Our desires are necessary action in the pattern of life

If we had no desire we would be happy. We would therefore just sit in a chair because there would be no incentive to do anything else. When we have desire we also go out and buy a wine. That wine changes us spiritually and so we achieve certain actions like seduce women or get into fights or write poetry. We also provide the wine seller with the means to raise his family. Our desires are a necessary action in a whole pattern of life. When the bee goes to gather honey he does so out of desire. He does not want to stay at home in his hive. It is necessary for him to have the desire. He may not be conscious of the desire but will gather the honey anyway. Likewise, the man may not be conscious of desiring the wine but may go out and buy it anyway. It is generally not in the man’s nature to buy wine without first having the conscious desire but possible anyway. This would be called spontaneous action and is well described by the sages. But often sages are happy and so don’t buy wine. People think that not buying wine causes them to be happy but that is the wrong way round. You will therefore not make yourself happy by not drinking wine. Much ethical talk makes you think you can achieve a certain state by acting a certain way. This is not true for the talk, has no bearing on the action.