What is the nature of desire in Buddhism?
I don’t even think that “desire” is the correct word to translate the concept:
1. “Dukkha, "incapable of satisfying,"[web 2] painful.[4][5] Life in this "mundane world,"[web 3] with its craving and clinging to impermanent states and things,[4] is dukkha,[3] unsatisfactory and painful;[web 2][4][5][6][18][web 3]
2. Samudaya, the origination or arising of dukkha. Dukkha, and repeated life in this world, arises with taṇhā, "thirst," craving for and clinging to these impermanent states and things. This craving and clinging produces karma which leads to renewed becoming, keeping us trapped in rebirth and renewed dissatisfaction;[note 4]
3. Nirodha, the cessation of dukkha. By stopping this craving and clinging nirvana is attained,[25] no more karma is produced, and rebirth and dissatisfaction will no longer arise again;[note 5]
4. Magga, the path to the cessation of, or liberation from dukkha. By following the Noble Eightfold Path, restraining oneself, cultivating discipline, and practicing mindfulness and meditation, craving and clinging will be stopped, and rebirth and dissatisfaction are ended.*
The word would be something like “thirst” then.
I ask this because it is inconceivable to me that Buddhism would really preach the extinction of all desires. You need to desire to achieve enlightenment; you need to desire the good of others; you need to desire to help others and make meaningful actions; you need to desire to better yourself as a person. You even need desire to move your body, to exercise, to do any day ordinary activity.
It seems to me that to work as physicist or mathematician or painter or writer can’t be seen as a bad life choice, as a choice that is filled with poisonous “desire”. As long as you don’t get attached to it, as long as you know that this too will fade away, as long as you do it for the sake of improving yourself, not simply to achieve fame and recognition, I don’t think that such professions are bad.
It seems to me that one can achieve enlightenment even by living an ordinary life, with a job, a wife, and living in an urban environment.
I would like to know the thoughts of people more learned in Buddhism about these questions.