..续本文上一页e. Instead, we are reflecting, ”It”s like this; it feels like this to want to get rid of something; I”ve got to conquer my anger; I have to kill the Devil and get rid of my greed — then I will become ...” We can see from this train of thought that becoming and getting rid of are very much associated.

　　Bear in mind though that these three categories of kama tanha, bhava tanha and vibhava tanha are merely convenient ways of contemplating desire. They are not totally separate forms of desire but different aspects of it.

　　The second insight into the Second Noble Truth is: ”Desire should be let go of.” This is how letting go comes into our practice. You have an insight that desire should be let go of, but that insight is not a desire to let go of anything. If you are not very wise and are not really reflecting in your mind, you tend to follow the ”I want to get rid of, I want to let go of all my desires” — but this is just another desire. However, you can reflect upon it; you can see the desire to get rid of, the desire to become or the desire for sense pleasure. By understanding these three kinds of desire, you can let them go.

　　The Second Noble Truth does not ask you to think, ”I have a lot of sensual desires”, or, ”I”m really ambitious. I”m really bhava tanha plus, plus, plus!” or, ”I”m a real nihilist. I just want out. I”m a real vibhava tanha fanatic. That”s me.” The Second Noble Truth is not that. It is not about identifying with desires in any way; it”s about recognising desire.

　　I used to spend a lot of time watching how much of my practice was desire to become something. For example, how much of the good intentions of my meditation practice as a monk was to become liked — how much of my relations with other monks or nuns or with lay people had to do with wanting to be liked and approved of. That is bhava tanha — desire for praise and success. As a monk, you have this bhava tanha: wanting people to understand everything and to appreciate the Dhamma. Even these subtle, almost noble, desires are bhava tanha.

　　Then there is vibhava tanha in spiritual life, which can be very self-righteous: ”I want to get rid of, annihilate and exterminate these defilements.” I really listened to myself thinking, ”I want to get rid of desire. I want to get rid of anger. I don”t want to be frightened or jealous any more. I want to be brave. I want to have joy and gladness in my heart.”

　　This practice of Dhamma is not one of hating oneself for having such thoughts, but really seeing that these are conditioned into the mind. They are impermanent. Desire is not what we are but it is the way we tend to react out of ignorance when we have not understood these Four Noble Truths in their three aspects. We tend to react like that to everything. These are normal reactions due to ignorance.

　　But we need not continue to suffer. We are not just hopeless victims of desire. We can allow desire to be the way it is and so begin to let go of it. Desire has power over us and deludes us only as long as we grasp it, believe in it and react to it.

　　GRASPING IS SUFFERING

　　Usually we equate suffering with feeling, but feeling is not suffering. It is the grasping of desire that is suffering. Desire does not cause suffering; the cause of suffering is the grasping of desire. This statement is for reflection and contemplation in terms of your inpidual experience.

　　You really have to investigate desire and know it for what it is. You have to know what is natural and necessary for survival and what is not necessary for survival. We can be very idealistic in thinking that even the need for food is some kind of desire we should not have. One can be quite ridiculous about it. But the Buddha was not an idealist and he was not a moralist. He was not trying to condemn anything…

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