december 15

so i have for a long time now been wondering about the nature of desire.

one of the many themes of taoism that i do not understand is the idea that desire is something to be avoided. it leads to dissatisfaction in life and makes tranquility harder to attain. but with no desire, with no passion, how can one possibly live a full life, have things to love, or even begin to search for the state of tranquility which you do not have? to deny desire would be to deny part of human nature, or something presumed to be that fundamental, and that is a tall order, even for religion.

my conversations with greg have lead me to believe that desire is not something to be battled, or ignored, but allowed to surface and given a legitimate voice. why keep yourself from doing something you enjoy? yet aren't there reasons that we don't give in to our every want, why we don't go creating chaos that can not be made sense of? should not reason also be given some control? do what you want, or do what you should?

perhaps it is some relationship between the two... one must desire to be rational, or one can decide to be desirous... or perhaps i am thinking too much about this. do what you do.

the unexamined life, etc... but too much examination makes jack a dull boy. it all comes down to balance... how much to worry, and how much to chill. right now, tis the season to brew some mate and chill...

12.03 | december | 12.20