How to switch from tanhā-driven to chanda-based motivation?

[yoyo1]

When you let go of old cravings—or at least try to—how do you arouse energy to act again?

For example, someone may crave the feeling of knowing, which gives them a lot of drive to study difficult subjects. Later, they begin to see that it’s okay not to know everything, and that they don’t have to be an expert. This brings a sense of peace, and they no longer feel the need to constantly push themselves to think and learn.

However, they may also notice a loss of energy or motivation to carry out their responsibilities. Without that craving, it becomes much harder to push through the difficulty of learning challenging material.

What has been your experience with arousing wholesome energy in situations like this?
Are there any suttas you would recommend on this topic?

[faujidoc1]

This aspect, IMO is covered under the head Samma Sankappa (Right/ Highest/ Optimum Purpose / Intention) of the 8 fold path.

SN45.8

And what is right purpose?

It is the purpose of renunciation, good will, and harmlessness.

Why do we do what we do? For the sake of sensual pleasures.

MN14

a gentleman earns a living by means such as arithmetic, accounting, calculating, farming, trade, raising cattle, archery, government service, or one of the professions.

But this approach is full of drawbacks…. MN 14 lists them all!

To give up the craving for sensual pleasures we first need to develop a modicum of Right View. What should be the motivation to act? Love and Compassion (MN 141). We should seek to act for the benefit of both oneself and others (AN 8.26).

To actualize these teachings, one needs to examine one’s motivation in depth. Unfortunately humans are adept at pulling the wool over their own eyes! Its only when we truly understand what we really want that we can figure out what direction our life should take.

A personal example

For example, people often ask me why I chose to become a physician. For years, I replied with the formulaic “I wanted to help others.. serve society… blah, blah… “. It took much introspection to admit that actually, I had no clue. I just happened to be academically proficient. What was the motivation to study? It was a way to please my parents and teachers. Why medicine? Because society had decreed that I had to have an occupation and everyone around me said that this would be a good fit. And yes, there was a secret sense of conceit… a bit of ‘see what a great guy I am!’.

Once you are suckered onto that treadmill, there’s no getting off.. its an endless of cycle of trying to better than everyone else while being blown hither thither by the 8 worldly winds (AN8.6).

And then I encountered Sickness - the second messenger (AN3.36).

See, Sickness was something that happened to other people… something that I treated. Me and Mine? Definitely above all that. I was Managing Director of the Universe.

To personally experience the helplessness of being a parent whose child developed an incurable condition was to put it mildly, shocking!

Searching for a way to relieve that pain, I came across the Buddha’s Teaching.

I’m still a practicing physician. I live and work in a city of obscene wealth disparity. Having gotten off the treadmill, I choose to live simply .. being happy with what I am paid serving the economically worst off. My motivations have changed for the better. I do the best I can to manifest the causes of health and happiness in those I encounter. And I no longer blame myself when Life decides otherwise.

[Nava]

I usually get clear on the kind of things I am craving? Is it wholesome chanda or unwholesome, addictive, selfish or harmful type. There was a time when I was in lot of distress and dissatisfaction in a country and new environments. It was mostly due to my strong likes and dislikes and not getting enough love, attention and support I needed or safely able to express. Also had anxiety from certain biases I experienced on the job. Being a fairly responsible person I did not want to indulge in thoughts of helplessness or victimhood. Also I could see clearly I cannot change the people or environment around me in a few months or even years.

Since I had no birth family and close friends around I had no choice but to turn inward to calm myself with my natural breathing. Raising my three year old daughter was actually very helpful for setting my intentional ptractice. Watching her cheerful nature gave me the motivation as a working mom to overcome my challenges. I entered a kind of childlike beginners mind. Metta came very naturally to me, I could easily let go of my desire to be loved by other adults and dislike of unkind egotistic people as I directed self-lpve and compassion to myself. Letting go is easier when I am filling my cup with metta, karuna and mudita. I will send a lot of goodwill to people who harmed me due to lack of skills, so no thought of anger or harm can take hold of me. As a professional mom my intention to develop and sustain wholesome mind and body for my daughter and family was strong. Metta also helped me let go of my anxiety and fear, sleep better without fear of survival or not getting another job, It became my foundational practice and motivation that matured to samma sati and samadhi in a few months.

Hope this is helpful.

ps. I did not know of Karaniya Metta Sutta (SN 1.8) at the time. “Just as a mother would protect her only child with her life, even so let one cultivate a boundless heart towards all beings”.

[Mkoll]

@yoyo1

Are there any suttas you would recommend on this topic?

MN 101, AN 6.35, AN 7.49, AN 8.80.

Another strategy is reflecting on how great practitioners of the past and modern times practiced with immense effort, lived in difficult conditions, undertook ascetic practices, etc. and achieved the unachieved. It’s a form of sanghanussati and “relying on conceit to abandon conceit”.

‘This body is produced by conceit. Relying on conceit, you should give up conceit.’ This is what I said, but why did I say it? Take a mendicant who hears this: ‘They say that the mendicant named so-and-so has realized the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom in this very life. And they live having realized it with their own insight due to the ending of defilements.’ They think: ‘Well, that venerable can realize the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom in this very life. … Why can’t I?’ After some time, relying on conceit, they give up conceit. That’s why I said what I said.

-AN 4.159