What is the method of overcoming ignorance and desire?

Answer 1

The method of overcoming ignorance and desire is the method of realization of the truth. It is called enlightenment. Unfortunately, we are ignorant about our ignorance. The first step is to acknowledge our ignorance. Then the goal is quest of the truth. We have to ask questions, investigate and realize. There are three steps in realization. It is not just reading and acquiring knowledge. Knowledge is not realization. Knowledge cannot eliminate ignorance, we need realization, we need enlightenment. Therefore, the method is this three step method starting with a quest.

Answer 2

Desire is overcome by Wisdom. The wisdom that needs to be learned is expansive. I can boil down a few concepts here, but a detailed discussion of the concepts I touch upon here would fill books, and it doesn't address other concepts worthy of discussion. But here is a synopsis of some topics:

To attain Buddhist Wisdom, which leads to the cessation of desires and the increase of compassion, one has to understand the concepts of:

1) Dependent Origination ( also known as Dependent Arising) - Dependent Origination is one of the most fundamental Buddhist principals. What the concept of Depended Origination teaches us is that everything, you, me, the rocks, the weather, etc. are all based upon the fact that certain conditions came together at the proper time for these things to come into being (in a nutshell: Cause and Effect). What this means is that everything is connected. No person can stand up and say I exist unto myself alone. As the Buddha Said:

This is, because that is.

This is not, because that is not.

This ceases to be, because that ceases to be.

Because we are all connected all our actions (Karma, another concept that applies to this discussion) affect all others and this comes to affect us later. Therefore when we realize that if we ignore the poor, the needy and only worry about ourselves, these actions, or no actions, will have consequences to us later (poor Louis the XVI ignored the plight of his people and well, the rest is history). As another person said later in music: I am He as you are He as you are me and we are all together.

Also the concept of No-Self applies. - Obviously if you look into a mirror you can see a physical magnification of your body. But where do you reside?

• If you look for the self within the body, you cannot find it there, since the body itself is dependent upon its parts.
• If you look for the self within the mind, you cannot find it there, since the mind can only be said to exist in relation to external objects; therefore the mind is also dependent upon causes and conditions outside of itself.
• Hence, since the self cannot be said to exist within the body or mind, it is said to be "empty of inherent existence".

2) The realization that life is finite- No one lives forever, nothing lasts forever. While we think that atoms and sub-atomic particles are infinite, Quantum Physics shows that they aren't (and the Buddha figured it out 2,540 years ago). Therefore everything changes and decays and goes away. This is a concept needed for the next principal.

3) The realization that things do not bring happiness. We buy that new mobile phone we really wanted. We waited online forever; and for a few weeks we are really happy. Then it, breaks, gets lost, gets stolen, is superseded by an even newer model, etc. and then we are not happy again. But we really wanted it when it was new. So, things don't bring happiness. So why all the desire for them? So we can show off that we have this new thing? I remember when Nike was selling shoes with the treads designed in the shape of Long Island. Sooo many people went out and spent hundreds of dollars for a pair for something they couldn't even see. How silly, right? All so you can say, look I have Long Island on the bottom of my sneaks. Now I bet most are in the trash. What a waste of money that could have been used for better purposes.

So, Once you understand that we are all in the same boat, that everything we do touches everything else, that there is no you that you can point to and say this is me, that all you have will not make you live one day longer, that living for the acceptance of others is a fruitless endeavor, that material things do not bring happiness, it becomes clear that your desire for certain material things are wholly an futile exercise and your desires will reduce.

Reduce your wants and lead a happy and contented life. - Sri Dharma Mittra

Answer 3

By fallowing an eight fold path that leads to wisdom enlightenment and salvation