An argument against Buddhism: desire is inevitable
I read The Dhammapada in 2017 as an introduction to Buddhism. Here's my review on Goodreads.
Since then, some of the basic principles of Buddhism, especially the idea that releasing desire helps with reducing suffering, have stuck with me.
More recently, I've been reading Ask and It Is Given, which says, "All of your desires, wants, or preferences emanate from you naturally and constantly ... So, you cannot hold your desires back; the eternal nature of this Universe insists that your desires come forth" (69).
These two teachings are at odds. Buddhism says that the way to end suffering is by releasing your desires, but Ask and It Is Given says that "you cannot hold your desires back."
Teachings of Buddhism
The Four Noble Truths are "one of the fundamental doctrines of Buddhism, said to have been set forth by the Buddha, the founder of the religion, in his first sermon, which he gave after his enlightenment."
The truths are:
Dukkha: Suffering exists. Life is suffering. Suffering is real and almost universal. Suffering has many causes: loss, sickness, pain, failure, and the impermanence of pleasure.
Samudaya: There is a cause of suffering. Suffering is due to attachment. It is the desire to have and control things. It can take many forms: craving of sensual pleasures; the desire for fame; the desire to avoid unpleasant sensations, like fear, anger or jealousy.
Nirodha: There is an end to suffering. Attachment can be overcome. Suffering ceases with the final liberation of Nirvana. The mind experiences complete freedom, liberation and non-attachment. It lets go of any desire or craving.
Magga: In order to end suffering, you must follow the Eightfold Path. There is a path for accomplishing this.
Source: https://www.unhcr.org/50be10cb9.pdf
To summarize: suffering is caused by desire and you can end suffering by letting go of your desires.
Teachings of Ask and It Is Given
"There have been some who have said to us, 'Abraham, I've been taught that it's not appropriate for me to have any desires. I've been taught that the state of desire will keep me from being the spiritual Being that I'm supposed to be, and that my state of happiness depends upon my ability to release all desires.' We reply, 'But is not your state of happiness, or your state of spirituality, a desire?'" (121).
"We understand why some would suggest that if you would release your desire, you would feel better, because the negative emotion that you are feeling is due to the vibrational difference between your current vibration and the vibration of your desire. But releasing desire is the hard way to go about bringing yourself into alignment, because the entire Universe is poised to help you give birth to yet another new desire. So, a much easier way to come into alignment with your Source, and therefore to feel better, is to work on releasing your resistance" (121).
This strikes me as a good argument: "Is not your state of happiness, or your state of spirituality, a desire?"
In other words, your desire to end suffering is itself a desire. So, if the way to end suffering is by releasing your desires, there is a problem because there is at least one desire that you will still be holding on to—your desire to end suffering.
Why follow the teachings of Ask and it Is Given?
If you follow the teachings of Buddhism, the end goal is nirvana (liberation from duhkha and samsara, liberation from suffering and the cycle of rebirth).
If you follow the teachings of Ask and It Is Given, you experience the positive emotions that result from manifesting your desires.
"As you begin to relax into the idea that you are an eternal being, that your desires will never cease to flow, and that any desires that is born has the power within it to attract all that is necessary for the expansion and fulfillment of itself, then you may remember the immense Well-Being upon which this Universe is established, and, you may then relax into the eternal nature of your own Being. It is then that you will begin to enjoy your journey" (85).
Is there still suffering if you choose the path of manifesting your desires (Ask and It Is Given) rather than releasing your desires (Buddhism)? Perhaps. This is a question for another time.