Fortune Cookie of Nirvana
I went to Panda Express tonight and got a fortune cookie that said,
"Those who expect nothing are never disappointed."
I thought it was interesting that this was my fortune, since I've been focusing so much on the topic of desire! I'd just written a letter to Patrick that was about just this! Cool? Crazy?
So, my fortune-cookie message, I assume, was born from Buddha's "Four Noble Truths," concerning suffering and how to deal with it.
His "Noble Truths," in a simple little summary, go like this:
1) Life is suffering - if we live, we suffer.
2) The cause of all suffering is desire.
3) The less we desire, the less we suffer.
4) Cease desiring, and you will stop suffering.
...
I think this formula is brilliant. I think it would really work. Buddha made it seem so simple, even beautiful.
...
But, here's my thought.
I think it's not so simple as it seems. Because there is something more ultimately foundational to human nature than our desire not to suffer: our nature to desire.
From the time we're born, we each cry out from our cribs for mom's touch. Would you say we were desiring?
What about our desire for food and drink? It's a good thing we were born with it, or human life would have ended a long time ago.
We've all cried out for love at one time or another.
These cries were all driven by our desires.
I absolutely agree with Buddha that when we don't receive what we desire in each of these and other situations, it is a cause for suffering.
But, would suffering end for a baby, for instance, if, because he didn't get what he was crying for, he threw out desiring altogether? It'd more likely result in his death.
...
I went through a season when I tried to put an end to my desires, but to my disappointment, I realized that even my pursuit to end my suffering was driven by my desire not to suffer. Dang.
There must be a better answer to the problem of human suffering and how to deal with it that better hosts our human nature than Buddha's solution to quit desiring.
...
But, thank you just the same, my little fortune cookie, for sharing your thought. I enjoyed every bit of you. I expected you to taste good, and, you did! No disappointment here.
posted by Pauline @ Saturday, February 04, 2006
7 comments
7 Comments:
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Buddha's 4 tenets ignore the question of eternity. What was his definition of "life"? Did he think life ended with physical death? Our entire lifetime is spent longing for something and that hunger won't fully be satiated until we leave this world. We are DEVELOPING our appetite for God - gaining a taste for Him. To deny our hunger for our Creator would be as foolish as a baby deciding to no longer cry for milk - AND as deadly; you are right. And anyway, I think he missed the true cause of suffering - it's not our desires solely. We suffer because we are surrounded by danger. When we get too close to the flames, we feel the heat. It's a warning not to get burned, AND it's a drive that moves us into safety - into God's waiting arms. Who do suffering people cry out to? God. Imagine a child with no sensation walking into flames because the fire is so pretty! The same horrible thing would happen to us if we felt no pain - we'd head straight for the fire of Hell, no questions asked. Any amount of suffering I've experienced, the Bible promises, will seem light and momentary when I get to Heaven. We just expect too much from this life. Thanks to the secular humanists and the new ideas brought on during the Rennaissance, people expect this world to be paradise here and now. But it can never be our home. Yes, as beleivers we enter into eternity now! But our physical bodies will never know God or be satisfied the way they long to be. The whole world cries out for God. Even as believers we have to experience a part of that.
Good point Pauline. This Enlightenment thing is so confusing and circular. I guess at some point the loss of desire is a result of becoming one with God, not a cause of it. I LOVE your questions (have I said that before?)
Let's see, the Renaissance followed what...?? Ummm, was it the Inquisition?
The Renaissance was a time when people renewed their focus on the importance of living well in the present (e.g. humanism). What does that have to do with the abuses of a Catholic structure formed to get rid of what they thought were "heresies?" Are you alluding to something one of your college profs said in some lecture? I must have missed that one.
Long time no response P
so lets not waste any more time and get right down to it.
Buddha's principles overlook what I feel are some very basic human characteristics. First it is human to desire. The need, or want to desire is what intrinsicly drives people to succeed. Whether you desire to get something done, or to please someone, even if it is just to feel the satisfaction of participating is something you feel will benefit yourself or others it all stems from desire. We desire to be wanted and loved, to be needed and appreciated, and most basically to be seen and to be heard. While I do understand that buddhist idealogy of balance, to much or to little of anything is harmful and that we must find our centers, I also maintain that the world as we know it would cease to make advances if people stopped wanting. Desire to help is what pushes good doctors to invent new medical procedures that save lives. Desire to be loved is what pushes people to continually grind their way through date after date, or email after email ; ) and desire to be a good parent is what causes our folks to continually look after us well beyond the leaving the nest period. My desire to connect with my friend is what keeps me coming back to this site, though it is a marvelous site, I don't do it because I have to, I do it because on some level it makes me feel like we are back in starbucks answering all of the worlds questions. I did not intend for this to get so sentimental, but it was a great day and I DESIRE to share that with my friend P
hugs and kisses A
well said!
nwobserver: thank you for your kind comments - I appreciate your faithfulness to read and answer my wandering questions.
Patrick: thank you for driving the unobvious point of this post home. I was pulling the topic of desire apart and eating it bit-by-bit. You swallowed it whole, and like a good critic would, told me exactly what you think. I love it. I love you.
'A' (Blogless in Spokane): You're the only thing I miss about school. When will we solve all the world's problems again? Shall we make a date?!
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