Desire

We discussed desire in Humanitas: why we desire, what we desire, how Eastern schools of thought seek to eradicate desire differently from Western thought. Desire basically comes from a realization of what you do not possess, yes? Either you realize that there is no "you," that there is effectively no difference between you and what you desire, you attain literally everything you desire, or you understand that that you cannot reach the end of the road and become content with your position.

I believe that one cannot eradicate desire. At least, one cannot eradicate desire fully and live for more than a few days. Unless you desire, you may as well be a rock. Nikhil described true happiness as enlightenment, as the absence of desire, but then you may as well die, unless the happiness is its own desire. Then desire becomes something you maintain every instant. If people attempt to eradicate desire, that itself is desire. On the other hand, sometimes desire itself can be the object of desire. Thoughts like this lead one to believe that the first-degree desire is "real," whatever that means, and before long will arise a desire for the desire of desire. Confused yet? I am.

Homework for Thursday, unsurprisingly, is to make note of what I desire and understand why.

Obviously, you cannot attain everything you desire and continue to live. If you engange in the most basic of activities--eating, drinking--than you indicate a desire for future life. The only ways to escape such would be immortality or somehow existing at every point in time at once.

I desire a trip to the drinking fountain.