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.

https://www.pbs.org/edens/thailand/buddhism.htm

  • Transporter Room 3@startrek.website
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    7 months ago

    I desire to have a place to live without fear of homelessness.

    I desire a job I don’t hate or have to slave away at for 50 years to hope someday I might be able to enjoy the last few years of my life, if I even get to live that long.

    I desire a world that isn’t slowly dying because of the shittiness of a fraction of the population.

    My unhappiness is my fault. Clearly.

    • AVincentInSpace@pawb.social
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      7 months ago

      Yeah. If you stopped desiring those things and learned to live with your allocations, you would be happy. Now quit yapping and get back to work before I give this job to someone more desparate driven than you.

    • tetris11@lemmy.ml
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      7 months ago

      There are some things you can control, and some things you can’t (or can but but with insane effort).

      In the words of my mother, who was almost executed in a bloody civil war, survived a husband who never let her work and then ditched her to support herself without a pension:

      “All you have is your health and these tender moments. Everything else is just extra.”

    • Ookami38@sh.itjust.works
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      7 months ago

      Happiness is an internal thing. Those are all external things. You can be happy despite there being things around you that are shit. You can be happy, and still work to improve your situation and others. You can be happy, and uncomfortable. None of these are either-or.

    • intensely_human@lemm.ee
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      7 months ago

      All three of those are in your head.

      I’ve been homeless. I don’t live in fear of homelessness.

      I’ve found a job I don’t hate. Also, I meditate to just reduce the hate I feel generally.

      I don’t think our world is dying, any more than the normal fact that everything is always dying.

      Do you meditate? I think you can legit have a better life by altering your attitude.

      • Krauerking@lemy.lol
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        7 months ago

        Hey I’m Buddhist too but there is some callousness in your response that negates the suffering of others. It isn’t just about pretending it’s all in our heads, but an acceptance of the things we can and can not change with the right movement to improve.

        There is a reason the 8 fold path isn’t just, ignore it, ignore it harder, etc. attitude is but a single focus on the greater wheel.

        I have been homeless, 4 separate times, it is not something to brag about or wish upon others.
        And our world is having issues as people do not like to look at it clearly and do not think to check the harm they do to it.

        Humans are unique, we are the only species that can truly change our environment and our world to fit our needs, what we should do is recognize that ability and help to slow the cycle of suffering, do not get stuck on just changing the mind and nothing else.

    • CableMonster@lemmy.ml
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      7 months ago

      What steps are you taking to achieve these goals? I think the most important one would be to find a job you like.

      • AVincentInSpace@pawb.social
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        7 months ago

        ah yes let me add job hunting to my current list of things I have to cram into a single workday, hope I can find one that doesn’t pay substantially less than my current job, apply for an interview, and pray to god that they hire me and that I won’t have to move house in order to accept the position

        • CableMonster@lemmy.ml
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          7 months ago

          You have time to look for a job hunt if its a priority. What other option do you have if you actually want a better life?

          • intensely_human@lemm.ee
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            7 months ago

            For this person, a better life consists of the satisfied smirk they get to feel for a few seconds any time they hear of a successful person failing.

            • CableMonster@lemmy.ml
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              7 months ago

              I have to say I wont be able to relate to them, it just sounds like a terrible way to live.