This Is How Desire Traps You

Our inability to handle desire is at the root of most our problems. Buddhist psychology says it's the root of all of them. In this video, we explore desire as a phenomenon and unpack a subtle insight from Buddhist scripture, which may point the way to liberation

#buddhism #psychology #philosophy #desire #buddha #spirituality #dharma #dhamma

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📚 Recommended Reading

▶ Walpula Rahula Thero: What the Buddha Taught
▶ Thich Nhat Hanh: The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching
▶ Rupert Gethin: Foundations of Buddhism

Free access to Early Buddhist scripture:

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🎶 Music used

▶ Original S2S score by @RMSounds [including that 🔥 beat at the end]
▶ Original S2S score by Simeon
▶ YouTube Audio library and various Public Domain recordings

Check out the amazing beats by @RMSounds
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📝 Script

[seekerseeker]

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I would also like to thank all the channel members who support my work through YouTube! You will know them by their orange badges in the comments :)


I owe this video, like everything else I do, to the gentle and constant support of my partner. Thank you, Elly!

[charlietaylor]

"Desire cannot be overcome by resistance; it can only be defeated through insight."
Well said. Resisting desire again and again is like trying to resist the ocean waves. It/they will always come back.
As always, thanks for the upload. Mahalo from Hawaii....

[andreschoenfeld]

The Pāli term for desire as the Buddha uses it is "taṇhā." This term is central to Buddhist teachings, where it is identified as the root cause of suffering. Taṇhā is typically translated into English as "craving" or "thirst" and is detailed in the Four Noble Truths, a foundational Buddhist doctrine. According to this, taṇhā leads to dukkha (suffering, dissatisfaction) and perpetuates the endless cycle of rebirths (samsāra) that beings are subjected to.

Taṇhā manifests in three key forms:
1. Kāma-taṇhā: This is the craving for sensual pleasures, such as those derived from the five senses—sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch.
2. Bhava-taṇhā: This is the craving for becoming, which involves the desire for existence, continued existence, or rebirth. It encompasses aspirations and ambitions for personal attainment and the wish for eternal life or continued existence in some form.
3. Vibhava-taṇhā: This is the craving for non-existence or annihilation, reflecting a desire to escape from existence, which can include suicidal thoughts or the desire for the cessation of rebirth.

Overcoming taṇhā is crucial for achieving Nibbāna, the ultimate liberation from all forms of suffering and the cycle of rebirth. The Buddha prescribed a path to extinguish taṇhā through the Noble Eightfold Path, which includes right understanding, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration. By following this path, practitioners cultivate ethical conduct, mental discipline, and wisdom, which enable them to see the true nature of reality and thereby reduce and eventually eliminate taṇhā from their lives.

Besides"taṇhā, " another Pāli term for desire is "chanda." In the context of Buddhist teachings, chanda has a slightly different connotation than taṇhā. While taṇhā usually refers to a more unwholesome or problematic type of craving that leads to suffering and attachment, chanda can denote a more neutral or even positive type of desire, depending on the context.

Chanda:

- Is often translated as "intention, " "desire, " or "will."
- Can be wholesome (kusala) when it is directed towards beneficial goals, such as the desire to practice meditation, achieve ethical goals, or other aspirations that lead towards enlightenment and the well-being of oneself and others.
- It is considered an essential element in the path to liberation because it provides the motivation required to engage in and sustain wholesome activities.

Thus, while taṇhā is always considered a hindrance to enlightenment due to its nature of leading to attachment and suffering, chanda can be a motivating force that helps one progress on the spiritual path when aligned with right effort and wholesome intentions.

[glenswada]

Very tough subject. Buddha never stated desire was bad. Without desire we could not experience dualities in creation. To know our self. But there are also habitual desires. That have no benefit to our being. Great video as always. Thank You

[brokeandcrazy]

you are my favourite channel ever. the editing, the quality, the effort and the content; so grateful to have stumbled across this gold mine!!!!

[crazywiener]

The mechanism of desire is Tension and Release. You can see it at play in sex, commerce, addiction, cravings, yearning, all desire. It's replicated in music and movies for effect also.

[rawnin]

Remarkable vision, great job. Also full of compassion. Thank you and keep on the Way.

[Rockell]

Wow I just did a meditation on surrender on insight timer trying to release a particular desire that’s got me captured.. when I finished and went to YT this was the first thing in my feed

[yaksauce]

Thank you for the timely and profound insight! Indeed, Desire precedes attachments to impermanent forms and constructs. Following the Eightfold path illuminates the Middle Way and, like all good medicine, decreases suffering.

[tstecksuan]

Another excellent and profound piece, grateful once again for presenting the Buddha’s teaching in a living contemporary language we all can understand easier. 🙏

[whangadude]

One of your videos appeared on my feed earlier today. I just ended up watching your whole playlist. You've given me much to think about, and I look forward to seeing more of this wonderful content. I'll certainly rewatch some of these at a later date. I feel like these videos came at just the right time in my current state of mind, and will be of great help in my development. Thanx so much

[αληθεία-ιτ]

In this sick, illusory prison realm game called “life”,
We are tethered to the things and people we love.
Because you love them, you are tethered to them,
Because you desire them,
Because you a long to hold them near to you,
Because you long to possess and be possessed by them,
Because you adore the images of them you have on your phone and in your house,
Because you regurgitate all the memories you made with them,
You have become a great candidate.
Because everything and everyone you desire can and will be taken from you.
And so the rulers desire YOU.
You have Their undivided attention. Because They love.
The way you smell and taste.
When you SUFFER.

[VatIva]

have you considered making a video on nonduality?

[JesseDanielSmith]

A fantastic video -- the idea of suffering being the tension of wanting to "merge" with an object (material, abstract or otherwise) is enlightening in the true sense of the word. Beautiful channel 🙏

[ArtGoCanada]

Desire is simple to understand but not easy to practice. Thanks for the refresher! ☯️🙏❤️🔥

[eniojy]

i believe that the phrase : dont desire is the nirvana, it's a KOAN that each individual person will have a experience seeking not to desire, becase desire not to desire is already a desire

[Lanternsinthesky-studios]

"Desire" is in the eye of the beholder and the beholder can simply let it go.

[isabeljirash]

Thanks many thanks, your videos are helping me so much to walk and contemplate the wise path of budism

[thegringoscottproductions]

It's funny how we've all learned the hard way that grocery shopping on an empty stomach is a bad idea. Apparently, it's a universal experience!

[williamhart]

You learned from your mistake! You are truly on the path to enlightenment!