Yes. What you described is summarized in the short “Bhāra Sutta (SN 22.22).”
- Living beings happily carry a huge burden (pañcupādānakkhandha), thinking it is going to bring them happiness!
- By the way, the Sinhala word for bhāra is similar, “බර.” It means a “load.”
Why do they happily carry that burden?
- They do not realize that most “sensory pleasures” are not vedanā but “distorted saññā.”
- For example, there is no “beauty in a woman” or a “sweet taste in sugar.”
- See “Saññā Nidānā hi Papañca Saṅkhā – Immoral Thoughts Based on “Distorted Saññā”
- The title of the above post says it all: “Immoral thoughts arise based on ‘distorted saññā’.” Here, “nidāna” means “root cause” or “the basis.”
- Paticca Samuppada explains how our physical bodies arise with that “built-in distorted saññā,” which is why things like “beauty in a woman” or a “sweet taste in sugar” appear real. Even an Arahant gets those saññās (their bodies are built the same way), but their minds are not fooled; they fully understand the Paticca Samuppada process.
- Comprehending that can make a lot of progress. It is like seeing the “trick of a magician.” After that, the magic show is not as impressive anymore. By comprehending “Nature’s magic show,” one can get rid of kama raga!
P.S. All relevant posts at: “Sotapanna Stage via Understanding Perception (Saññā).”
