What are the 5 cords of sensual pleasures?

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Accepted answer

The five kāmaguṇa are:

  1. color
  2. sound
  3. smell
  4. flavor
  5. phoṭṭhabba (=temperature, matter, and vayo).

They tie the kāma-person to live in kāma-bhava.

kāma means "living in kāma loka"; and guṇa means "a binder".

So, the five kāmaguṇa are things that kāma-taṇha (addicting to drug), and bhava-taṇha (addicting to becoming, born to be, future birth).

See the first part of the mahadukkhakkhandhasutta for more information:

Now what, monks, is the allure of sensuality? These five strings of sensuality. Which five? Forms cognizable via the eye — agreeable, pleasing, charming, endearing, fostering desire, enticing. Sounds cognizable via the ear... Aromas cognizable via the nose... Flavors cognizable via the tongue... Tactile sensations cognizable via the body — agreeable, pleasing, charming, endearing, fostering desire, enticing. Now whatever pleasure or joy arises in dependence on these five strands of sensuality, that is the allure of sensuality.

Upvote:0

guṇa also has two other meanings, besides string. One is "quality" and another is "to multiply". Most translators choose the "strings that bind" meaning, but it's been noted that these other two meanings also aren't unreasonable in this context - namely "proliferation resulting from the senses" (from the multiply meaning) and simply "the five sensual qualities".

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