I thought about having something to eat.
If I am I hungry then I desire to eat. But when I am not hungry, I still eat, but I don’t desire it.
Must desire master us?
Probably. We’re biological creatures, basically slaves to that on some level. Human religions & philosophies have sought to bend our desires to our will, as if the two are different things. Sometimes I think we’re wise to listen to our desires. At other times they will lead us to our ruin.
but if we have distinctions of desire and control, there will still be conflict.
well…you can argue that your desire to eat is infact a need to survive.
We are hard-wired to live an ordinary life of striving. Maslow called it Homeostasis (sp). In other words, we are never ‘really’ satisfied.
Quite existential I know…you’ve got to wonder why(?).
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Hey, wj…
Funny how I look around and see so many people satisfied and wonder what my problem is. If I don’t try new things constantly, I feel antsy. Some people seem complete, but maybe that is a cover. I will always be searching until I drop over - Perhaps I shall go to the paradise thread now. LOL
No, you cannot live free from desire.
You can only discipline yourself to minimize your desires.
I think you should replace the word ‘desire’ with ‘necessity’ for the second sentence.
But to answer your question, some Hindu practices take it to the extreme and attempt to not only eradicate desires, but most food and shelter.
Bessy, et.al:
Yes of course there are two distinct issues here…the physiological/biological and psychological needs… .
Bessy, I too wonder the same thing with other people. It is as though we humans need constant stimulation both intellectually and physiologically… . Just a thought or theory, could that be our need to stay and BE connected with others?
If it is only through people that we achieve our goals, then maybe one can reasonably assume that that so-called intrinsic need for interconnectness (even on a subconscious level) lying there existing within us, is indeed a necessity to our Being [aka: overall good mental health].
But the other question remains, is this normal if another person says “I’m totally satisfied”? Or is it all a matter of context.
?
Desire is an attribute of consciousness, and is sometimes conscious to us and sometimes not. Hindu’s have a different conception of desire than to us in the West. Hindu’s adhere to a belief of the importance of the “extinguishment of all desire”. We in the West have the belief that desire is just part of what makes us human.
When you say “if I am hungry then i desire to eat” - the desire can’t be identified and is behind (not to be seen) our perception or rationisation and identification of such a “thing” as desire. All want, even hopes can be thought of as desire. The main thing with desire is the balance of desire with giving up of the Self - the extinguishment of all desire attributing a Self. This all serves for potential awakening and continual JOY.
Desire clouds a lot of areas in life - money, love, work, sport, power, food. It is like the force that is always a test on the scales of balance for everything we think, say and do in life - it is actually a force that tips the balance, and thus creates future Karma (future tests, difficulties and temptations), and can be seen as sowing seed for future occurance.
Desire can be seen as “Me now, Me first, Me win” - missing the spaceousness and inoccent JOY that gifts a man who has calmed desire.
A man who has calmed Desire is like a lake that is smooth and tranquil, he is full of Joy, but the man who lets desire run rampent is like a lake with violent winds - hurting.