Greed, Desire, Craving

In this blog series, we will explore the difficult tendencies of the mind as taught and described by various traditions of meditation. ​

Buddhism suggests that there is suffering, and suffering arises from desire. This desire is referred to as thirst or craving. If we all have desire, and therefore suffering, where does it come from? 

In Buddhism, desire comes from greed. 

We can want any number of things. Cravings are endless. There might be sensory desires like foods or drinks, experiential cravings like entertainment or travel, or egoic desires like fame or power. These can be linked to each other-- a meal that makes us feel like a king or queen, for example. In this case, there is sensory craving alongside a sense of power or stature.

The teaching on greed and desire suggests that it does not matter what the object of craving is, it is craving itself which is the root of suffering. We have to eliminate desire to eliminate suffering. We cannot simply eliminate the objects of our desire. 

Let's look at some textual passages. In the Buddha's Final Nibbana, it states:
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When one gives, merit increases; when one is in control of oneself, hostility is not stored up; The skillful man gives up what is bad; with the destruction of greed, hatred and delusion he is at peace.* 

If greed is the problem, instead one should give. This gets at the idea of cultivating the opposite, which is also found in the Yoga Sutras:

When one is plagued by ideas that prevent the moral principles and observances, one can counter them by cultivating the opposite.

Cultivating the opposite is realizing that perverse ideas, such as the idea of violence, result in endless suffering and ignorance--whether the ideas are acted out, instigated, or sanctioned, whether motivated by greed, anger, or delusion, whether mild, moderate, or extreme.**

​The idea is to cultivate the opposite of greed or desire. If we do so, we will realize that greed only results in suffering. 

​What are some ways we can cultivate the opposite of greed and desire? 

Sources:
* Mahaparinibbana Sutta, D II 72-168 in Gethin, R. 2008. Sayings of the Buddha. Oxford World's Classics: Oxford, pp. 78
** Yoga Sutras 2.33-34 in Stoler Miller, B. 1995. Yoga Discipline of Freedom. Bantham Books: New York  
Gethin, R. 1998. The Foundations of Buddhism. Oxford University Press: Oxford
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