i'm currently reading a book called "think and grow rich". i've read this book before, long ago in my early university days. although i can't exactly remember the contents of the book, i remember it made a lot of difference to me last time. lots of inspiring thoughts and stuff, which changed me, literally, to a better person.
err, or maybe worse. but i'll give myself the benefit of the doubt :D.
anyways, i saw this book in the bookshop, and for the sake of refreshing my memory, i'm re-reading it again.
and now that i'm re-reading it again, i noticed that since the beginning, the book encourages planting the desire to have material wealth, and not just cultivating a simple desire, it encourages you to "emotionalize" the desire, which makes the effect somewhat stronger.
the thing is, this contradicts buddhist and taoist teachings, which is the religion i was born into. the zist buddhism and taoism is to eradicate any sort of desire. buddhism doesn't really directly ask you to get rid of desire, it's mainly asking you to find your own path, and eradicating desire slowly as a means to that end. as for taoism, it directly ask you to get rid of all those desire for material wealth and live a "sage-like" life.
hmm, there was once a friend urged me to learn more about the teachings of buddhism, and i was quite interested to (since my IC said i'm a buddhist), but something held me back. i just sensed a strong reluctance within me, and at that point of time, i didnt't really understand it (the reluctance). i didn't really know why i was so reluctant to accept the teachings, so i thought it just wasn't the right time for me to explore that side of me yet. but now i know why. now i know the root of this contradiction in me.
it's because i didn't want this desire for material wealth to dissipate. somehow, the desire was implanted so strongly that unconsciously i stay away from things that might reduce this desire.
