Desire and attachment

God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that crawls upon the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

After these events, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.”

The earth produced vegetation: seed-bearing plants according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.

as when a hungry man dreams he is eating, then awakens still hungry; as when a thirsty man dreams he is drinking, then awakens faint and parched. So will it be for all the many nations who go to battle against Mount Zion.

a wild donkey at home in the wilderness, sniffing the wind in the heat of her desire. Who can restrain her passion? All who seek her need not weary themselves; in mating season they will find her.

You have planted much but harvested little. You eat but never have enough. You drink but never have your fill. You put on clothes but never get warm. You earn wages to put into a bag pierced through.”

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father but from the world.

For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. By craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.

You crave what you do not have; you kill and covet, but are unable to obtain it. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask.

Rav Yehuda says: Once David heard the nature of his ordeal, he sought to prevent himself from experiencing lust. He transformed his nighttime bed into his daytime bed, i.e., he engaged in intercourse with his wives during the day, in an attempt to quell his lust. But a halakha, i.e., a Torah statement, escaped him: There is a small limb in man that he employs in sexual intercourse. If he starves the limb, and does not overindulge, it is satiated; but if he satiates the limb and overindulges in sexual intercourse, it is starving, and desires more. Therefore, his plan had the opposite effect.

Now, consider the following: And just as if when one has intent to partake of an item normally eaten and to partake of an item whose typical manner is such that one does not partake of it, his intentions do not join together, even though both intentions concern consumption, is it necessary for the mishna to teach that intentions to consume and to burn do not join together? The last clause therefore seems unnecessary.

And if you wish, say instead that these Sages were not actually proposing marriage; rather, they proposed so that they could be in seclusion with the women, without consummating the relationship. Since the women knew that the marriage would not be consummated, they did not experience anticipatory desire. There is no similarity between one who has bread in his basket and one who does not have bread in his basket. One who does not have access to bread experiences hunger more acutely than one for whom bread is available and can eat whenever he chooses. Similarly, an unmarried man experiences a more acute desire. In order to mitigate that desire, these Sages made certain that women would be designated for them.

And fruits such as they desire

Their reward is with their Lord: Gardens of Eden underneath which rivers flow, wherein they dwell for ever. Allah hath pleasure in them and they have pleasure in Him. This is (in store) for him who feareth his Lord

Whoso desireth the reward of the world, (let him know that) with Allah is the reward of the world and the Hereafter. Allah is ever Hearer, Seer

Narrated Abu Saʿid Al-Khudri: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "The thing I am afraid of most for your sake, is the worldly blessings which Allah will bring forth to you." It was said, "What are the blessings of this world?" The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "The pleasures of the world." A man said, "Can the good bring forth evil?" The Prophet (ﷺ) kept quiet for a while till we thought that he was being inspired divinely. Then he started removing the sweat from his forehead and said," Where is the questioner?" That man said, "I (am present)." Abu Saʿid added: We thanked the man when the result (of his question) was such. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Good never brings forth but good. This wealth (of the world) is (like) green and sweet (fruit), and all the vegetation which grows on the bank of a stream either kills or nearly kills the animal that eats too much of it, except the animal that eats the Khadira (a kind of vegetation). Such an animal eats till its stomach is full and then it faces the sun and starts ruminating and then it passes out dung and urine and goes to eat again. This worldly wealth is (like) sweet (fruit), and if a person earns it (the wealth) in a legal way and spends it properly, then it is an excellent helper, and whoever earns it in an illegal way, he will be like the one who eats but is never satisfied

Narrated ʿAbdullah: Regarding the explanation of the Verse: 'Those whom they call upon (worship) (like Jesus the Son of Mary, angels etc.) desire (for themselves) means of access to their Lord (Allah) as to which of them should be the nearer and they hope for His Mercy and fear His torment.' (17.57) They themselves (e.g. Angels, saints, Apostles, Jesus, etc.,) worshipped Allah, Those Jinns who were worshipped by some Arabs became Muslims (embraced Islam), but those human beings stuck to their (old) religion. Al- Aʿmash said extra: 'Say, (O Muhammad): Call unto those besides Him whom you assume (to be gods) Narrated ʿAbdullah: Regarding the Verse: 'Those whom they call upon (worship) (like Jesus the Son of Mary or angels etc.) desire (for themselves) means of access, to their Lord....' (17.57) (It was revealed regarding) some Jinns who used to be worshipped (by human beings). They later embraced Islam (while those people kept on worshipping them)

Narrated ʿAisha: The Prophet (ﷺ) used to kiss and embrace (his wives) while he was fasting, and he had more power to control his desires than any of you. Said Jabir, "The person who gets discharge after casting a look (on his wife) should complete his fast

Passion, engendered by thirst for pleasure and attachment, binds the soul through its fondness for activities.

When a person dwells on the objects of sense, they create an attraction for them; this attraction develops into desire, and desire breeds anger.

Lord Shri Krishna: It is desire, it is aversion, born of passion. Desire consumes and corrupts all things. It is the greatest enemy of man.

The Self is subtler than the subtle, greater than the great; It dwells in the heart of each living being. He who is free from desire and free from grief, with mind and senses tranquil, beholds the glory of the Atman.

The Self-existent created the senses out-going; for this reason man sees the external, but not the inner Atman (Self). Some wise man, however, desiring immortality, with eyes turned away (from the external) sees the Atman within. Children (the ignorant) pursue external pleasures; (thus) they fall into the wide- spread snare of death. But the wise, knowing the nature of immortality, do not seek the permanent among fleeting things.

Next (the teaching) is regarding Adhyatman (the embodied Soul). The mind seems to approach Him (Brahman). By this mind (the seeker) again and again remembers and thinks about Brahman.

Sorrow springs from attachment, fear springs from attachment; one free from attachment has no sorrow, let alone fear. Sorrow springs from relishing, fear springs from relishing; one free from relishing has no sorrow, let alone fear. Sorrow springs from desire, fear springs from desire; one free from desire has no sorrow, let alone fear. Sorrow springs from craving, fear springs from craving; one free from craving has no sorrow, let alone fear.

A personage’s joys flow from senses and cravings. Seekers of happiness, bent on pleasure, continue to be reborn and grow old.

For a personage churned by thoughts, very lustful, focusing on beauty, their craving grows and grows, tying them with a stout bond.

“Mendicants, I will teach you about nine things rooted in craving. And what are the nine things rooted in craving? Craving gives rise to searching. Searching gives rise to gaining material things. Gaining material things gives rise to evaluation. Evaluation gives rise to desire and lust. Desire and lust gives rise to attachment. Attachment gives rise to ownership. Ownership gives rise to stinginess. Stinginess gives rise to safeguarding. Owing to safeguarding, many bad, unskillful things come to be: taking up the rod and the sword, quarrels, arguments, and disputes, accusations, backbiting, and lies. These are the nine things rooted in craving.”

‘Craving is a requirement for grasping’—that’s what I said. And this is a way to understand how this is so. Suppose there were totally and utterly no craving for anyone anywhere. That is, craving for sights, sounds, smells, tastes, touches, and ideas. When there’s no craving at all, with the cessation of craving, would grasping still be found?” “No, sir.” “That’s why this is the cause, source, origin, and reason of grasping, namely craving. ‘Feeling is a requirement for craving’—that’s what I said. And this is a way to understand how this is so. Suppose there were totally and utterly no feeling for anyone anywhere. That is, feeling born of contact through the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind. When there’s no feeling at all, with the cessation of feeling, would craving still be found?” “No, sir.” “That’s why this is the cause, source, origin, and reason of craving, namely feeling. So it is, Ānanda, that feeling gives rise to craving. Craving gives rise to searching. Searching gives rise to gaining material things. Gaining material things gives rise to evaluation. Evaluation gives rise to desire and lust. Desire and lust gives rise to attachment. Attachment gives rise to ownership. Ownership gives rise to stinginess. Stinginess gives rise to safeguarding. Owing to safeguarding, many bad, unskillful things come to be: taking up the rod and the sword, quarrels, arguments, and disputes, accusations, backbiting, and lies.

“Craving is a person’s partner as they transmigrate on this long journey. They go from this state to another, but don’t escape transmigration. Knowing this danger, that craving is the cause of suffering— rid of craving, free of grasping, a mendicant would wander mindful.” “‘Could there be another way?’ … And how could there be? ‘All the suffering that originates is caused by grasping’: this is one contemplation. ‘When grasping has faded away and ceased with no residue left behind, there is no origination of suffering’: this is the second contemplation. When a mendicant meditates in this way they can expect enlightenment or non-return.” Then the Teacher went on to say:

First Mehl: Worldly possessions are obtained by pain and suffering; when they are gone, they leave pain and suffering. O Nanak, without the True Name, hunger is never satisfied. Beauty does not satisfy hunger; when the man sees beauty, he hungers even more. As many as are the pleasures of the body, so many are the pains which afflict it. ||2||

Salok: Sexual desire, anger, greed and emotional attachment - may these be gone, and egotism as well. Nanak seeks the Sanctuary of God; please bless me with Your Grace, O Divine Guru. ||1||

Siree Raag, First Mehl: The enticing desire for Maya leads people to become emotionally attached to their children, relatives, households and spouses. The world is deceived and plundered by riches, youth, greed and egotism. The drug of emotional attachment has destroyed me, as it has destroyed the whole world. ||1||

Colour’s five hues from th’ eyes their sight will take; / Music’s five notes the ears as deaf can make; / The flavours five deprive the mouth of taste; / The chariot course, and the wild hunting waste / Make mad the mind; and objects rare and strange, / Sought for, men’s conduct will to evil change. Therefore the sage seeks to satisfy (the craving of) the belly, and not the (insatiable longing of the) eyes. He puts from him the latter, and prefers to seek the former.

The Tao in its regular course does nothing (for the sake of doing it), and so there is nothing which it does not do. If princes and kings were able to maintain it, all things would of themselves be transformed by them. If this transformation became to me an object of desire, I would express the desire by the nameless simplicity. Simplicity without a name / Is free from all external aim. / With no desire, at rest and still, / All things go right as of their will.

When the people do not fear what they ought to fear, that which is their great dread will come on them. Let them not thoughtlessly indulge themselves in their ordinary life; let them not act as if weary of what that life depends on. It is by avoiding such indulgence that such weariness does not arise. Therefore the sage knows (these things) of himself, but does not parade (his knowledge); loves, but does not (appear to set a) value on, himself. And thus he puts the latter alternative away and makes choice of the former.