The Hindrances, Part 2 (Desire)

Good Morning,

So I started talking about the five hindrances in yesterdays post. Today I will talk about the first of the five.

I have been examining the hindrances for sometime now. I am just now getting to where I am mindful enough to recognize them as they arise. The point is to simply be able to recognize them, by doing so we change our experience with them. We are not bad people or poor at some type of mind game, this is simply how our minds work and we have the ability to recognize and understand this.

The first and probably easiest hindrance to identify is "desire." We've all experienced it at some time or another and that's quite natural, but that's where most of us stop. When we speak of desire as a hindrance we are referring to a force of craving, clinging, or grasping. Desire in this context means a holding on in the mind. The intensity of desire has a huge range varying from a passive craving for chocolate to full blown addictions that can trap us again and again. We can desire peace or become attached to happiness, it's all the same - wanting for something too badly sets us up for suffering down the road.

None of this is to say that we should not enjoy our life or find pleasure in it, quite the contrary. Recognizing desire when it appears without getting caught up or lost in it allows us to see it more clearly, to investigate it more deeply and truly have a better appreciation for the pleasure. All desire is born out of pleasure it's why we want in the first place. Our aspiration is not to judge ourselves for having desires but to not be so lost in, or driven by the force of desire. If we can ask ourselves where is this desire taking me? Do I want to go there? What will be the end result? The we can reflect on our answers and prioritize where we put our energy.

Enjoy the day and hold this thought: The secret of happiness is to admire without desiring.

Peace and Love, Jim