In Buddhism, desire and ignorance lie at the root of suffering. By desire, Buddhists refer to craving pleasure, material goods, and immortality, all of which are wants that can never be satisfied. As a result, desiring them can only bring suffering.
In Buddhism, desire and ignorance lie at the root of suffering. By desire, Buddhists refer to craving pleasure, material goods, and immortality, all of which are wants that can never be satisfied. As a result, desiring them can only bring suffering.
Damn ppl are hella upset and somehow made this 2500 year old quote from the Buddha political.
The context of ‘desire’ for this Buddhist quote relates to the desire of ignorant things like a fancy car and not thoughtful desire like wanting better material conditions for yourself or others.
There are separate terms for this type of desire which are lost in translation.
Additionally I’d say the comic really over simplifies it because it’s trying to be clever but basically it’s saying the happiness is right in front of you and your ignorant desires are blocking you from reaching it. Meanwhile the path to enlightenment and even not desiring ignorant things is a long path.
Except this is a bastardization of Buddhist teachings. The Buddhist does not seek happiness by letting go of material desires. They seek peace, enlightenment, and release from suffering, but these are not the same as happiness.
It would be more accurate, although less compelling, if the word was “contentment.”
The accurate term is a cessation of suffering.
Work on that koan is my advice to you.
That is true. I couldn’t think of a word that meant absence of suffering. Since suffering can also mean discomfort or discontentment, I suggested contentment. It’s not a perfect fit, but I think it’s closer to the notion than happiness or comfort.
What single word would you use to describe the cessation of suffering?
I wouldn’t try to use a single word for that term.
Good point
It wasn’t made political: it’s always been political. Just because it’s old doesn’t mean it wasn’t political then or isn’t political now.
There are entire political parties functionally dedicated to the opposition of this statement.
Oh man, Sidhartha Gautama, is basically born of politics.
Prince, who rallies against the ruling ideals of Hindu beliefs of suffering being the best way to live life and that hurting yourself brings you closer to holy instead of further from reality.
Heck, Buddhism at its original core is less a religion and more of a counter culture movement against the ruling political and social ideas of his time.
As someone else explained, ‘desire’ in Buddhism is a bit more complicated than ignorant things. I think you hit the nail on the head when you said,
In trying to be clever the message got muffled. My understanding is that Buddhism is about letting go of unhappiness over things that you can’t control.
It’s acceptance that there is 3 truths to your existence.
You were born.
You will suffer.
You will die.
You must find the right path through actions, effort, mental fortitude, and other aspects (even the words you speak) to find it in yourself to move past the suffering that is inherent to life, to live and put back less suffering into the world.
But we absolutely have the ability to control and shape our reality to do so, even though it does not come with the ability to end suffering.
No the “attachment” in buddhism does not refer to fancy things. It refers to using one’s mind like a pitbull’s jaws to grasp things tightly.
This can happen with anything, not just luxuries. You can be attached to your meditation practice if you approach it the wrong way. And it will cause suffering, just like attachment in all other contexts.
The attachment thing isn’t a moral phenomenon, it’s a psychological one.
This. Everything ends, no matter how tightly you hold on to it. Enjoy the time you have now, the future is promised to no one. Happiness, or at least contentedness, comes when you live completely in the moment, not desiring for a certain future or yearning for a different past.
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