“Be detached from desire your whole life” — Miyamoto Musashi
Dokkodo Precept 5
Desire is not an issue; I would say desire, or determination, is an integral part of being human. Having a desire for something helps push us forward, striving for betterment. It's when desire becomes lust, or what the target of the desire are that become issues.
Miyamoto himself wasn’t without desires, otherwise, he wouldn’t have become the legendary figure he is known as today. Instead, he would’ve just stayed home, withering away without a care. It was Miyamoto’s desire that drove him to travel and fight. His desire for truth, strength, wisdom, knowledge, inner-peace is what made him become who he was.
Musashi had a healthy level of desire from what I can tell by his philosophies; maybe not so much for those he faced and killed in combat, but for his own mental, physical, and spiritual sake. A healthy desire is one that takes hold of us just enough to seek for something greater in life, whereas an unhealthy desire, or lust, consumes our very being, controlling our every action and thought. Lusting after something, be it an object, person, or idea, is an unhealthy mindset that can have devastating effects on our well-being.
On the other hand, having a wrongful desire can lead to equally disastrous consequences. What determines an unhealthy object of desire? Let's start by identifying what a healthy desire is. A healthy desire would be anything that moves us toward better ourselves or those around us. For example, art may seem like a distraction, but it can actually be a great source of comfort and mental or spiritual healing to not only the artist, but also the observer. Other healthy focuses could be: music, knowledge, fitness, friendship, and family to name a few.
If the healthy desires are those things which result in personal growth, then the unhealthy desires can be attributed as those which distract us from personal growth. These might be: eating and drinking, unbridled passions, fame, fortune, and games. Sure, these are things that may bring us a modicum of joy, even some small measure of self-growth. However, none of these will lead to permanent and long-lasting happiness. At the end of the day you'll still be left with a feeling of emptiness, lost, hopeless.
So, desire in and of itself isn't bad as Musashi has stated in this precept, it's HOW and WHAT we desire that can cause it to become bad. Instead of distracting ourselves with temporary pleasures, let's focus on improving not only ourselves, but the world around us.
