the right peace before stream entry
I sometimes reflect upon the downsides of relationships, the dangers of sexuality, and so on. Sometimes, as a result of these reflections, there will be a sense of unencumberedness, a sense of the mind being more free and open, not weighed down by the stickiness, the weight, the insecurities, the desires, of it all.
I have a few questions regarding this.
Is this type of peace dangerous? Is it to be cultivated?
Is this "cheating"? In that, if this is practiced alongside of restraint, then restraint becomes easier because the mind, on occasions, will have a decreased level of thirst towards sensuality. Does this impact the training, because part of the goal of the precepts and virtue is to train the mind in regards to the pressure, not to not have pressure at all.
Continuing that train of thought, in general, if certain contemplations reduce the pressure, is that bad?
(Note that this is all pre-stream-entry, when one doesn't have the right reference.)
My own answer to some of these questions would be:
The purpose of these types of contemplations is to develop the right context, so that one does not act out in body, speech, or mind when one is pressured by sensuality. If these reflections lead to a temporary reduction in the pressure, or some temporary sense of freedom, that is fine, but that is not the point. Trying to decrease the pressure, or even trying to increase the pressure, is besides the point - the goal is not management, but the fundamental change in view, which means putting things in the right order, so that sensuality is first seen as dangerous and never worth engaging in.