Teachings on Desire

Theravadan

The arising of dukkha is due to the grasping of desires. And the insight is that there is this origin or arising and that desire should be let go of. This is the Second Noble Truth; it is the insight knowledge of letting go.

Some people think that all I teach is whatever happens, let go.

But the teaching involves a real investigation of suffering; insight of letting go occurs through that understanding. So letting go does not come from a desire to get rid of suffering - that is not letting go, is it?

The vibhava tanha, or desire to get rid of, is quite subtle. but wanting to get rid of our defilements is another kind of desire. Letting go is not a getting rid of or putting down with any aversion. Letting go means to be able to be with what is displeasing without dwelling in aversion - because aversion is an attachment. If you have a lot of aversion, then you will still be attached. Fear, aversion - all this is grasping and clinging.

Dispassion is acceptance and awareness of things as they are, not creating anything, letting go of the aversion to what is ugly or unpleasant.

So letting go is not a trick phrase coined as a way of dismissing things, but it is a deep insight into the nature of things. Letting go therefore is being able to bear with something unpleasant and not being caught up with anger and aversion. Dispassion is not depression.
..

In mindfulness then, we are opening our mind to this, to the whole of life, which includes the beautiful, the ugly, the pleasing, the painful and the neutral. So in our reflection on the paticcasamuppada, we see it is connected to the Second Noble Truth.

This is where the sequence tanha, upadana, bhava is most helpful as a means of investigating grasping.

Grasping in this sense can mean grasping because of attraction, or because of aversion, trying to get rid of. Grasping with aversion is pushing away; running away is upadana, as well as trying to get hold of the beautiful, and possess it and keep it. Seeking after the desirable, trying to get rid of the undesirable.

The more we contemplate and investigate upadana, the more the insight arises: desire should be let go of.

In the Second Noble Truth it is explained that suffering arises, it should be let go of and then, through the practice of letting go and the understanding of what letting go really is, we have the third insight into the Noble Truth: desire has been let go of: we actually know letting go. It is not a theoretical letting go, it is not a rejection of anything, it is the actual insight.

LP Sumehdo

https://www.wisdomlib.org/buddhism/e...g-go-of-desire

Tibetan

"If you really think about it, you come to understand that you are responsible for your own suffering and that there is no one else to blame. Understanding this, you will be able to tolerate difficulties and to avoid more suffering in the future. If you want to be happy you need to know the causes of happiness. The Buddha said: I can show you the path of liberation, but liberation depends upon yourself.

Whether you are Buddhist or not, whether you practice a religion or not, you have a mind, temporarily and all causes of happiness and suffering are in this mind.

The only cause of happiness is love and the only cause of suffering is attachment to the ego (the continuing need to satisfy the self). If you understand this, you understand the work of Karma, cause and effect, perfectly. All suffering without exception comes from the desire for one's own personal happiness.”

Garchen Rinpoche

http://spaziobodhicitta.com/en/disco...chen-rinpoche/

[Ötzi1]

Thank you, this is very insightful!

Thank you.

[sky]

Originally Posted by janielee

Theravadan

The arising of dukkha is due to the grasping of desires. And the insight is that there is this origin or arising and that desire should be let go of. This is the Second Noble Truth; it is the insight knowledge of letting go.

Some people think that all I teach is whatever happens, let go.

But the teaching involves a real investigation of suffering; insight of letting go occurs through that understanding. So letting go does not come from a desire to get rid of suffering - that is not letting go, is it?

The vibhava tanha, or desire to get rid of, is quite subtle. but wanting to get rid of our defilements is another kind of desire. Letting go is not a getting rid of or putting down with any aversion. Letting go means to be able to be with what is displeasing without dwelling in aversion - because aversion is an attachment. If you have a lot of aversion, then you will still be attached. Fear, aversion - all this is grasping and clinging.

Dispassion is acceptance and awareness of things as they are, not creating anything, letting go of the aversion to what is ugly or unpleasant.

So letting go is not a trick phrase coined as a way of dismissing things, but it is a deep insight into the nature of things. Letting go therefore is being able to bear with something unpleasant and not being caught up with anger and aversion. Dispassion is not depression.
..

In mindfulness then, we are opening our mind to this, to the whole of life, which includes the beautiful, the ugly, the pleasing, the painful and the neutral. So in our reflection on the paticcasamuppada, we see it is connected to the Second Noble Truth.

This is where the sequence tanha, upadana, bhava is most helpful as a means of investigating grasping.

Grasping in this sense can mean grasping because of attraction, or because of aversion, trying to get rid of. Grasping with aversion is pushing away; running away is upadana, as well as trying to get hold of the beautiful, and possess it and keep it. Seeking after the desirable, trying to get rid of the undesirable.

The more we contemplate and investigate upadana, the more the insight arises: desire should be let go of.

In the Second Noble Truth it is explained that suffering arises, it should be let go of and then, through the practice of letting go and the understanding of what letting go really is, we have the third insight into the Noble Truth: desire has been let go of: we actually know letting go. It is not a theoretical letting go, it is not a rejection of anything, it is the actual insight.

LP Sumehdo

https://www.wisdomlib.org/buddhism/e...g-go-of-desire

Thanks JL, as always helpful info:

Thanks, sky123

JL