Desire: Why It Matters - Paperback

by Traleg Kyabgon (Author), Felicity Lodo (Editor)

Traleg Kyabgon discusses the notion of desire from Buddhist and other perspectives. He reviews commonly held beliefs of desire that are often misguided and can be diametrically opposed. There is the belief that desire is an important human experience that is natural, which leads to happiness and pleasure. Then there is the juxtaposition that desire is a type of demon whose expression leads to diminishment and destruction. There has been a long standing belief in some traditions that our ultimate goal is a state of complete desirelessness. Traleg Kyabgon challenges this idea, and explores the Buddhist notion of desire within its positive and negative forms, seeking to explode some myths and clarify some misunderstandings. The book is also designed to inspire the passion of the readers to seek a fulfilling life without needing to demean ones experience of desire.

Author Biography

Traleg Kyabgon (1955-2012) was the founder of the Kagyu E-Vam Buddhist Institute, which is headquartered in Melbourne, with a major practice center in upstate New York and a practice community in New York City. He taught extensively at universities and Buddhist centers in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Southeast Asia, and is the author of such books as Essence of Buddhism and Karma: What It Is, What It Isn't, Why It Matters.