Do Desires cause Suffering?

Very interesting topic! I ran across this video...starts out slow and sounds a little like the Law of Attraction, but I found the points interesting and helpful...maybe some of you will too. Enjoy!

Ha Ha! Yes!

Life causes suffering, but we can control how much we suffer.

Desires cause suffering, if you let them. You get to choose what you decide to suffer over, most people don't realize that though.

Unfulfilled needs cause suffering.

Everyone's needs differ greatly.

Once you start thinking about that, you realize that
the only thing that differs between people is the
intensity of needs, I'd go as far as to say that some people
have needs other do not.

Then there is the theme of artificial needs being created by mass media,
that sucker you into buying making you think consumerism and materialism
will fill in that pesky artificial need that makes you long for the next ipod
or whatever.

If you have a disease that you're going to die from, what causes the suffering, the disease, or the desire to live?

reply to post by TKDRL


Can't control certain needs, they are subconscious.

reply to post by satron


I'm assuming you mean psychological suffering.

If the disease is going to kill you,
you suffer from your need to live not being fulfilled.

reply to post by Radekus


The subconscious; If it exists as people think at all, and not just a scapegoat to excuse poor impulse control, is not set in stone. You can change it, it just takes work.

These days it seems the subconscious is used as an excuse more than anything. Everyone wants to put the blame on this thing, that is not in their control, instead of their own flawed thinking process. Much easier to say it is something out of their control, and give it a pass, rather than working on the problem.

reply to post by Aqualung2012


Ok...I must know?????

reply to post by blazenresearcher


While I have the utmost respect for Buddhist philosophy, I must say that I think they have it a little backwards. I think that suffering causes desire. Of course, unfulfilled desires can cause suffering (such as hunger) but unfulfilled desires can also motivate you to become better (like inventing agriculture). Without desire, we would all be cavemen. Enlightened cavemen, but cavemen nonetheless.

The fun begins when one person's needs conflict with anothers',
the chaos that results then needs to be minimized,
no good ruler would want anarchy, besides,
lack of personal safety is the unfulfillement of the need to security.
This is why laws were created, to prevent people from raping, killing,
robing, and maiming each other.

Certain rules need to be put in place so as to safeguard
a healthy coexistence.

Can a system function where people have the option of consent?
Where in, no matter how messed up a person is,
there will be another like him/her just as messed up to consent to
unnatural and unpopular need fulfillment? In other words,
two messed up individuals consenting in some socially unpopular activity?

This is the rabbit hole, think hard about this for a little bit.

This is the real argument between Conservatism and Liberalism.

reply to post by satron


Good question! I would say neither, but the loss you may incur would be the source of your pain. As in the loss of a being with your loved ones and a future with your loved ones....that would cause you pain.

Like she says wake up everyday and contemplate the thought....hold the thought for at least 1 minute, you will ignite the universe and maybe instruct the universe.

reply to post by satron

If you have a disease that you're going to die from, what causes the suffering, the disease, or the desire to live?

The suffering is the result of the disease, which is in turn can be the result of any misalignment with the pure joyfulness of creative expression known as life.

In other words, the more you feel regret, hate, misery, loneliness, incompleteness, guilt, etc. the more chance that your life will begin to fall apart.

We should try to direct our thoughts and actions towards goals that will bring joy.

reply to post by TKDRL


There is a difference between what you DO and what you FEEL like doing.

The idea here is to control what you FEEL, and feelings,
they are impossible to control. They can be suppressed on the outside,
but how do you prevent, say, a homosexual man from feeling lust for another man?
I'm not saying I am a homosexual, I'm arguing that this is a feeling that a homosexual has,
a need if you will, how do you control the need, the feeling, so that you
do not feel it again? That is a million dollar question.

For more familiar territory.
Compare it to your lust for a member of the opposite sex,
Could you eliminate the need all together or are you going to feel it no matter how
much you tell yourself not to?

reply to post by Radekus


Well, I would say to not put yourself in a situation where one persons needs (yours) conflict with the another persons needs. No need for drama, trauma and the like...

First, find out what you truly what....hone in on that...that will attract the person that you might want to be with.

reply to post by blazenresearcher


I'm not describing my own situation, I'm pointing out scenarios.
I have a live and let live attitude to life. I dislike conflict and always attempt at compromise.

Did anyone even watch/listen to the Vid??? Ok...she also inadvertently sounds naughty at the end...so now go watch! LOL

reply to post by blazenresearcher


Desires can cause suffering if we make bad choices because of them. Think about it....the desire for money could end someone up in jail if they go about obtaining money illegally. Or sexual desires sometimes cause the breakup of families and divorce. It may cause suffering to the children in that family or the spouse in the relationship. Sometimes it may cause the suffering of the spouse that gave in to their desire to cheat. Really when you think about it, sometimes we inflict suffering upon ourselves because of our own poor decisions and sometimes others inflict it upon us because of their poor decisions/desires. The main thing to realize is that we are responsible for our decision and to minimize the suffering that we cause to ourselves and others. When suffering is unwittingly inflicted upon us, even though we don't deserve it, we can choose how we are going to deal with it. Wow! What a depressing subject! I hate suffering!

reply to post by blazenresearcher


I loose interest the moment I hear things like "personal vibration"

I'm not a new ager, or religious for that matter, because I do not believe in the unprovable.
hence I avoid these topics, let's just say I have a very low tolerance for bs.