Craving is Caused by the Ego
Craving is not caused by seeking pleasure, but by the ego
Craving causes suffering
We all want to stop suffering.
The reality of suffering is the first of the Four Noble Truth of Buddhism.
The second Noble Truth is that suffering is produced by craving.
The third and fourth Noble Truths are that there is an ending to suffering and the teachings of Buddhism are a path to end suffering. Let’s put those aside to avoid getting entangled in the religious beliefs of Buddhism.
It is obvious that suffering exists. It also makes sense that craving causes a lot of suffering, although perhaps not all of it. We struggle to achieve a lot of things in life and, when we don’t get them, we suffer.
Buddhism goes further by saying that any suffering, like being sick, losing a limb, losing our sanity or losing a loved one, is caused by craving because we are unduly attached to our body, our mind or to our loved ones. It is questionable that living without any attachment is possible or even desirable.
Zen and other schools of Mahayana Buddhism teach that suffering is caused by ignorance, which in turn cause craving. But ignorance of what? What is the wisdom that would free us from…
