Mon, 22 Jun 2009
Reply to a Skeptic
A skeptic posted a criticism of Buddhism a week ago. Often I don't respond to these arguments, but today I will even though I'm a week late. Here's a small part of her post, I don't have the time to respond to the whole thing.
Worse yet, what is the outcome of suppressing desire, Buddhism's ultimate goal? It's the fate of the Miranda settlers in Serenity, the fate of any conscious being that gazes obsessively at its navel with the belief that reality is but an illusion.
Buddhism doesn't talk about supressing desire, it talks about eliminating it, though this is obviously a distant goal. So what is the problem with desire? The object of desire is always in the future, if it were here in the present, there would be no need for it; there would be enjoyment, but no desire. A desire unfulfilled is a state of frustration and since the object of desire is in the future, to live in a state of desire is to live in perpetual frustration. If desire were extinguished when its object was achieved, it might have some point in stengthening the will to achieve. But almost always a desire is increased by its fulfillment. Understanding this, we should recognize that desire is a fault and not a virtue, as it is the cause of perpetual restlessness and unease.
So if desire is eliminated will we lapse into a catatonic state? Hardly, as the body prods us to care for it in myriad way: to eat when we're hungry, drink when we're thirsty, and shift position when our muscles cramp. But the body's needs are simple and easy to meet, unlike the shifting, contradictory, and impossible to achieve desires that our minds set for us. Beyond fulfilling our body's needs, there are our ideals. I'm convinced that everything great in the world comes out of love. Not from desire for fame or for wealth, but love. If your work is not driven by love, it is second class. So not everthing in the world is driven by desire.
Meditation is mind looking at mind, with the object of understanding the mind. This is the "navel gazing" the author criticizes. Obviously, to understand the mind you must first observe it. Meditation is turning our mind inwards so we observe it. The value of the practice of meditation can be seen in the lives of those who practice it seriously, there is no need for any other justification than that.
