You might want to ask them to investigate how does sensual pleasures come about for a start. Ask them questions like, do you think this painting is beautiful? Is beautiful an attribute of the painting? Well if it is, then it should appear beautiful to everyone, anywhere, anytime. Actual fact is, there is no beautiful rupa out there. There are only ignorance and attachment in our minds to make us think that the outside rupa are beautiful/ugly. However, rupa has the propensity to vex us. When we attach ourselves to a rupa, we are mentally vexed. We have to perform abhisankhara to relieve ourselves from this vexation in order for sensual pleasures to surface. So, sensual pleasure is an outcome of a process. A process when one attaches and relieves oneself from suffering. We are so used to it that it becomes a natural thing to do. For someone who has not encountered Dhamma, it’s only right that they attach themselves to sense object and relieve themselves from suffering. This relief is what they called ‘Happiness’. But there can be no sensual pleasures without relief from suffering. In order to find sensual pleasures again, what do they do? Look for pain! No pain, no relief from pain, and therefore no sensual pleasures for them to enjoy. They thought they are trading up each time they could enjoy sense pleasures. But I think they are trading down. Way down! If only sensual pleasures can be acquired with resources without any side effects. But the consequence one has to bear is the sansaric habits that are cultivated over many lifetimes that are hard to break. So one is actually paying with rebirth suffering if he/she is ignorant about the Four Noble Truths and continue to get entrapped in a catch-22 situation.
When was the last time we took a paracetamol when we had NO headache and felt good about it? Never!
