Question: That’s all very well. But if we stopped wanting altogether, we would never get anything or achieve anything.
ANSWER: True. But what the Buddha says is that when our desire, our craving, our constant discontent with what we have and our continual longing for more and more does cause us suffering, then we should stop doing it. He asked us to make a difference between what we need and what we want and to strive for our needs and modify our wants. He taught us that our needs can be fulfilled but that our wants arc endless
— a bottomless pit. There are needs that arc essential, fundamental and that can be obtained and we should work towards this. Desires beyond this should be gradually lessened. After all, what is the purpose of life? To get or to be content and happy.
ANSWER: True. But what the Buddha says is that when our desire, our craving, our constant discontent with what we have and our continual longing for more and more does cause us suffering, then we should stop doing it. He asked us to make a difference between what we need and what we want and to strive for our needs and modify our wants. He taught us that our needs can be fulfilled but that our wants arc endless
— a bottomless pit. There are needs that arc essential, fundamental and that can be obtained and we should work towards this. Desires beyond this should be gradually lessened. After all, what is the purpose of life? To get or to be content and happy.
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