A solution to the Paradox of Desire in Buddhism
- seeing that there is no way out of the paradox of desire, under-standing that, as Madhyamika Buddhism puts it, there is no way to nirvana, no goal to be desired or achieved, then one “lets go” of the way and the goal. And that “letting go” leads to, or is, nirvana: For once the devotee realizes that there is nothing that he can do then there is nothing left to be done. Thus a philosophical argument leads to rational insight and that insight leads to, or is, nirvana (Page 5)
- The impatient critic might ask at this juncture: what is the point of all the Buddhist texts, philosophies, theories, and injunctions, if at the end we are told merely, ‘Let it all go’? The point, of course, is that these were all necessary to bring one to the realization that they are not at all necessary to nirvana-something the devotee could not know until he had been through all the texts, philosophies, theories, and injunctions. As a child and before I could walk I had to toddle (if that is what toddlers do), and before I could toddle I had to crawl. I do not cry out with impatience, “Why did I have to crawl and toddle? Why could not I have walked to begin with?” (Page 5)
- the paradox had to be experienced before escape from it was possible (Page 5)
- The philosophic realization was necessary before the rational insight was possible, and that rational insight, namely, that there is no way out, was necessary before “letting go” could occur, and “letting go” was necessary before nirvana was possible (Page 5)