The heart's true desire is for a happiness that's reliable, a well-being that's reliable, something you can really depend on, something that's harmless, something that doesn't age, grow ill, or die.

"Over time, you get a sense of what really works, what you’ve got to do and what will happen as a result, so that you’re not just sitting here with the desire or the wish not to suffer. You’re taking that desire, that wish, and putting it to good use. At the same time, you’re not playing a game of pretending you don’t have these desires in hopes that lack of desire will get you to the goal. If you didn’t really want to find peace of mind, you wouldn’t be here. You’d be off someplace else. And if you lie to yourself about not having that desire, how are you going to understand any of your desires? What’s needed is simply learning how to approach your desires and wishes in a mature way.

That’s how we get what we truly want. The heart’s true desire is for a happiness that’s reliable, a well-being that’s reliable, something you can really depend on, something that’s harmless — something that doesn’t age, grow ill, or die. And, as the Buddha said, there is a path to just those things. So do your best to follow it with skill, because it really does pay off."

~ Thanissaro Bhikkhu "Skillful Desire"

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