[JennaJJxoxoxo]

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

[eI7iqNot]

My understanding is that desire itself isn't harmful. It's when these desires have power over us and create unhealthy yearning. For instance, being homeless and wanting a home should be fine. But having a home and constantly yearning for a better and better one is unhealthy attachment.

[sposicke]

Welcome Mark!

Desire/craving for things can come and go, but as Johnny has already mentioned its when we become attached to the desire itself that we have difficulties which could even become obsessions eventually.

This might be helpful:


We reflect as we see suffering; as we see the nature of desire; as we recognise that attachment to desire is suffering. Then we have the insight of allowing desire to go and the realisation of non-suffering, the cessation of suffering. These insights can only come through reflection; they cannot come through belief. Instead, the mind should be willing to be receptive, pondering and considering.

People rarely realise non-suffering because it takes a special kind of willingness in order to ponder and investigate and get beyond the gross and the obvious. It takes a willingness to actually look at your own reactions, to be able to see the attachments and to contemplate: 'What does attachment feel like?'

For example, do you feel happy or liberated by being attached to desire? These questions are for you to investigate. If you find out that being attached to your desires is liberating, then do that. Attach to all your desires and see what the result is.

In my practice, I have seen that attachment to my desires is suffering. There is no doubt about that. I can see how much suffering in my life has been caused by attachments to material things, ideas, attitudes or fears. I can see all kinds of unnecessary misery that I have caused myself through attachment because I did not know any better.

http://www.dhammatalks.net/Books9/Aj..._Cessation.htm

with kind wishes

Aloka

[Gromiaaborn]

Thank you, both.

Mark

[Immusaatmonna]

welcome Mark

Buddha taught about two kinds of desire: 1. wholesome desire (aspiration); 2. unwholesome desire (craving)

for the layperson, Buddha taught owning a home is wholesome

regards





Buddha said to Anathapindika the householder: "There are these four kinds of bliss that can be attained in the proper season, on the proper occasions, by a householder partaking of sensuality. Which four? The bliss of having [ownership], the bliss of [making use of] wealth, the bliss of debtlessness, the bliss of blamelessness.

Anana Sutta: Debtless

[wasssallx]

Hi Mark, this is a common and timeless question for the Buddha. I was confused with this one for a long time too.

I look at the whole mechanism of desire as wanting and lacking. It comes from a mindset of scarcity rather than abundance. For instance, if this homeless person constantly desires to have a place to live, saying to himself, "I want to get a job so I can rent a place so I can do this and do that. I know I should do this and stop doing that, I know I could do this, I would do that, yada,yada,yada. It all becomes an attachment to worrying and delusion.

It is the constant wishing that becomes a fantasy that is ever out of reach because he fixates on the desire to have a home rather than focusing the state of mind which would be capable of possessing, keeping, and maintaining one. Desire becomes just that.. a desire with no action. His desire devolves into a blame game full of excuses as to why he is hopelessly homeless. He needs to look first at the causes of his suffering which may be drug and alcohol abuse, physical disability, etc., etc.,etc.

Yet this is a somewhat extreme example. All our sufferings from attachment to desire are usually much more subtle than this. It is not easy, very difficult to overcome desire, especially in modern age. Peace.

[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

[replicaypu]

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

I have other views on this question in other threads, but here, I have another view point regarding this issue that I like to raise.

In Buddhism (And some would say Mahayana Buddhism), the proper understanding of 'desireless' is not passivity, but 'generosity'. It is because you do not desire something, that you can be generous with it, which, hopefully, can be used to help other people.

Therefore, 'generosity' is often recommended to people who are 'greedy' in order to combat their 'greed.' Instead of trying to 'find desireless' in meditation, it is often recommended to people to be generous as a way to arrive at 'desireless.'

There is a reason that 'generosity' is one of the 6 paramitas.