Answers By Mr. S. N. Goenka: Craving

What is wrong with wanting material things to make life more comfortable?

Mr. S. N. Goenka: If it is a real requirement, there is nothing wrong, provided you do not become attached to it. For example, you are thirsty, you need water-so you work, get it, and quench your thirst. But if it becomes an obsession, that does not help at all; it harms you. Whatever necessities you require, work to get them. If you fail to get something, then smile and try again in a different way. If you succeed, then enjoy what you get, but without attachment.

I’m sort of confused about the difference between craving something and wanting something. I can’t imagine not wanting some things. They may make one miserable, but they help guide some of my choices

Mr. S. N. Goenka: You see, the only way to examine whether one has been craving or just wanting something naturally, is that, when you miss it—when you don’t get it—what happens? If you don’t get something, and you become miserable, that means you were craving. It was more a mental desire than a need for the body. And because the mental desire is not fulfilled, you get upset. So let it not result in misery; then there is no craving. For example, you want something, and you try to get it. If you don’t get it, you smile. You did your best. Alright, let me try again. But why lose the balance of the mind? Why become miserable?

So, you’re not saying not to want things?

Mr. S. N. Goenka: No, no, how can that be? Wanting is there, but wanting should not turn into craving. And the dividing line is so fine, one doesn’t know when it turns into craving. So keep on examining to see—when I don’t fulfil my desire and if I become miserable, then, certainly, wanting has turned into craving.

(Courtesy: International Vipassana Newsletter, December 1987 issue)

Is a strong desire the same as craving?

Mr. S. N. Goenka: There is a difference. Whether there is craving or not, will be judged by whatever you desire. If you don’t get it, and you feel depressed, then it was craving. If you don’t get it, and you just smile, then it was just a desire. It didn’t turn into craving. Whenever there is a craving and clinging and you don’t get something, you are bound to become miserable. If you are becoming miserable, then there was some craving. Otherwise, no craving.

Is it okay to have a craving for enlightenment?

Mr. S. N. Goenka: It is wrong. You will never get enlightenment if you have a craving for enlightenment. Enlightenment just happens. If you crave for it, you are running in the opposite direction. One cannot crave for a particular result. The result comes naturally. If you start craving, ” I must get nibbana, I must get nibbana”, you are running in the opposite direction of nibbana. Nibbana is a state which is free from craving, and you want to reach that state with craving – not possible.  

Can’t there be wholesome cravings and aversions-for example, hating injustice, desiring freedom, fearing physical harm?

Mr. S. N. Goenka: Cravings and aversions can never be wholesome. They will always make you tense and unhappy. If you act with craving or aversion in the mind, you may have a worthwhile goal, but you use an unhealthy means to reach it. Of course, you have to act to protect yourself from danger. If you do it overpowered by fear, then might you develop a fear complex which will harm you in the long run. Or, if with hatred in the mind, if you are successful in fighting injustice, then that hatred becomes a harmful mental complex. You must fight injustice, you must protect yourself from danger, but you can do so with a balanced mind, without tension. And in a balanced way, you can work to achieve something good, out of love for others. Balance of mind is always helpful, and will give the best results.

How about planning for the future? Would you call that craving?

Mr. S. N. Goenka: Again, the criterion is whether you are attached to your plan. Everyone must provide for the future. If your plan does not succeed and you start crying, then you know that you were attached to it. But if you are unsuccessful and can still smile, thinking, “Well, I did my best. So what if I failed? I’ll try again!”- then you are working in a detached way, and you remain happy.

You tell us to neither indulge in craving nor in aversion. Then how do we live our lives?

Mr. S. N. Goenka: Try it! Life will only get better and not result in inaction. Dharma does not turn us into vegetables, that anyone can come and cut us and we sit passively saying that we are non-violent. If a person is indulging in wrong action towards us then we will speak to him with compassion. If he persists we will speak firmly or even take firm action against him, but there will be no anger within us; only compassion for him. If we get angry with him then we are not on the right path. We will certainly stop him with loving kindness or even with firmness, but without anger. This is not just for our own benefit but for his own welfare as well, because if he persists in negative behavior he will only generate unhappiness for himself and for others. Vipassana teaches us to live rightly. 

If craving and aversion are to be avoided, what are they replaced with?

Mr. S. N. Goenka: They are replaced with love, compassion, good will. Whenever the mind is impure, it becomes more and more impure as you start generating craving and aversion.

This is a habit pattern going back far into the past. Before, you kept on generating craving and aversion; and now again you generate craving and aversion. You are becoming more and more miserable.

By this technique, the habit pattern changes and the mind becomes purer and purer, free from craving, free from aversion. A pure mind by nature is full of love, full of compassion. You don’t harm yourself, you don’t harm others.

Just eradicate the impurities in the mind and love and compassion is a natural result.

Some people would feel that they might be giving up some of the joy in life to also be giving up the participation in that agitation

Mr. S. N. Goenka: No. Life will be so joyful! Say you have enjoyed a particular type of life, having this sensual pleasure, that sensual pleasure. You say this is very joyful. But once you experience the joy of a balanced and peaceful mind, and you compare the two, you will find there is no comparison. The difference is like the difference between light and darkness, it is so great. One feels so happy: “Look, I have come out of it.“ One does not become like a vegetable, with no emotion in one’s life. No, one’s life is full of joy, full of life. Life becomes so bright and so good, so life-full. It is not lifeless.

But to the person who has not experienced this, it looks like illusion—”Oh, such peace of mind is not possible. Enjoying things at the sensual level is more important.” It’s not that after learning Vipassana we will run away from the sensual pleasures—but there will be no attachment to them. If we miss it, we miss it—still we are happy. If we get it, we get it—still we are content. Ordinarily, when you miss it, you will feel so depressed. With this technique, that depression will go away, so that you really are happy.

Source: https://www.vridhamma.org