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Can one still achieve enlightenment and still have cravings for temporary pleasures while still wanting to help others? ~Lily
5 Comments
Tony Tsai
11/16/2019 04:52:20 pm
I think your question is asking whether you can be enlightened and still want little things like chocolate? I think the answer is probably "no". I wish the answer were yes, because I do love chocolate, but to be truly enlightened is to crave nothing, because nothing you crave is real, the pleasure is not real, and even yourself is not real. And any sort of longing whether selfish or selfless is a craving that will keep you attached to this world.
Sujin Shin
11/25/2019 07:04:45 pm
So the goal of Buddhism is to be enlightened which is when you are free of all the suffering. And it's difficult because we can't detach ourselves from wanting and craving which is the reason why we are suffering. In my head it circles like, 1) I don't want to suffer = I want to be happy 2) I feel happy when my wants and needs are all met 3) But my wants never end 4) which causes myself to suffer 5) So in order to end the suffering, I have to not want anything 6) But not wanting anything is so painful because I can't stop myself wanting things 7) So does it mean that in order for myself to be enlightened and escape from the suffering, I have to also give up happiness? 8) Does this mean, in order to be enlightened, I can't be happy?
Tony
11/25/2019 07:20:24 pm
The super short answer is yes. But that doesn’t really explain anything. Firstly, enlightenment or nirvana is one goal of Buddhism not the only goal. But if you want to attain enlightenment, it’s not that you are giving up wants, but that once you realize there is no self, you no longer crave anything. So it’s not getting rid of wants that lead to enlightenment it’s enlightenment that leads to giving up wants. Second, nirvana is not giving up happiness, it is true happiness. All the other things that make us happy are temporary, illusory. That’s why they all inevitably lead to sadness and then more craving. In short it’s like we are all on a drug. Now, brings that have attained enlightenment can still have “wants” but they are not the wants that you and me have. The Buddha “wants” to help people, but he is enlightened. But he has developed the true knowledge and sees that what we perceive as beings are not really beings. I hope this helps, your question was very complex.
Sujin Shin
11/25/2019 07:33:12 pm
It makes much better sense to think of my wants for material goods and stuff as myself being addicted to it because one of the thought process I didn't include in the earlier one was also a question asking, can I call it a happiness when it's coming from satisfaction of having what I was craving? Then what can I call true happiness? But then, if my happiness can not last permanently because there's no permanent me, how can understanding 'no self' lead me to true happiness? Leave a Reply. |
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