[Abebpabeniemo]

Hello all

I was curious as to how you all gauge music in terms of being a sense pleasure with regards to your buddhist practice?

Thanks

[9V42h1eT]

I think one can become too attached to music like any other pleasure of the senses - and then maybe one is not be able to cope without it in the background all the time because of feeling uncomfortable with and almost afraid of the silence.

Music played a big part in my life from when I was a teenager onwards and I was married to a musician - but the more I practiced meditation, studied the teachings, stayed at residential courses etc the less significance it had. I had also been noticing how it could affect me emotionally in different ways.

Now I rarely ever listen to it at all when I'm alone, because the need has gone and I prefer silence or natural sounds. I still find much of it quite pleasant if I hear it again or play a music game with others on the internet for a short while though.

[Mowselelex]

Yes it's a pleasure, nothing wrong with pleasure, is it helpful pleasure or unhelpful pleasure, only you can answer that. I am like Aloka on this, I listened to music a lot in the past but don't feel the need these days. this talk by Gil Fronsdal my be of interest
http://www.audiodharma.org/talks/audio_player/889.html

[VarenHokalos]

Since my teenage years, I have had a passion for music, and even enjoyed playing instruments myself. I do still listen to music on occasion, and I really do enjoy it when I do, but it is not a part of my life the way it once was...

I am the type who will get a song stuck in his head, so this is not always useful when doing a lot of meditation practice!

But life is interesting sometimes, isn't it? the particular practice I mainly do now involves "melodic sadhana's" (liturgies), as well as instruments. It seems my passion for music may have had a use after all, and has somehow become a part of my dharma practice...