“Envy is the ulcer of the Soul”
Desire: 1. to long for; crave. 2. To ask for…to have a desire.
Throughout our human history, the Fires of Greed, Gluttony, and Envy have seemed to condemn us to a life of anxiety and frustration.
These obsessive, materialistic acquisitions incapacitate our rational ability to thoroughly understand what a human life can potentially become.
Maybe we can learn something from the Buddhist term “Nirvana.” Nirvana is an absence of struggle; peace. To achieve this level of freedom, the Buddhist believed that we must literally “blow out” these “fires” of materialistic discontent.
Rousseau, an 18 th-century philosopher and writer stated in his book, “Discourse on Origins of Inequality"…
“Being truly wealthy does not require having many things rather it requires having what one longs for.”… “Every time we yearn for something we cannot afford, we grow poorer, whatever our resources. And every time we feel satisfied with what we have, we can be counted as rich, however little we may actually possess.”
This yearning for existential wealth is the primary cause of depression and anxiety in today’s society. More than ever, people seem to be experiencing their lives as empty, meaningless, and purposeless. They seem to be responding to these experiences with behaviors that hurt themselves, others, and society.
If existential materialism is the fire, then our desires are a hole... a deep bottomless pit in our lives. Whenever we have a hole in our lives, “things” rush in to fill it.
So... in desperation we attempt to put out our fires with “stuff” because it provides some satisfaction... we hope it will provide ultimate (final) satisfaction as well. We might try to appease our fires with pleasure. (i.e. eating beyond all necessity, starving ourselves to have that "ideal" body, having promiscuous sex, or seek power and the admiration that follows)
The defining quality of these fiery desires is that whatever we do it is never enough...and in the end leads to despair.
Conclusion:
The Buddhist concept - “Blowing out of fires of desires” is to live a real life of meaning and value that is not based on materialistic possessions. It is the freedom from that which consumes, limits, and confines one's capacity to realize their own human potential.
Each and every one of us is on our own journey toward peace, happiness, and fulfillment.
So... (a client ask) what is the answer?
We each have our own "desires" so the path is quite unique for all of us....I can't tell you how to extinguish your fires... but I do know where all of our paths must begin.
The path to freedom from our "fires of desires" can only occur when we are willing to exchange self-absorption (materialism) for self-awareness (introspection).
It is only then that our journey can begin.
~ Einstein
3 comments:
Kelly,
I agree wholeheartedly with your post. Thanks for writing. You were able to put some of my same thoughts about the roots of despression into great words. I enjoy reading your posts
I like that a lot. Food for thought, some that I think almost all of us can relate to our own lives and feelings. Reminds me of something we spoke of awhile back. That it's almost as if as people we don't beat addiction, but instead trade one for another. That most don't break their desires, but just redirect them towards something found to be more acceptable/respectable. Alot of the time these are healthy things that really could help us find our contentment. But I think so often people divulge themselves too much into something that is not healthy either, just more accepted by those around them. Like you said, such as greed and envy. Devoting ourselves to such things can result in the same empty pit remaining that way, I think. Self respect and self awareness is key, I also believe. Thanks for this one!
Thanks Jeff and Chris... It is true that we never "lose"our addictions. We redirect them. I have spoke before about the "id-ridden" desires and attachments that follow. We have to become more conscious of our attachments when the desires emerge.
"The only respect that matters is self-respect"
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