"Hinduism does not teach that all worldly pleasures are sinful, but it teaches that they can never bring deep, lasting happiness or peace (ananda).
"According to the Hindu sage Adi Shankaracharya - the world as we ordinarily understand it - is like a dream: fleeting and illusory.
"To be trapped in Samsara is a result of ignorance of the true nature of being.
"After many births, every person eventually becomes dissatisfied with the limited happiness that worldly pleasures can bring.
"At this point, a person begins to seek higher forms of happiness, which can be attained only through spiritual experience.
"When, after much spiritual practice (sadhana), a person finally realizes his or her own divine nature - i.e., realizes that the true "self" is the immortal soul rather than the body or the ego - all desires for the pleasures of the world will vanish, since they will seem insipid compared to spiritual ananda.
"When all desire has vanished, the person will not be reborn anymore."
Reincarnation
Amongst my limited but eager study of Indian and Asian spiritual traditions, I have seen notes that there are differing views regarding desire and pleasure
ReplyDeleteThings now are heavily influenced by the strand which Buddha picked up and emphasised, that desire needs to be overcome, the 'Shramana' tradition
But it seems that in the 'Vedic' tradition, there is a more positive view of desire and pleasure, non-ascetic, which involves connecting the good aspect of what you desire, to the divine, as you experience it - This is what you see in the Kama Sutra, tantric ideas etc
E.g., the pleasure you may have in eating a piece of chocolate cake, can be a window into the realisation that this pleasure is a gift of divinity ... approaching the pleasure humbly, realising it is a gift - and wishing for all beings to enjoy similarly - can also raise you to god ... you rise above and beyond desire, 'through' it, by taking joy in the most uplifting, ethical, spiritual, compassionate way
Some Daoist texts have a nice middle, saying: Seek to have few pleasures in life, but really, really deeply enjoy them, in the most spiritual manner that you can
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A hurdle of the re-incarnation idea is that it can seem frightening or dreary, to have to go through life's travails and suffering over and over again
Though the Abrahamic religions have their very disturbing 'eternal torture hell' fears, the heaven side of the offering has the aspect of seeming a quick and total solution, even for the imperfect, rather than the 'possibly many lifetimes' ahead idea, which can seem a bit wearying
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The Chinese have a lovely story about what happens between your earthly lives ... one of the final things you do in the 'in-between' afterlife, is sit down and have tea with a goddess named Meng Po ... the tea tho has a special aspect, in that it makes you forget you lived before ... you start to feel drowsy ... and then you are born anew, with little or no direct memory of what was earlier, thanks to Meng Po's cup of tea
Peace and salutations. Drawing knowledge from various sources is important. Your quest to articulate and understand desire/pleasure is of particular interest (on a personal level).
DeleteYou are correct when connecting context to the equation. Context is vital to the big picture.
Enjoyment (being another adjective) helps with the context of pleasure, whereas desire (when bordering on lust or idolatry) becomes a destructive force.
I hope I can add further context (meaningfully). I know what I am trying to say, I just hope it comes accross in a written format (as how I see it in my head) lol.
Enjoyment/pleasure is a gift and like so much in life easily overlooked. Take fruit for example. Why does a strawberry, banana, orange, apple, pear, pineapple, kiwi (or whatever) taste good? Simple answer, for your pleasure/enjoyment. If it's only purpose was to supply you with carbs - it would taste of nothing and you would have enough fuel to keep going. Seems easy enough!
Likewise deriving pleasure from a nice walk on a sunny day by the river or watching a flock of birds over head on a cold morning.
All of lifes simple pleasures. Those examples (we can all agree are not exhaustive).
Whereas, desire is quite simply a destructive negative expressions of your ego. It shows weakness, lack of self control and greed (in some cases. It can also be considered idolatrous).
Strong, uncontrollable desire (which you can easily tell yourself) is a basic human requirement or need, should be understood and mastered.
Wanting the most money, best car, biggest house, latest gadgets (although) materialism, is intrinsically linked to desire. As is an unhealthy sexual interest and habituated sexual practices which are connected to the physical self and ego.
(The I Am) syndrome. I Am the richest, I Am the greatest, I Am the coolest, I Am the best, fastest, most whatever... . All born out of desire and a fundamental lack of self awareness.
Desire and idolatry also form a dangerous friendship. Where a seriously unhealthy and unrealistic views of your:
1 Favourite popstar/rockstar/rapper
2. Film star/TV star
3. Sport team/favourite sports star
4 Fame or infamous leanings etc
Again, not exhaustive but desire to be like them, have their lifestyle, have a season ticket or any insanely unhealthy interest in the above channels you towards desire with an idolatrous slant. Idolatry not just being the worship of wooden (fake deities) or stone carvings. The deeper level being related heavily to context and the spiritual self. Consciousness rises when you can understand yourself better.
You can get stuck in your lowest form of self and be nothing more than a physical, transactional gimp (lol).
The lower self (from memory)
Shame
Guilt
Fear
Desire
Anger
A prison in the mind constructed by yourself, societal conditions and the powers that (be) to keep you from realising your full potential and breaking free from the fake paradigms.
Good luck with your journey.
Peace to the humans.
Great post!
DeleteThanks and God bless you!
I don't understand why we always have to look at other religions for the 'real stuff'. We can find it in Christianity, at least in Catholicism. The highest form of happiness in this world is aspiring to come close to God and align your soul to the spiritual world of our Creator! Our worldly existance is a mere stepping stone to heaven - if you live according to the law of God, that is.
ReplyDeleteHinduism is good for Hindu's - well, maybe not all Hindhu's if you belong to de lowest caste. Hinduism built India. Christianity built Europe! 'How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization' by Thoma E. Woods, Jr.
One cannot begin to understand the bible until they understand Eastern philosophy. "Take no though" Mat6, is a direct reference to TAKING NO THOUGHT! MEDITATING.
DeleteForget what the dog collared 'priests' have been taught in their SEMEM-aries by the eloHIM. (There's a lot of KEY stuff in the bible, but much is deliberately misinterpreted.)
The best example is Jud 14:14, aka Samson Riddle.
Did you know those darn 'ignorant pagans' knew this and DREW this into the ground here in the US/Ohio Valley?
Here is an illustration of what it truly means:
Judges 14:14
"Hinduism built India. Christianity built Europe! 'How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization'"
DeleteSADLY : church is rotting, and - soon - will decompose completely, catholicism build fake, mindless, cruel religion based on invented bollocks of 'eternal hell', without almost NO spirituality,
deleted knowledge about reincarnation etc : ANYBODY HOME ???
VEDIC knowledge only can save the world, pls read Bahgavad Gita as it is...most of the rest is bollocks,imosters, because also so many fake "Vedic" cults now like amma, osho etc.
And christianity is finished :SOON great culture shock at Vatican.
Can you please wake up haha ?
Alan
Great post aaingirfan; I like the way you too mix spirituality in with the sin-a-gog of say-ten-ist crap!
ReplyDeleteOnly through Eastern philosophy was I able to understand the bible and also become aware at how we were ripped off in the west!
Ripped off of God's process of elimination, of applying heat to our feet to separate the 'cream' from the 'ocean of milk'. (Jud 14:14) (The Eastern and Western "Twains" have in fact met.)
Judaism like everything else on this planet, too is dualistic; the left path of the 'DEvil' has a purpose and it is of God.
Imagine Dragons illustrates this beautifully in both of these diddys; take note of the 'DEvil' and complete with light on his "Mayan nose" checking his 'sheep' and the loving looks at us from the car.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKopy74weus
Note in "Believer" how when he's fighting D'Evil and is totally exhausted, and as a former boxer, been there done that, he say's "I want to stop.". D'Evil reaches over and touches his shoulder and says 'we cannot'.
I submit in reality, and when 'push comes to shove' there's no such thing as evil, other than the fracking coward 'good guys' that facilitate it by doing NOTHING.
Are you a "Believer" or truly the reason for D'Evil?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wtfhZwyrcc
I cannot recall if this was posted so forgive me if this is a repost; recall Rev 6:13? Here it was in California skies where the "stars fell to earth" drawing Pi in the sky!
https://Tinyurl.com/GodsComing
(31 seconds of an amazing demo!)
You all should read Old Souls of professor Ian Stevenson, impressive about children who remembered previous lives, with evidence!
ReplyDeleteTrue, great stories about reincarnation, Mr stevenson did amazing work...
DeleteOmmmm, greetings