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The Total Abandonment of Desires

Over the past week, I've been vigilantly watching myself closely to determine the nature of suffering. I've discovered that every time I desire something in my life to go a certain way, I create in myself an emotional tension. For example, if I desire to go home from work at a certain time, I've left in an emotional suspense that becomes tenser as the certain time approaches. If I truly do not care if I go home on time or not, I feel no tension even as the certain time passes. This is how I see that it is the desire, not the "going home on time or not" actuality, that causes my emotional tension. It also causes the elation of going home on time or early, and the frustration and disappointment of having to stay late.

Then, I began to practice abandoning every preference I stumbled upon throughout the day. The idea was to never prefer anything that doesn't exist in the present moment. This abandonment of my desire to change things for my own personal betterment allowed me to accept the present moment with truly unconditional love. I surrendered my notion of the ability to control anything about the present except my own desire for it to be different.

I noticed that for as long as I continued abandoning my preferences and accepting the present whole-heartedly, I never felt tension arise within me at all. I was free of the desire-and-suffering system and saw that I could either:

A.) Have a desire, identify as the desire, acquire the desire, feel a moment of peace once I give up the desire since I've acquired it, and then move on to desiring something else (never escaping the desiring-and-suffering cycle).

B.) Have a desire, identify with the desire, not acquire the desire, and feel the ensuing suffering until I desire something again (still no escape)

or C.) Have a desire, do not identify as the desire, give it up since I see both the acquisition and non-acquisition lead to more suffering, appreciate the present moment as it is, see my inability to control, admit wanting all of reality to go my ideal way is ludicrously egotistical, and give up desiring anything more. (some habitual desires may arise again, but all become extinguished as they do).

There's only one moment you'll ever have to give up desires for, and that is the present. Whatever your present moment currently entails, let it be enough for you. Getting the things you want will only make you content for the briefest of moments. Giving up the things you want means you will be forced to become content with the present, no matter what the present is. The quickest way to peace is desiring nothing more.

Give up even the desire to be enlightened, buddha, and free-minded. Keep no preference in the mind. Meditate listening to your least favorite music (I did this to christmas music). Challenge yourself to remain preference-free throughout all activities and conditions the present brings you. Then, you won't have anything to left to desire. The entire present moment and all of reality within it will be yours to enjoy without judgment of any kind.

Investigate and logically deduce for yourself how useless a desire is at creating desirelessness. Remember the four noble truths and how desirelessness is necessary to be rid of suffering. Have the right resolve to abandon your preferences as they arise. Make it a mini-game of your day. The high score of this game is lasting inner contentment. Try it for a day, and you'll see it's always worth a try and won't want to stop.

submitted by /u/ZenMasterMike
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