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Moderation of sensual pleasures?

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In SN 56.11 we find a famous passage: > “Bhikkhus, these **two extremes** should not be followed by one who has gone forth into homelessness. What two? The pursuit of **sensual happiness** in sensual pleasures, which is low, vulgar, the way of worldlings, ignoble, unbeneficial; and the pursuit of **self-mortification**, which is painful, ignoble, unbeneficial. Without veering towards either of these extremes, the Tathagata has awakened to the middle way, which gives rise to vision, which gives rise to knowledge, which leads to peace, to direct knowledge, to enlightenment, to Nibbāna. Laity frequently interprets the above as *moderation of sensual pleasures*, even though the above passage seems to refer to monks (those "gone forth into homelessness"). **Are there suttas where the Buddha or his disciples teach specifically laity on the subject of sensual pleasures (e.g. to be in anyway cautious about them)?** Also, a minor curiosity: how the above passage is interpreted by the Theravada tradition, since the suttas clearly teach the abandonment of sensual pleasures for those who become monks/nuns.
Asked by user382
May 10, 2017, 02:25 AM
Last activity: Nov 20, 2017, 02:57 AM