Expert: Justin Choo - 7/30/2009

Question
I have been asking questions about Buddism recently with a Buddist. I said that Buddism believes that all desire is bad. She said that I was wrong. Is this true. Also, if there is no God where did the law of Karma come from? And if there are God's how can they be in any way irrelevent?

Answer
Hi Jeromy,

The "desire" the Buddha was referring to was about sensual desires.  Sensual desires refer to desires of the 5 senses.  These sensual desires are unquenchable.  It is the very nature of physical senses.  Take for example, hunger.  Once the hunger is satisfied with intake of food; the process of depletion starts, and after some time one feels hungry again.  Another aspect of sense desire is the stronger feeling of craving.  One's craving to satisfy one's desire is itself a catalyst to crave for more.  When this craving goes unchecked, one becomes crazy!  So the option is opened to anyone who follows the Buddha's teachings:  to continue feeding these desires with more craving, or to come to one's senses to reduce this crazy cycle of on-going "madness".

We do and will have desires of different sorts.  It is up to us to live in moderation.  If we don't have any desire, we will not be living beings anymore.

<<Also, if there is no God where did the law of Karma come from? And if there are God's how can they be in any way irrelevent?>>

Even if there is a God, where did the God come out from?  

Take care.

Justin Choo