What Is Desire?

**Note: Truth does not always sound pleasant. If the mind is not really peaceful now, it might not be a perfect moment to listen to this podcast, one has to be aware of the emotions or reactions that can block one from listenING ATTENTIVELY and with HUMILITY. Listening to this talk is a meditation practice. What one needs to do is listen attentively, without getting stuck in words, examine the mind in silence, not agree or disagree, and just look at the mind as it is. Doing so is already part of true meditation.

Transcript

All of our challenges come from thoughts.

To end all the issues,

Challenges,

Totally,

Is to inquire into the mind to see whether there is a state which is never touched upon by thoughts,

Never tarnished by thoughts,

Never polluted by thoughts.

Because the mind is always in thoughts,

So the issues are always there in one form or another.

That's to say whether there's a kind of living that is totally not dominated by desire.

We don't say whether you should have desire or not have desire,

But can life not be dominated by desire?

To be able to do that,

One must understand what is desire.

Why the power of the desire is so irresistible.

So now let's hold together to look at ourselves to perceive what is desire.

When the body,

The speaker means the mind or the body,

It is one.

Because when the body touches something or smells something or sees something,

Anyway,

The body contacts something,

What are the senses?

There's immediate sensation from the neural system.

Smell or pain or itchy.

This is a part of the function of the neural system.

The sensation,

It is normal,

It is healthy.

Life is full of sensations.

But then the thoughts begin to function.

Because the speaker sees a beautiful car,

So he touches the car,

Look at the car,

How beautiful it is.

The mind feels quite excited about this car.

Wow,

Looks great,

Marvelous.

So there's a sensation about that car,

Which is normal.

But then the thoughts generate an image about the car.

I should have the car because it is so good.

I like it.

I want to have it.

So after sensation,

That image of wanting the car comes into play.

And the mind begins to pursue that image.

And all the urges around that image arrives.

If the speaker has enough money,

The speaker can quickly buy it.

When the speaker has no money or little money,

Can't afford it.

And that desire is pushing the mind all the time.

And for most people,

It is rather easy to think about all kinds of tricks to suppress it,

To deceive oneself.

But that desire is always there.

When the desire is brutally cut off,

It always comes back,

In different forms perhaps.