iMEDITATION

There are many people who spend years studying the dharma, and yet defilements still arise and remain inside. What is still haven't been abandoned internally?

The Buddha said that if you've abandoned attachment to sensual pleasure, you would not be attracted to the pleasure of the householder life. If you have attend to the rapture and pleasure that are apart from defilements (jhana) , then you would not be attach to sensual pleasure. After the understanding of dharma as well as the experience of jhana  one is no longer attracted to the pleasure of the householder life. The Buddha said that before this happen , he is also attracted to the pleasure of the householder life. For example, you would think ' I want to enjoy sex', good food, etc.  A priest would have trouble refraining from becoming attracted to the opposite sex if he is going around in the world without  Jhana.

Living the householder life, one is subjected to various stress and boredom.  There are also various quarels and disputes at home and at work. In relationship such as marriage, there are emotional waves that rise and fall. There is no constant or stable happiness. These are some of the sufferings that comes with the pursuit of sensory pleasure and lust.  The mind demands pleasure, the mind would get depress and suicidal without any enjoyment.  So you can't say to the mind no pleasure at all.  Instead, you need to give it the safe pleasure that is not binding or leads to suffering/ have any side-effects like jhana.  

Understanding and Meditation Goes Hand in Hand

Pride and ego after attaining jhana can lead to a person's downfall. That is why monks are not allowed to speak about their attainments.  Devattata attained jhana and magical powers. Without wisdom, he became corrupted instead of Enlightenment.  He would often show off his powers to royalties and others to get their devotion, admiration, and material supports. This  feeds his ego instead of dissolving it.  Jhana is the state of bliss and temporary freedom from defilements .  It should be used to gain wisdom instead of to gain magical powers and showing off as did Devattata.  Because of this, many monks and  and sages of the past have reached their downfall. Without the ability to reach Enlightenment, many would settle for the easy sensual enjoyment. If you have   Jhana without Wisdom, you could end up like Devatta. If you have Wisdom without Jhana, again you would be subjected to sensual pleasure of the 5 senses.

The Buddha said that he enjoyed even more pleasure than a king because he can experience unbroken bliss without even moving his body for many days and nights. Where as a king is dependent on sense objects for pleasure and it is fleeting and not lasting. There are also negative side-effects that comes with these sense enjoyments.  The degree of such enjoyment is far lesser in comparison.

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