I have another newbie question.
rickyd123
New
Buddha said suffering is the result of craving. I want more money, a sexier wife, a better job and so on. Now me, I'm not a typical person. I've never wanted a lot of those things. I've been poor my whole life. I was born poor. I've worked hard and been able to stay poor in America. I'll die poor. I have clothes, food and a roof now. There have been times when I was missing two of the three. I've been able to hang on to clothes for the most part. I knew about suffering when I was missing the other two though. I know that people are suffering much worse than I have, but I can't help them.
Here's part of my confusion. I don't know if I would call wanting a warm coat in the winter craving. I do crave Big Macs, but when I can't afford to by one, I wouldn't consider myself suffering. I don't crave Ipads or Ipods, or runway models or Rolex watches. I defiantly don't want my bosses job. I'm a little confused about this craving/suffering thing. I don't crave things I can't afford. I don't want a new corvette. I don't want a used corvette. I'm happy with a used junker. When that used junker gives up the ghost, I'm not sad. I'll just go out and find another junker to replace it. The fact that I'm going to die doesn't bother me either. I'm curious to find out what's next. I'm pretty sure this isn't the last rodeo, so I look at it like a kid the night before Christmas. I wonder what's inside that box.
Okay I'm done. That was probably as clear as mud. You think your head hurts after reading it, try writing it.
Comments
What the Buddha talked about was more subtle aspects of craving as well as the courser aspects to describe. It's not su much about craving things you can't afford, it's about craving things that are impermanent. Like your life.
If you think dying doesn't bother you, wait till you start actually dying. Dude, it bothers EVERYONE.
Wanting a warm coat is craving warmth and aversion to cold.
But that's ok. You can go on craving and you will. According to Dharma teaching craving is a result of sensation. As long as there are sensations you will crave something. Not to worry, because this is not the end of the world. It's ok to crave. You can't really stop it short of breaking the chain of interdepenndance that causes it in the first place and worrying about it won't change a thing.
Practice instead.
Buddha was describing the condition of human beings. Craving is wanting something you consider desirable. Why is it suffering ? bcos if you don’t get what you want , how do you feel ?
Even if you get what you want , it does not last long.
Before you get what you want , you suffer bcos you have to wait or work for it.
Consider this, the people who can afford whatever they want, are they happy?
Compare Donald trump and mattieu ricard, who do you think is happier?
It is said that if you think that you are very happy then you dont need buddhism .
I'm not sure if this is the actual Buddhist slant on things, but to me "craving" puts an emphasis on something that is far beyond wanting.
For example, I want a new car sometime this spring or summer. I'm not obsessing about it. I won't make unwise choices about it. I will remain mindful about timing and my schedule for buying the new car. I won't take out an unreasonable loan or buy a model I can't afford. I will place the desire for a new car in its place considering other aspects of my finances and well-being.
This is opposed to the guy who goes out and buys a car he can't afford, takes out a loan he can't manage, shirks other responsibilities...all to buy his dream car. That to me is craving.
I'm not so sure about this. I'm not so sure that wanting the basic things necessary for survival is "craving", in the sense of "attachment". Buddhism doesn't require indifference that would be suicidal. I don't think we can say the OP is "attached" to warmth in snowy weather. He's not fantasizing about a fur coat or a stylish one. He's not OCD about sitting by a warm fire. He just wants to avoid hypothermia. Similarly, in very hot weather, he'd want to avoid heat stroke (been there, done that--not fun!) There's a Middle Way principle here about avoiding extremes of austerity, that the Buddha recommended.
I think for this reason at some point the Buddha said something about it being difficult to practice Dharma when your basic survival needs aren't being met. Did he say that, or did I just say that? lol Anyway, I think the OP is on the right track. I don't think he needs to beat himself up about not wanting to freeze to death. Being compassionate, we wouldn't want him to freeze or starve to death, either.
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:om: .
You might be extrordinary in lack of craving. Good on you! Do you smoke or eat or drink or have sex addiction etc?
And I am Chaz' complete lack of surprise.
Look ....... I'm merely passing along what's found in teaching on the 12 Nidanas. Craving is a result of sensation. If you sense it's cold, you crave warmth. It's as simple as that. You don't have to agree with it, of course, and that's just fine. It doesn't change what was taught.
It's not about what you 'might' be craving, or what you sense is craved by others. It's about what you DO crave. It is completely individual. I too am not and never have been a person who craves what is typically craved in our consumer culture.
But I crave exactly as much other stuff.
In some interpretations of the suttas I hear people saying that craving itself does not cease until one is Awake. Period. There is craving, however subtle, all the way up. We will continue to exist with craving in some form or another until that blessed day or life, you know? You will live in relationship with craving, and it doesn't need to be an enemy kind of relationship at all. Craving is a condition of being BORN. Of having a body. I think this is what @Chaz is saying with the scripture. It's not 'bad' or 'wrong' to find yourself craving a warm coat in freezing weather. YOU aren't craving it, your body is. Your body will crave until it drops dead. Your body can't NOT crave. I do believe there are great yogis who manage to break that craving, but IMO its not a necessary strategy. What is necessary is 'right relationship' to the craving that is going to happen.
I think I get the idea a little better now. Thanks
Hello @rickyd123
As a beginner myself, I can only offer the elegant explanations of the realized:
http://www.lamayeshe.com/?sect=article&id=425