- Citizen KK
- 2 min read
Acting on the urge to feel pleasure and the ensuing drive to extract that pleasure, anchoring it within the confines of this body, often fixes the body as the boundary of one’s existence. This fixation is one of the causes of division and conflict.
But there’s a reality to keeping the body alive. So, how do I distinguish between seeking pleasure and simply sustaining life? Or is there no natural division between them, and pleasure, like pain, is just part of the experience of being alive?
I think the division arises from desire. Desire differentiates between the experience of pleasure and pleasure itself, solidifying an identity that mistakenly believes, "I am this body."
But who creates this desire? Who am I? And how are desire and the urge to feel pleasure connected?
These questions point to the core of human experience. The urge for pleasure seems to arise naturally, a part of the body’s innate drive for survival and well-being. Yet, when desire takes hold, it transforms this natural urge into something more complex—an identity-based pursuit that can lead to conflict, both within ourselves and with others.
Desire, in this sense, is not just about the physical sensation of pleasure; it is about the attachment to that sensation, the belief that fulfilling this desire will bring lasting satisfaction. This attachment strengthens the illusion that we are defined by our bodies and the pleasures they seek.
But if we can observe this process, if we can question who it is that desires, perhaps we can start to see beyond the illusion. Perhaps we can find a way to experience pleasure and pain as they are—parts of life—without letting them define who we are.
