Buddhism - could there be a flaw?
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I have a general understanding of the Buddhist religion and its doctrines (disapproves of any desires/ cravings/ selfishness , my friend asked me this question: ' doesn't following the Buddhist practice mean trying to be the best you can to ensure you can ascend each time and be reincarnated into a higher being in the next life, then isn't this a desire?' It might not be, as it doesn't involve hurting anyone in the process, the aim is to reach a pure state as possible through the Paramitas i.e. generosity (dana); ethics/virtues/morality (sila); patience/tolerance (kshanti); perseverance (virya); meditative concentration (dhayana); and wisdom (prajna) to ultimately achieve genuine happiness in Nirvana. What is your opinion? 2
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I don't think it's desire in general that is decried in Buddhism, so much as Buddhism dictates eschewing the desires of the body in favor of those of the soul, so to speak. From that perspective, seeking to excel in the karmic cycle isn't inconsistent with the ideals of Buddhism. 2
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It isn't so much desire being the problem as clinging to the desire. From here, things get a little complicated since Buddhist teachers tend to talk in allegories and metaphors, and also there are numerous (sometimes conflicting) schools of thought within modern Buddhism. Most often though, I've heard it described that the initial "desire" to be enlightened is eventually erased as one goes further in their practice, and those who achieve enlightenment only do so once they have lost that desire. You can see it as a sort of final exam. 1
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