There is no greater mistake than following desire;
There is no greater disaster than forgetting contentment;
There is no greater sickness than seeking attainment

- Daodejing, Chapter 46, Merel Translation

A common process for finding contentment might go something like this:

Step 1:  Desire something (a possession, wealth, a relationship, a job, etc.)
Step 2: Work to attain/obtain that which you desire.
Step 3: Experience satisfaction and/or contentment.

In many cultures today we are taught from an early age to be ambitious, set goals and strive for success.  Teaching people how to be successful is a billion dollar worldwide business.  There are self help DVDs, books, seminars, hypnosis audio CDs, workshops and online courses that will show you ways to set goals and reach your desires so you can call yourself successful.

From a Daoist perspective this is flawed from the start.  Desire doesn’t lead to contentment.  In fact, desire is the primary obstruction of contentment.  This is a concept shared with Buddhism.  Desire is one of the root causes of suffering.

I don’t subscribe to the view that we must try and live our lives free of all desire.  Many pleasures result from our cravings.  Some great artworks are the product of desire.  Sure, hate, rage, war, theft, murder are all products of desire, but so are love and compassion.

Yet there is a difference in having desires and following desires.  I believe the idea expressed in the Daodejing is living your life in pursuit of desire is a mistake.  How many years are you willing to spend reaching your goals before you allow yourself to feel content?  How much of our lives will we let slip away worrying about the things we do not have?  How long will we forget what we do have?

If you’re one of those who are still struggling to be successful, take a moment to think back to your childhood.  Close your eyes and remember a pleasant summer day.  It was a day when you had nothing to worry about.  You weren’t concerned about anything.  Maybe you were taking a walk through the park or enjoying a nap under a cool shade tree.  That day you allowed yourself to be content and you were content.  You didn’t have to do anything special.  It wasn’t in response to any accomplishment.  It wasn’t a reward.

So many people forget contentment.  They forget how to be content.  When you follow desire, you’re always reaching for that next thing you tell yourself you need to do or be or have.

Stop.  Yes, just stop.  Even if it’s just for a while.  Let go of trying to attain anything and just be content.  This is a first step towards a less stressful, happier and more satisfactory life.  Don’t tell yourself you can’t.  Don’t list reasons why that’s not an option for you.  You may have a lifetime of programming to overcome.  It may not be easy, but I can promise you one thing:

It is simple.

“If you have no goals, everything you do is success.” - from the Daodejing, Chapter 22.

Yesterday I talked with a young man who was looking for a job.  He went to great lengths explaining how he has all his goals and ambitions in order.

It caused me to reflect on just how different the Daoist philosophy is.  The Western evolution of thoughts tells us if we don’t set goals, we must be lazy.  If we don’t set goals, we will never get anywhere.  If we don’t have ambition, we never reach our full potential.

It’s not an issue of right or wrong, it’s strictly a difference of philosophy.  For example:

The daoist would say:  “If there were no laws, everyone would become honest.”

The Western view is: “If there were no laws, there would be chaos.”

The daoist believes that order is a property of being and will exist naturally.  The Western view is that order must be created and maintained.

This is consistent with difference of perspective on action.  The daoist view is that things will happen of their own accord, and things that occur naturally are to be desired more than things which come about because of your will.  Contrarily, the Western philosophy is that we must be in control of our own destiny and forge our way through life through regular planning and hard work.

The daoist is not lazy.  He just does his work and goes home.  He is not discontent because he has no desire.  He has not failed because he has done only what comes naturally.

I don’t disagree that this is a very difficult concept to grasp in a culture where all that you know and have been taught is in opposition to it.  In a society which is driven by it’s desires to consume, suggesting that “less is more” will most likely cause others to casually dismiss you rather than consider what you’ve said.

I focused my attention back onto the young man who was still listing all of the plans he has for his future and smiled at him.  I didn’t mention where my thoughts has been.

I was content to be thankful that I didn’t bear the burden of so many goals.