Of course.
- They can also watch an “X-rated movie” without generating any lust. They can see “beautiful people” as such (just like a puthujjana), but their minds don’t get any “pleasure” from that illusion. It’s the same with tasty food. They taste the food to be ‘”tasty” because that is how their physical bodies originated (that is explained with the “uppatti bhavanga” but it is not necessary to understand the mechanism; if one is knowledgeable in Abhidhamma that also can be understood.)
- There is no difference between that and recalling one’s own previous experiences.
They fully understand that “beauty, taste, etc.” are mind-made.
- It is like uncovering the “trick” involved in a magic show. Then one can see it is just a “trick” and the ‘magic show” will not bring any pleasure.
- However, enjoying a magic show is temporary and does not have drastic consequences. Enjoying “sensory pleasures based on distorted sanna” can be deadly. That is because people tend to engage in immoral activities (stealing, lying, sexual misconduct, and even killing) as a consequence of such “distorted sanna.” Such actions (kamma) will bring their consequences (kamma vipaka) in this life itself, and also rebirths in the apayas.
- Once fully comprehended (with the breaking of both ditthi vipallasa and sanna vipallasa), a mind will not see any value in enjoying “sensory pleasures.”
- That is why it is all about learning the true teachings of the Buddha. That knowledge (panna) itself is enough to break all samsaric bonds and attain Nibbana in this life itself. That is the same as “uncovering the pabhassara mind” by removing the layers of dirt/defilements. It all happens with the cultivation of knowledge (panna.)
