Buddhism desire, spiritual-academic talk.

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Saoshun
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Joined: Sun Nov 30, 2014 11:16 pm

Buddhism desire, spiritual-academic talk.

Post by Saoshun »

I just want to get opinions on spiritual-academic explanations on desire of buddhism. Buddha said that desire brings suffering. I don't really agree with it but I add my five cents later on this. How you could not desire - it's desire itself. It's seems beating up idea of being without desire.


Let's talk dear buddhas to bring clarity on this.
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Mkoll
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Location: Texas

Re: Buddhism desire, spiritual-academic talk.

Post by Mkoll »

The Buddha said craving/thirst (taṇhā) brings suffering (dukkha) in the second Noble truth. Craving is not the same thing as desire/desire to act (chanda).
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa
gloriasteinem
Posts: 360
Joined: Sat Nov 02, 2013 2:12 pm

Re: Buddhism desire, spiritual-academic talk.

Post by gloriasteinem »

Saoshun wrote:I just want to get opinions on spiritual-academic explanations on desire of buddhism. Buddha said that desire brings suffering. I don't really agree with it but I add my five cents later on this. How you could not desire - it's desire itself. It's seems beating up idea of being without desire.


Let's talk dear buddhas to bring clarity on this.
I think in those times society was simpler than now, fewer options, less medicine, social care, social institutions; technology, etc. so things were simpler, if you crave -> suffering. That is only observable to me now in pure form in some rural village areas where there is no knowledge, culture, intellectual endevour, any kind of intellectualization but simply "living" for the next meal and next "sex", literally without anything outside of it, only a bit of religion that has meaning to a few. So basically people are living as a highly sophisticated animals but not in the good sense where they only "desire" the next thing to fulfill their material needs. Nothing much outside of it. I think modern society has added a few new levels to it, probably the general idea still counts but things are definitely more sophisticated. For me desire has to do with motivation so the ppl who only desire next meal and reproductive pleasures are not going much ahead. Their motivation is simplistic, their goals and understandings, so they are bound to the circle of suffering and reincarnation in that lower level. But even they know that is a kind if suffering they need to brake from and thus try to send their children at least to towns where they could have 'more humanly lives' with higher goals and achievements. Unfortunately, I don't exactly believe new technology is a brake through away from suffering. In fact, I think it brings a whole new level of 'being delisioned' and that is well known to tech ppl who make films like Thron and The matrix, yet they first fall into it or create it, this kind of delusions and illusionment. It is another level of cyclic suffering, as I can observe it. People are simply held beneath the Truth, but I can't tell exactly how and why this is happening, we only know from movies that it is much more difficult perhaps with that level of difficulty to break through and reach freedome / Nirvana, get out of the obvious and see what is true in reality.

Also I do think one must abandon desire if he/ she needs to aheive something, but virtual reality has a complexity of happenings that are not yet well explained or analyzed. We don't have Feng Shui for websites, interior design practices or fashion is something ... Not yet Feng Shui, and too Western Feng Shui as we have it to me is more like superstition and not really related or away from initial teachings. Yet we have the ability to visit thousands of websites a day, no one ever discusses the harmony or religios impact, or the intellectual impact of these. It is thought in some frenzy that if it is technological it must be all good (if it is not broken, buggy or spying on you), but is this the case, I don't think so. Websites creates communities with different level of emotionality, achievement, personal content too.
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