I don't think desire is painful. I think desires come and go. I think if desire is painful, it is we who create the pain related to desire. I think it is the letting desire pass or not being attached to it that gives rise to satisfaction. I met desire with compassion and a satisfaction in momentary beauty when I recognize it as a passing experience, and when I realize that it is not good for me such that it will mess up my life to a small or large degree. What helps me is seeing that pain is provided by life, and suffering or my way of dealing with pain is provided by me. I am the cause of how I suffer pain. I don't weed out the cause of my suffering because that would be me weeding out me. What I do when I do it is make an effort to weed out grasping desires that aren't good for me and weed out suffering that is ineffficient for me.
On Sep 27, 2024 David Doane wrote :