By Vidya Heisel
Raga or desire is seen as one of the major obstacles to enlightenment in the yogic tradition. It also later became the foundation of the Buddha’s teaching; recognising the fact that desire causes suffering and to overcome suffering we must transcend desire. Investigating its nature deeply is what enables us to see it for what it is and therefore not be enslaved by it.
But is all desire really negative? In Buddhism the word ‘craving’, which definitely has a negative connotation, is often used synonymously with desire. What about the desire to get out of bed in the morning to do your yoga practice, or to go to work, so you can make money to pay your rent, or the desire to pursue a certain kind of career or goal? It seems that without some kind of desire we would be frozen, unable to do anything, because it’s desire that motivates us to act. And as Krishna assures Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita, we have no choice but to act.