230820 What I learned in my studies this morning 3

Desire grows and grows,

Pinocchio's limber prose,

Or goes down in flames.

Today's Meditation:

Today's Meditation II:

Today's Meditation III:

Thoughts:

Desire, in today's snippets. How desire builds upon itself and the truest happiest is found in the fewest and simplest wants.

It's easy to satisfy someone who doesn't want anything. They an be satisfied all the time. And satisfaction is a component of happiness, of the good life.

Every additional want or desire is a point of anxiety, of worry that I won't get XYZ. Maybe, by extension, a worry about status. They'll have more than me. I'm not as good a provider.

(Want encompasses intangibles like reputation and status.)

Also, my time and resources are still limited. More desires equal additional opportunity costs. If I can still gain only 10 widgets or honors in a given time period, then wanting 12 means I had to choose 2 to forgo. Wanting 100 would mean 'missing out' on 90 . . . .

I'm nowhere near St. John's 'absolute freedom', but I've (what's that phrase again?) made progress.