Shop for Free?

Shop for free?

Is it true that something is for free? That we do not have to pay AT ALL?
Hmmmm ..... Why am I talking about shopping? Why am I talking about "free"?
I remember one day my friend said, "Life is like shopping"!

You are given CHOICES
You are given the FREEDOM to choose which to take
You are given the PRICES
You are given time from the morning to night, from the time you RAISE till the time for you to REST.
You go backward and forward, you go side to side to choose. Then, you start to fill up the baskets with things that you desire.
Once, you satisfied with your choice, and then you come to the cashier.
You have to pay several amount of money based on things you have chosen.
If you desire less, you pay less. If you desire a lot of things, then you pay more. If you do not desire anything, you pay nothing (FREE!).
So, if you want to shop for free, do not choose anything.

If you do not want to pay for what you have chosen in this life, do not desire anything.

Is it that extreme? How can we deal with our desires? Do we HAVE to eliminate our desires?

Aren’t we all born from desires?

Seperti seseorang yang berpenyakit kusta,
Dengan kaki tangannya yang telah rusak dan membusuk,
Karena digerogoti oleh kuman penyakit,
Ia menggaruki lukanya, semakin ia menggarukinya
Semakin parah lukanya dan semakin berbau busuk.
Garukan itu hanya menimbulkan kenikmatan sekejap!
Seperti halnya,
Seseorang yang masih belum dapat melepaskan diri,
Dari keterikatan terhadap nafsu keinginan.
Kala sedang menikmati apa yang telah didapatinya,
Ia telah terbakar oleh kegelisahan,
Akan keinginan-keinginan hal lainnya.
Sehingga ia akan terus-menerus mengejar,
Dan mengejar semua nafsu-nafsu keinginannya.
Semakin nafsu keinginan dikejar, ia semakin melekat!
Dan semakin menuntut untuk dapat terpenuhi.
Hal ini hanya menimbulkan kenikmatan yang sekejap!

(Majjhima Nikaya I, 508)