"A man once told Buddha, 'I Want Happiness. ' Buddha replied, ' First, remove the 'I'; that is ego. Then remove the 'Want'; that is desire. And now all you're left with is Happiness'" - wisdom
I read this quote this morning and immediately saw the wisdom. We often want things without knowing the reason.
By parsing the sentence, the teacher illustrates that the true need is buried deep in the request. Once the ego is removed you see the action 'want happiness.' Then when one removes the desire the action is no longer needed. What we are left with is the true need: Happiness. This is a need that can be fulfilled simply by being.
Rewrite the story with 'I want a new watch' and remove the ego and desire and all that is left is new watch. But is it the watch or the ability to tell time that is the true need? If it is the watch then it is most likely not a need but a fashion want. If it is the ability to tell time then a phone or an inexpensive watch will fulfill the need.
In the end, the two stories teach us to make sure to strip away everything but the true need.
Today's question is:
"How do you determine a true need? "
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