[Magooglie]

Originally Posted by chrstrm

is desiring to be free from desire still a desire?

Of course it is, but once you remove desire he won't have that desire anymore. Removing the genitals is one way to quickly remove the majority of a man's desires.

[Maxwell]

Not for me. Lust is the least of my problems.

[chrstrm]

Originally Posted by Magooglie

Of course it is, but once you remove desire he won't have that desire anymore. Removing the genitals is one way to quickly remove the majority of a man's desires.

yes. but i don't think all desire is bad. some are actually quite healthy. if we equate desire with a man's testicles, i would say that castration is an extreme and perhaps harsh act.

practically speaking, i doubt that all desire can be removed. there will still be a desire for food, water, and shelter. why throw out the baby with the bath water? its ok to desire the fun stuff in life.

in fact, i define "to live" as "to want..." only dead things cease to desire.

[Magooglie]

I never said if desire was good or bad. I was answering your question. And yes, desire it what caused him to say he wanted no desire at all. And if someone says "I want no desire" chopping the dangly bits will get rid of a lot of them.

[Maxwell]

Originally Posted by chrstrm

yes. but i don't think all desire is bad. some are actually quite healthy. if we equate desire with a man's testicles, i would say that castration is an extreme and perhaps harsh act.

practically speaking, i doubt that all desire can be removed. there will still be a desire for food, water, and shelter. why throw out the baby with the bath water? its ok to desire the fun stuff in life.

in fact, i define "to live" as "to want..." only dead things cease to desire.

Its being free from the desire that I want. Not acting in a front to all desire. The desire will still be there, but I would be free to recognize it as it is before acting on it. In that sense you are free from desire, not desire free.

[Maxwell]

Though I might add, the true meaning of "freedom from desire" won't reveal itself to me until that goal is further explored. I've just begun.

[chrstrm]

Originally Posted by Magooglie

I never said if desire was good or bad. I was answering your question. And yes, desire it what caused him to say he wanted no desire at all. And if someone says "I want no desire" chopping the dangly bits will get rid of a lot of them.

i know you never said whether desire was good or bad.

i was just elaborating, thinking out loud, if you will.

[Magooglie]

Originally Posted by Maxwell

Its being free from the desire that I want. Not acting in a front to all desire. The desire will still be there, but I would be free to recognize it as it is before acting on it. In that sense you are free from desire, not desire free.

So you want to be prudent instead of impulsive?

[Maxwell]

Originally Posted by Magooglie

So you want to be prudent instead of impulsive?

I think so, holistically. Like I said though, I lack real understanding of desire. I'm not eliminating the possibility of being desire free.

[chrstrm]

Originally Posted by Maxwell

I think so, holistically. Like I said though, I lack real understanding of desire. I'm not eliminating the possibility of being desire free.

yes. what exactly is desire? is it mere want? or is it excess want? is it something else?