, but depending on how detached you have become (your level of awakening), you would have much less of an emotion response, or attachment, concerning the itch. You may itch like mad but not feel inclined to scratch; you may have perfect equanimity for the sensation.

    Ahh okay. So when teachings talk about eliminating sensual desire, do they mean actually eliminating the desire of the body that you are "in", or removing "your soul/consciousness's" desire to comply with a bodily or worldly desire?
  • StephenStephen
    edited January 2010
    Redsaint wrote: »
    Ahh okay. So when teachings talk about eliminating sensual desire, do they mean actually eliminating the desire of the body that you are "in", or removing "your soul/consciousness's" desire to comply with a bodily or worldly desire?
    Cessation of desire is a mental effort. You eliminate the cravings that lead to attachment (a sense of permanence that can not endure) by eliminating the ignorance that blinds you to the truth of reality. All actions that you take are proceeded by thought - it is at the level of thought that the Buddhist method helps you to root out craving for sensuality, craving for existence and craving for non-existence; craving, hatred and delusion are in turn all rooted in ignorance.

    Replacing ignorance with wisdom, these mental states can no longer occur because you have realization of them on a level that is supra-mundane, not understood by the untrained mind's-eye.
  • RedsaintRedsaint
    edited January 2010
    Aldrisang wrote: »
    Cessation of desire is a mental effort. You eliminate the cravings that lead to attachment (a sense of permanence that can not endure) by eliminating the ignorance that blinds you to the truth of reality. All actions that you take are proceeded by thought - it is at the level of thought that the Buddhist method helps you to root out craving for sensuality, craving for existence and craving for non-existence; craving, hatred and delusion are in turn all rooted in ignorance.

    Replacing ignorance with wisdom, these mental states can no longer occur because you have realization of them on a level that is supra-mundane, not understood by the untrained mind's-eye.

    Okay, that explanation helped some. Thanks :)
  • StephenStephen
    edited January 2010
    Oops, my bad. I didn't answer your question directly.

    In answer, in Buddhist thought there is no soul or self. All thought originates with consciousness, so it is in consciousness that you are eliminating these sense desires. The desire of your body is, for the most part, the desire of your consciousness. The biological functions are not directly controlled, but such is life.
  • RedsaintRedsaint
    edited January 2010
    Aldrisang wrote: »
    Oops, my bad. I didn't answer your question directly.

    That's okay, i was still able to derive answers to questions i had from your post as well as the information below. Thank you very much for caring enough to clarify further though, i appreciate it :)
    Aldrisang wrote:
    In answer, in Buddhist thought there is no soul or self. All thought originates with consciousness, so it is in consciousness that you are eliminating these sense desires. The desire of your body is, for the most part, the desire of your consciousness. The biological functions are not directly controlled, but such is life.
  • JeffreyJeffrey Veteran
    edited January 2010
    I speculate that as you go towards a buddha you still feel physical sensation of itching. After all you still have itch receptors in your skin. But I think the stickiness and panic of the situation would be less. If a buddha has a thought "I have to scratch this itch or I go insane" fine he may have a thought. But he knows that it is just a thought. By the same thing if a buddha started doing heroin or cigarettes he would have urges to do that drug. But he would not be in a panic to listen to that voice.
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