Desire (virtual, Buddhism, translation, America, service)

[lilithu]

Originally Posted by `PaWz

So no matter what we desire, it will always lead to Dukkha?

Yes, because everything is impermanent. So whatever it is that you desire, there will always be some time when you will not have it. And depending on the thing, some people experience Dukkha even when they do have the thing they desire because they are worried about the inevitability of not having it.

[UnTheist]

Originally Posted by lilithu

Yes, because everything is impermanent. So whatever it is that you desire, there will always be some time when you will not have it. And depending on the thing, some people experience Dukkha even when they do have the thing they desire because they are worried about the inevitability of not having it.

I feel that alot, especially with my iPod .

What could I do to get rid of Desire? I assume there is a fairly specific way of doing it. And I think it would be very hard since we live in a mostly material-world.

[Sunstone]

Originally Posted by `PaWz

I feel that alot, especially with my iPod .

What could I do to get rid of Desire? I assume there is a fairly specific way of doing it. And I think it would be very hard since we live in a mostly material-world.

I would suggest the way to get rid of it is to simply see it for what it is. At least that is simply stated. It can actually be quite difficult in practice to see Trishna for what it is. Nevertheless, examine it, study it. Don't condemn it --- to condemn it is to judge it rather than understand it. Instead, observe it dispassionately. See how it works. Once you have seen it clearly, you will inevitably avoid it just as you avoid a poison that you know is a poison.

[Ozzie]

Originally Posted by `PaWz

I feel that alot, especially with my iPod .

What could I do to get rid of Desire? I assume there is a fairly specific way of doing it. And I think it would be very hard since we live in a mostly material-world.

There is no recipe for eliminating desire, nor would aiming to do this be desirable. Try to understand that desire cannot be satisfied, no matter how much you feed it. Our bodies crave certain elements, that is desire. Once someone starts to go beyond these basic physiological needs in equating desire with what they need, problems arise.

[MysticSang'ha]

Originally Posted by `PaWz

I feel that alot, especially with my iPod .

What could I do to get rid of Desire? I assume there is a fairly specific way of doing it. And I think it would be very hard since we live in a mostly material-world.

The Eightfold-Path:


1) Right View
2) Right Intention
3) Right Speech
4) Right Discipline
5) Right Livelihood
6) Right Effort
7) Right Mindfulness
8) Right Concentration



The Buddhist view of the Eightfold-Path is not a step-by-step graduated method from 1-8, but rather more like a web where all points are interconnected. For example, it's more difficult to commit to Right Speech when I do not have Right Intentions nor Right Effort. No?



It's also taught when according to human existence and it's needs: Eat when hungry, Drink when thirsty, Sleep when tired. This advice is deceptively simple because too often we complicate our own lives with mindless banter and distractions.




Peace,
Mystic

[Engyo]

The only thing I would add is that while the conventional translation is "Right" in the Eightfold Path, my own feeling is that either "Whole" or "Complete" probably give a better understanding of the intended meaning at first blush. The duality engendered by "right vs. wrong" is not helpful in understanding this concept, IMHO.

[lilithu]

Originally Posted by Engyo

The only thing I would add is that while the conventional translation is "Right" in the Eightfold Path, my own feeling is that either "Whole" or "Complete" probably give a better understanding of the intended meaning at first blush. The duality engendered by "right vs. wrong" is not helpful in understanding this concept, IMHO.

I don't think "right" here is used in a moral sense. 2+2=4 is right. 2+2=5 is wrong. That simply is the case even without moral judgement. "Right" as in "correct."

[Engyo]

Lilithu -

I understand completely. I am just offering the other as a way of defusing the likelihood of someone unfamiliar with these concepts deriving right/wrong rather than correct/incorrect since we are discussing this from an ethical perspective.