Well, as you so eloquently stated, "we are but animals ourselves." Is desire in or itself "wrong?" No. How can it be? It is ingrained within us. I desire to keep on living. I could end my life; free will gives me that power. I choose not to because I do not desire to die. Desire is, therefore, at the very core of my being, and, I suspect, at the core of the most enlightened among the human race. I think the point they are trying to get across is simply recognizing that desire is the root of all suffering. I am not a Buddhist, but I hear no mention of "negativity" or "evil" in there. That's why Buddhism is often referred to as a philosophy instead of a religion.
Feel free to correct me on that last bit, however I'm fairly sure that is accurate.
"But desire is an inherently human trait, as far as I can tell"
Many religions have a place, system, or state resembling Nirvana, and it would seem that it's generally impossible to achieve it as a human. As Khamura explains:
"For as long as you desire, you are entrenched in dukkha, and thus in the cycle of death and rebirth. To free oneself of that is but the first step in the path that leads to nirvana -- which, incidentally, is not a place, but a state of liberation of the mind."
So I suppose my response is thus: Is Desire inherently human? Yes. Is Desire inherently negative? No.
Is it possible to overcome desire?
Yes. At which point you are no longer truly human. However, such a belief has to incorporate an "afterlife" (<= heavy on the quotation marks) or some such system, since it implies that there is indeed a beyond.
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timeasmymeasure
Hm.
Date: 2006-11-14 10:57 pm (UTC)Feel free to correct me on that last bit, however I'm fairly
sure that is accurate.
"But desire is an inherently human trait, as far as I can tell"
Many religions have a place, system, or state resembling Nirvana,
and it would seem that it's generally impossible to achieve it as
a human. As Khamura explains:
"For as long as you desire, you are entrenched in dukkha, and thus in the cycle of death and rebirth. To free oneself of that is but the first step in the path that leads to nirvana -- which, incidentally, is not a place, but a state of liberation of the mind."
So I suppose my response is thus: Is Desire inherently human? Yes. Is Desire inherently negative? No.
Is it possible to overcome desire?
Yes. At which point you are no longer truly human. However, such a belief has to incorporate an "afterlife" (<= heavy on the quotation marks) or some such system, since it implies that there is indeed a beyond.