desire — T Clark
desire — T Clark
"Taoism, like Buddhism, distinguishes between desires, deciding to split the one force into two (outer, or material, desires and inner, or immaterial, desires). Outer desires are equivalent to craving in Buddhism; a force for evil to be vanquished through religious methods. Inner desires, however, are our desires to better ourselves and bring ourselves closer to Tao. These desires are necessary, as without them, we would either be craving-driven gluttons or inactive nobodies. With them, we refine ourselves to be better and closer to the state of total immersion and unity which can either be identified with nirvana or Tao. Thus, as we fulfill our inner desires, we get closer to that indescribable completion and farther from our animalistic impulses. As we get closer, our desires lessen, and the balance within us shifts toward fulfillment and away from longing. Only after some time of this shifting can we make a meaningful attempt to let go completely and unite ourselves with our own innermost natures. According to the Tao Te Ching, “he who knows that enough is enough will always have enough.” " — ZzzoneiroCosm
The distinction between craving and aspiration seems solid to me. — ZzzoneiroCosm
The focus on contentment, understood as the opposite of desire, also rings true to me. — ZzzoneiroCosm
So if we take contentment to be the opposite of desire we may be able to substitute the word "discontentment" where we find the word "desire." — ZzzoneiroCosm
I'm getting really uncomfortable with this. I feel like I'm imposing my understanding on yours by force. — T Clark
I'll say it again - you need to find your own understanding of the Tao Te Ching and not depend on what I say. — T Clark
I went ahead and made the substitution ("discontent" for "desire"), and now the thing makes a lot more sense to me. Take a look. — ZzzoneiroCosm
What's missing for me with "discontent" is the sense of striving, grasping that I feel with "desire." Discontent is the result of desire. — T Clark
Maybe "desirous discontent" could satisfy both of us?... — ZzzoneiroCosm
I take desire, whether conscious or unconscious, to be a kind of primal or underlying motivation for all human activity. If we eat, in some sense we have desired to eat. So when Lao Tzu writes "desire" it must not be a reference to all kinds of desire but must be a reference to a certain kind of desire. It's a question of interpretation what sort of desire he refers to. Possibly he deliberately leaves that up to us. — ZzzoneiroCosm
Not being exactly sure what is going on is an important part of the experience. — T Clark
in coherent congruence with samsaran notion — Hillary
the notion of the ephemeral, is a welcome aid in the shake-down of desire, motives, reason, and cause. — Hillary
Freed from these one floats through life like the dandelion fluff, without longing [ ] ...the only desire being to let the winds continue and the Sun to shine. Without internal substance, lost in the eternal ocean of infinity. — Hillary
Without internal substance — Hillary
But they came at unexpected moments and psychologists label it "the manic state of the bipolar". — Hillary
Thanks for reading my words. Really appreciate. I was expecting scepticism or cynism, or dunno what. — Hillary
Which is quite annoying for other people sometimes, though no evil is meant. — Hillary
To unhappy people, there's nothing more annoying than happiness. — ZzzoneiroCosm
one floats through life like the dandelion fluff, without longing or caring, — Hillary
Are you saying that Taoism is not based in any APs?
If you are, please elaborate on Taoism’ lack of APs. — ArielAssante
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