DPRK
September 23, 2019, 11:48pm
41
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In my way of understanding the use of the terms, there has been for a long time an implied dishonor in the pursuit of pleasure, and it has been my interest in understanding how such a sentiment developed. One suggestion here is that such pursuit is seen as selfish, in that it redirects efforts away from the common good, just for the pleasure of the individual. It’s anti-social. I’m more intrigued by the implication here that there is inherently something indecent in pursuing or even in desiring pleasure. One poster, and reading about temperance, has suggested that it is related to the notion of self-control. I take that to mean that “You shouldn’t think about those things because if you do, you might lose control and not be able to check or regulate your impulses.” But that, itself, may only betray someone else’s lack of trust in his own self-control. And that just brings the question back to the original question - so what? Why would anyone care? Is there some sense of guilt embedded in desire? It’s hard to make sense of this.
I suppose a yogi might say something to the effect that there is nothing bad about seeking pleasure and enjoying life, but that such behavior will use up energy that you could otherwise spend meditating, and distract you from your personal spiritual development. It could be a personal thing, not necessarily some macro societal consideration.