Hello and a Q about Restraint

VtheCursed

Since this is my first post, I'll introduce myself:

Hello everyone. My name is Vanessa, and I joined this forum because I am interested in Taoism, but it can be quite confusing for me. I wanted to find a place to ask questions and such, and this place looked like a good one. I'm a college student majoring in Computer Science, but I have a fascination with many subjects, including religion and philosophy.

Now for my question:

Based on what I've read in the Tao Te Ching and elsewhere, our goal is to not interfere with the processes of the world, or rather to keep from interfering as much as we can. Here is a section from the TTC:

[chref=48]All under heaven is won by
letting things take their course.
Nothing can be gained by interfering.[/chref]

I understand this as also referring to ourselves -- allowing ourselves to be however we are. But the TTC also instructs us in how to behave in the world to accord with the Tao. For example, when the book tell us to restrain our desires.

But what if we don't want to restrain our desires? Wouldn't that go against the spirit of letting ourselves be how we are?

I sense it is a contradiction, but perhaps I don't fully understand the concept being conveyed. Can anyone help?

mr.minor

Well both wanting to let go of desires and not wanting to let go of desires are in themselves, still both desiring something, ultimately that being a part of yourself. In each respect, there is something to gain or to lose.

I believe the idea is not about trying to reject any part of yourself, or to praise any part. It's more about taking awareness upon yourself, and watching your mind as it goes by. By not acting upon your desires, or rejecting them, you can just see them as they float by like clouds. Think of being in third-person as you become free of both their fruits and failures, watching them as they go away, come back later, cause frustration, bring thoughts of happiness, etc.

By desiring, we remain in a constant state of agitation, always needing a little of this or that, trying to get here or there. It's in this state that we don't see our true nature as a sentient being because we are plagued with our own mind. But when there is nothing to do, there is nothing left undone, and then there just is peace.

Carl

I think of desires as the thoughts that allow us to lug around our needs without external stimulus. Thoughts themselves stimulate need, which feeds back upon thought. A vicious circle that makes it easy to become obsessive. Only when obsessions become overwhelming do we call them a 'disorder'.

Considering this interaction between emotion (need and fear) and thinking, I suppose we are most always in some state of obsession. Heck, if we were honest we would rename our species, Homo obsessive, obsessive. Our current label, Homo sapiens sapiens, mostly stems from a bout of obsessive wishful thinking. ;-)