Dear Yong Peng,

> 1. subhanimitta (gives rise to) sensual pleasure (negates with)
> asubhanimitta.

This has all the makings of yet another heated discussion. However, if one
says that "nimitta" in this context are external to the perceiver and inhere
in the perceived object, then one needs to give an explanation of "subha"
etc. Thus, if a "nimitta" is objectively "subha" then that quality of
"subha" ought to be the same for all people. Let us take the example of a
woman since that is mentioned in the suttas here. If the "subha-nimitta" is
an objective feature of the woman, then how does one account for the
different reactions one might have ? For example, in modern Western culture
fat women are rarely considered beautiful, but in other cultures, such as
some traditional African cultures, fat women are considered attractive and
desirable. This seems to indicate that the "subha-nimitta" must be
subjective and related specifically to the perceiver.

I'll skip your items 1 and 2 to allow for others to respond first.

> (3) can sensual pleasure be stimulated without an external object, i.e.
> by mental contruct ?

This depends on what you mean by sensual pleasure, but if we are using this
in the everyday sense, the answer must surely be yes. A little personal
reflection will show that various sensual feelings can be experienced
without the need for the immediate presence of an external object.

> (4) is imagination a mental construct ?

What else could it be ? In fact, in Buddhist Sanskrit, the two words are
basically the same: "parikalpa / parikalpita".

Best wishes,
Stephen Hodge