[rowneigerie]

This basic type of question has always puzzled me.

Suppose a person were homeless and, naturally, wanted to own their own home. Based on my perception of Buddhism, the Buddhist perspective would be something along the lines of, "Your problem isn't that you're homeless, your problem is that you desire to own a home. Learn to be satisfied with being homeless and your problem is solved."

But arguably, with a little self-reflection, the person might be able to figure out why they are homeless, change their behavior, and get a house and solve the issue that way.

The whole be 'desireless' thing sometimes looks like an excuse to be passive and helpless, in a sense.

I obviously don't understand. Someone help me, please.

Thanks

Mark

Hello again Mark,

If someone is homeless, then there's nothing wrong in wanting to improve their situation in life and finding ways of working towards the goal of having at least a room to live in and a roof over their head.

Also,understanding the nature of desire as it arises in ourselves doesn't mean that we become like a "passive and helpless" blob of jelly !

I think it might be helpful to you if you read the section on "Three Kinds of Desire" under the Second Noble Truth from the booklet "The Four Noble Truths"


Desire or tanha in Pali is an important thing to understand.

What is desire? Kama tanha is very easy to understand. This kind of desire is wanting sense pleasures through the body or the other senses and always seeking things to excite or please your senses - that is kama tanha. You can really contemplate: what is it like when you have desire for pleasure? For example, when you are eating, if you are hungry and the food tastes delicious, you can be aware of wanting to take another bite. Notice that feeling when you are tasting something pleasant; and notice how you want more of it. Don’t just believe this; try it out. Don’t think you know it because it has been that way in the past. Try it out when you eat. Taste something delicious and see what happens: a desire arises for more. That is kama tanha.

We also contemplate the feeling of wanting to become something. But if there is ignorance, then when we are not seeking something delicious to eat or some beautiful music to listen to, we can be caught in a realm of ambition and attainment - the desire to become. We get caught in that movement of striving to become happy, seeking to become wealthy; or we might attempt to make our life feel important by endeavouring to make the world right. So note this sense of wanting to become something other than what you are right now.


Continued: http://www.buddhanet.net/4noble.htm