The question that Denis from Moscow is asking many people:
Why can’t I focus on one thing? I am interested in everyone, but I quickly lose interest, although it seems to other people to live with one career or one role.
This question reflects a deeper and more universal problem that many are faced with – a constant desire for new impressions and a desire for change. This is not just a personal character trait, but part of human nature.
If we turn to the philosophy of Buddhism, you can see that the Buddha considered this problem as fundamental for human life. He argued that the main cause of suffering is our endless desire for new pleasures, material benefits, and achievements. Buddhism calls this phenomenon a thirst, or “Tangha“. We strive for more, for new impressions, new goals, but this desire is never saturated. As soon as we achieve what we wanted, new desires come in its place, and this cycle continues endlessly. Human nature is such that peace and satisfaction are difficult to achieve because we are always looking for something new.
Buddha, before becoming enlightened, was a prince named Siddhartha. At some point in his life, he became a witness to four iconic events that turned his perception of the world. One of these events was his visit to the market, where he saw lively trade and people striving for wealth and material benefits. At the same time, he noticed a monk who was sitting aside, immersed in calm and serenity. This contrast made Siddhartha think about the nature of desire. He realized that those who strive for wealth and pleasures ultimately find themselves in the trap of their own desires. The more a person gets, the more he wants. It was then that Siddhartha decided to abandon all desires because they are a source of suffering.
Although the rejection of all material wealth and aspirations may seem like an extreme step, this gives a key hint for people like Denis: constant dissatisfaction is connected with our inner thirst for something more. Peace cannot be found through the satisfaction of all desires, but through the awareness of their nature and the adoption of the present moment. Modern practices of awareness, such as meditation and attentiveness, are popular for the same reason – they help people learn to focus on what they have instead of constantly looking for something new.