Becoming is a process of gradually emerging and supporting already emerged sense of individual narrative, the story of "my" life. Once there's such story, there's a framework for judging experience as right or wrong, success or failure etc.
Once there's judgement, there's suffering. So, once there's desire, there's purposefull activity, once there's purposefull activity, there's food for the sense of I, once there's sense of I, there is comparison, once there's comparison there's suffering.
It isn't an enemy but very required. Seeing that desire is, out of not-knowing, the cause of suffering, one needs a lot of desire to get ride of it. Isn't desire for sensuality, becoming, not-becoming the actual reason why people neither help themselves or others? How can someone full of desire help anyone? Without desire nothing can be reached, but after having abound all desires there are no more limits in regard of help.
Buddhism is not understood with our mind, but with our experience. Do the meditation and other practices, and gradually over months, years, you will start to SEE the connection between your desire and your suffering.
Each Buddhist proves Buddhism to themselves through their practice and that is the only way to understand an experience. And the Buddha answered him:. Delighted, Sakka approved and agreed with what the Buddha said, saying:. When what exists is there jealousy and stinginess? When the liked and the disliked exist there is jealousy and stinginess.
From my personal observations and experiences I've concluded that painful feelings are the cause of suffering some what similarly to dependent origination:. Anything that causes painful feelings causes suffering but if someone were to have wishes or desires that causes pleasant feelings or leads towards arahantship it would be beneficial. Right Effort is part of the Noble Eightfold Path and requires desire and energy in the right direction:.
Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu generates desire for the nonarising of unarisen evil unwholesome states; he makes an effort, arouses energy, applies his mind, and strives. He generates desire for the abandoning of arisen evil unwholesome states…. He generates desire for the arising of unarisen wholesome states…. He generates desire for the maintenance of arisen wholesome states, for their nondecay, increase, expansion, and fulfilment by development; he makes an effort, arouses energy, applies his mind, and strives.
This is called right effort. It is also mentioned that iddhi development is required for achieving arahantship, which requires desire as well:. The four bases of iddhi is defined as developing concentration founded on desire, persistence, intent, and discrimination. The purpose in Buddhism is to achieve arahantship or enlightenment which is the highest happiness the most extreme pleasantness Asavas is translated usually as "mental fermentations", "defilements", "cankers", "taints" but never as desire.
So we see the suttas supporting the idea that painful feelings and asavas could also be called the root of suffering rather than craving. It seems to me like many modern day Buddhists have become similar to the ascetics who Gautama criticized And so they live committed to practicing these various ways of mortifying and tormenting the body. This is called the way of taking up practices that is painful now and results in future pain. If someone were to merely give up on desire without generating pleasant feelings or good kamma or entering into higher states like the jhanas or developing the six higher knowledges they would probably become pretty similar to the ascetic producing painful feelings and not achieving arahantship.
It is also mentioned in MN 71 that only 1 ascetic in the past 91 eons went to heaven whereas many lay people do go to heaven so many of the lay peoples' practices are better than the ascetic's. It also seems to me like there might be not any real arahants well-developed in the six higher knowledges that exist anymore because if they did they could easily explain the true purpose and see that Gautama was actually telling people to avoid things that causes painful feelings and embrace things that leads towards pleasant feelings I've heard for instance some people that claim that the higher states aren't actually pleasant, how ridiculous!
If the world is empty of arahants or beings somewhat close to arahantship then the dhamma is lost! People can interpret words in any way without words assisting in achieving arahantship words don't really have any value. Social help for needy, poor and depressed is always worthy. But still the who helping do not know the root cause of pain. Buddha was requested by King Bimbisara to abandon the search, instead make service to their fellow being and be happy. But Buddha said, the root of suffering is deep.
Even the path of service is temporary happiness and also last in conflict. There is subtle cause in each living being that who don't give up, are bound by law of karma to become again. Pulling out the very root is called as total remedy. But while doing so if he doing this great deeds for welfare for others, Buddha has no objection? It's your duty.
I have this doubt also. But when I have this question in mind, I learned the another teaching of Buddha, which is, - choose the 'Madhya Marga' take the middle path - It gave me the answer to my firs question. Being moderate in anything and everything in your life, helps you a lot.
Desire is good thing, it gives a purpose to reach a goal but greed is bad, it brings you pain only. Sign up to join this community.
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Right concentration. Here is a brilliant article from Tiny Buddha on 6 ways to decrease suffering. If you have time, I highly recommend you read it. Instead, practice positive self-talk and living in the moment. Buddhism says that the only law in the universe is change. Keep in mind that all feelings, whether negative or positive, will change. At the heart of everything you do, think, and feel is your spiritual archetype. Take this quiz to find out yours.
Whatever it is that may pull you out of your rut, give it a try and see how it changes the nature of your suffering. Be kind to someone else. People generally cling to comfort, pleasure, and self-indulgence ignorant of the fact that the desire manifested in greed for wealth or material gain is the actual cause for suffering. So, they let their own desires run into greed and therefore, they suffer. People often destroy their relationships with others and ruin their lives in an attempt to satisfy their desires.
They will lie, cheat, steal, fight and even kill each other to satisfy their own desires. As a result, they will suffer because of their selfish acts and behaviours, and from the disgrace of it and its punishment. It is like the thirst of a man who drinks salt water: he gets no satisfaction and his thirst is only increased.
You need to understand that desire is very sneaky, it is like a snake. Anger is more obvious, because we can see that it makes us unhappy, and also causes a lot of destruction in ourselves and those around us. But desire looks like our friend, however like a thief, it steals our happiness. This is the real cause for all greed, anger, jealousy, suffering, misunderstanding, conflicts, and even wars. We also need to understand that all objects of our desires are impermanent and uncertain and that they always lead to suffering.
Ordinarily, people grasp and accumulate things for their imagined comfort. For the majority of people, success is measured by the amount of their graspings, material possessions and attachments. Therefore, they suffer because they believe in this illusion. This constant craving for every pleasant thing heard or seen, leads people to suffer.
By focusing only on their own comfort and fulfilment of their desire, people often forget the god deeds and favours received by others. They continue to act selfishly, ignorant of the fact that an evil act can only bring suffering and misfortune. People should be more considerate, respectful and empathetic towards each other. Remember that only doing good deeds can bring lasting happiness in your life!
In this regard, it is interesting to note that psychological researchers confirmed that people across the globe have lower levels of consciousness , and therefore, have predominantly negative thought patterns.
Based on their research up to eighty percent of the thoughts , spontaneously occurring in an average human being are negative. Essentially, those negative thought patterns stimulate greed, competition, and selfishness, which in turn will cause suffering.
Firstly, you should identify what causes human suffering and carefully observe your thoughts throughout the day. As soon as you become aware, you should get quickly away from thoughts that stimulate greediness and worldly desires as they arise, to hold the mind pure and tranquil.
To free yourself from greed, anger and selfishness, you must practice concentration of the mind, and raise your level of consciousness. You must eliminate all thoughts that stimulate greed, anger, jealousy and selfishness, and encourage thoughts that stimulate love, compassion, and kindness. Remember that if your mind is impure, consequently, your actions will be impure. If your actions are impure, you will suffer.
Thus, it is of great importance that you keep your mind pure.
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