rel212 week 3 response t.c. Is desire (craving) good or bad or, can desire be either good or bad

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Is desire (craving) good or bad or, can desire be either good or bad (Fisher, pp. 143 – 145)? How do desires reveal an individual’s sense of the “meaning and purpose of life?” How do you think desires relate to religious ethics in Buddhism (e.g., the Noble Eightfold Path, Fisher, pp. 145 - 146)?



One of the foundations of Buddhism and all of its teachings relies on the four noble truths. The are: The truth of pain and suffering, the truth of the arising of pain, the truth of the cessation of pain, and the truth of the path to end pain known as the Noble Eightfold Path. The first truth describes the existence of dukkha, or pain and suffering. This extends into grief, mental anguish, and the fear of unlasting happiness. The second truth explains that dukkha is caused by craving pleasures of the mind and fortune. The seeker tries to hold onto the illusion instead of seeing things as they really are. The third truth teaches that dukkha will stop when the craving stops. The illusion goes away and one sees the true nature of things. Life is no longer self focused and one can be truly helpful to others. Finally, the fourth truth tells us that craving and suffering will go away by following the Noble Eightfold Path of conduct, concentration and wisdom. By reading the four truths and how pain and suffering surround craving, Buddha is trying to teach that if you do not desire sensory pleasures, you will not be blinded by illusions and therefore ignorance. Once the desires stop, we see things as they truly are, freed from being self-centered and compassionate to serve others(Fisher, 2017). To answer the second part of this question, the entire Eightfold Path to Liberation is all about how to remove dukkha and purify the mind. The eight aspects speak of understanding the Four Noble Truths and seeing through the illusions of what brings happiness. They also speak of uncovering our selfish desires or exposing our own imperfections. They teach not to speak uncharitably such as gossiping or lying. Making sure one's conduct is ethical and profession is honest and does not harm society are two more. The sixth is to make sure that the mind and body stay pure, seventh is to be aware of your surrounding constantly, and the eighth is to meditate because a quiet mind can clearly reflect on the true nature of things(Fisher, 2017). Understanding the Noble Eightfold Path shows that desires are clearly unethical in Buddhism. To crave anything that creates the life we want to have versus what is real and clouds reality creates an ethical question in Buddhism.



Tom



Fisher, M. P. (2017). Living religions (Tenth ed.). Boston: Pearson.

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