Something which you will find at the beginning of every Sutta are Aananda's words 'Eva.m me suta.m...': i.e. 'Thus have I heard (directly from the Lord Buddha)'.

On one occasion, the Blessed One was staying at the Isipatana Deer Park close by the town of Benares [Vaaraa.nasi]. At that place, the Buddha summoned the 'group of five' [pa~ncavaggiya] and addressed them thus:

O! Bhikkhus! Monks who wish to overcome suffering must strictly avoid the two extremes of practice, namely:

1. Sensual indulgence [kaamasukhallikanuyoga]
2. Self-mortification [attakilamathaanuyoga]

1. Indulging in sensual pleasures [kaamasukhallikanuyoga]
Sensual indulgence is being enamoured by the pleasures of the five senses (i.e. images, sounds, aromas, tastes and physical contact) - and endless hankering after the pleasures therein, until such hankering becomes a habit. Reliance on such sense pleasures becomes so engrained in one's being that one has no more thought of renunciation or of going forth into the monkhood.

Commentorial Metaphors: Indulgence in sensual pleasures:

1. A pig content to wallow in dung: Indulging in sensual pleasures is rather like a pig, which spends all its life wallowing in the warm mud and dung of its pigsty because it thinks that this is the ultimate happiness. The Buddha also compared the pleasures of the five senses to sewerage, also beloved of pigs. He said that the pleasures of the senses are suitable only for householders and are not suitable for those leading the monastic life.

2. A corpse abandoned to rot in a cemetery: Indulging in sensual pleasures as a state of being is base and unprofitable, comparable to a rotting corpse abandoned in a cemetery.

3. A dog chewing on the bones of a fleshless skeleton: Indulging in the pleasures of the five senses is comparable to a skeleton and the person who indulges in the pleasures of the five senses can be compared to a dog which enjoys chewing at the dry and fleshless bones of that skeleton. The dog feels a few moments satisfaction as the result of its chewing - but the satisfaction is short-lived.

4. Enjoying a dream: The pleasures of the senses can be compared to a dream - again because they are transitory and soon disappear.

5. The red-hot glowing embers of a fire: The pleasures of the senses can also be compared to red-hot glowing embers - and those who indulge in the pleasures of the senses are like someone who has fallen into the flames - if the victim is not burned to death instantly, he will experience nothing but excruciating torture. In just the same way, those drunken with indulgence of their sensual desires will have to continue to endure the excruciating torture of rebirth in the cycle of existence.

6. Eating a poisonous fruit: The pleasures of the five senses can be compared to a poisonous fruit. The hedonist, in his greed eats the fruit and must endure the ensuing pain and upset as the poison takes its effect - and he may die as a consequence.

7. Playing with a sharp weapon: The Lord Buddha compared the pleasures of the five senses as being like a sword, a foil, a spear or a javelin. Anyone who meddles with the pleasures of the five senses, will eventually be tortured or executed by sword, foil, spear or javelin. In the end there is nothing more than suffering. Ultimately, there is not even the slightest benefit from indulging the pleasures of the senses.

8. A child playing with a top: The Buddha also compared the pleasures of the senses to a top (childrens' toy). He said to play with a top is immature: i.e. appropriate only for those who are still thick with defilements. It is only those with immature and sordid lives, who spend their time accruing and indulging in such sensual pleasures.

9. Discarded husks of rice: The Buddha also compared the pleasures of the senses to rice husks which are discarded in troughs as pig offal.

10. A cemetery of rotting corpses: The Buddha also compared the pleasures of the senses to a filthy cemetery filled with rotting corpses which attracts stray dogs, crows and vultures.

11. A latrine: The Buddha also compared the pleasures of the senses to a latrine or a toilet which is soiled with excrement.

12. Excrement or Toilet rinsings: The Buddha also compared the pleasures of the senses to the water that has been used to rinse a toilet or the toilet bowl itself, which is soiled with excrement. He also compared the pleasures of the senses to human faeces which dogs like to spend their time sniffing.
Thus, the Lord Buddha taught that indulgence in the pleasures of the senses is shunned by the Noble Ones [ariyapuggala], just like a girl of the untouchable caste [ca.n.dala] would be shunned by a brahmin suitor for her vulgar manners, disposition and speech.

Furthermore, indulgence in sensual pleasures is of absolutely no benefit - on the contrary it attracts only damage and suffering to whoever indulges. Thus it has been compared to:

13. A road through dangerous territory: The Buddha also compared the pleasures of the senses to a road whose route leads us through dangerous country threatened by ogresses [yakkhinii], upon which no traveller can ever escape misfortune and death.

14. Licking honey from a razor blade: The Buddha also compared the pleasures of the senses to a greedy person who tries to lick sweet tasting honey from a razor blade and suffers from the ensuing wounds and infection of his tongue.

15. Denizens of hell blundering back into the fires of hell: The Buddha also compared indulging the pleasures of the senses to denizens of hell fooled into thinking they have reached a place that is a sanctuary from the suffering of hell, but instead are dropped anew into hell's fires.

16. A man who falls in love with an ogress: The Buddha also compared indulging the pleasures of the senses to a man who falls in love and co-habits with an ogress who he takes for a human maiden (but who will later become her victim).

17. A crow feeding from a floating elephant carcass: The Buddha also compared indulging the pleasures of the senses to a crow feeding from a floating elephant carcass who takes it for dry land (that will never sink) and is so concerned with feeding that the carcass floats so far out to sea that the crow cannot fly home, and eventually drowns from its folly.

This last metaphor clearly illustrates how no benefit can be found by indulging in sensual pleasure. All these dangers of indulging in sensual pleasures are the reason why the Buddha taught in the Dhammacakkapavattana Sutta that those leading the monastic life must avoid the extreme of indulging in sensual pleasure.

Furthermore, in the Mahaadukkhakhanda Sutta (The Greater Discourse on the Stems of Suffering) (M.i.83ff.), delivered at Savatthi, the Buddha expounds the dangers of sensual indulgence, in detail which exceeds even that of the Dhammacakkapavattana Sutta.

"O! Monks! What is indulgence of the senses? The senses are five, namely: images seen with the eyes, sounds heard with the ears, aromas smelled with the nose, savours tasted with the tongue, physical touch registered by the body. The indulgence of these five senses is of a nature to tempt us to attachment. O! Monks! The pleasures and enjoyment which come from sense contact are what we call the indulgence of the senses.

O! Monks! What are the dangers of sensual indulgence? The people of this world earn their livelihood in many ways: for example, some are farmers, some run businesses, some tend dairy cattle, some are soldiers, some are civil servants, some are elephant trainers, some are horse trainers. No matter which way one earns one's living, one has to endure hardship. In the winter one has to tolerate the cold while working. In the summer one has to tolerate the warmth while working. Sometimes one has to tolerate the humidity. One's skin becomes chapped in the wind and the sun. Sometimes, one has to tolerate pests such as gadflies, mosquitos and other biting insects. Sometimes one is threatened by poisonous animals such as snakes. Sometimes one becomes emaciated because one lacks sufficient means of physical support.

O! Monks! Whether one earns one's livelihood by arts or by sciences, one cannot avoid the hardships imposed by nature. All these are the dangers of sensual indulgence - the manifestation of suffering as we meet it in our lives - all coming as the result of our wish to indulge the senses. Whenever a person strives to earn a living, to do business, but does not achieve the success he requires, he will be disappointed, laments that he deserved more after all his efforts, that it is not befitting that he should make a loss, be without benefit - but it is all due to indulgence of the sense pleasures.

Even though a person makes a success of earning his living and becomes wealthy, it is not an end to his suffering - because now he must worry about how to protect his wealth from being taken away in taxes, taken away by robbers, damaged by fire, damaged by flooding, taken away by enemies - so his suffering continues.