David Nichtern and Michael Kammers weave tangible Buddhist perspectives on working with desire in the modern world. 

In this focused mini-episode of the CSM Podcast, everyone’s favorite pod-kick and monologist, Michael Kammers, rejoins David for an illuminating conversation around how Buddhists address desire. Tapping into the spontaneous wisdom of the moment, the Dharma Moon Duo dive into spontaneity, desire, the Buddhist Wheel of Life, ignorance, reality, Bubble Theory, polarization, and compassion.

Spontaneity, Desire, & the Human Realm

Opening the podcast by forgetting the question which sparked the idea for the podcast, David and Michael riff on how spiritual teachings and wisdom often spring forth spontaneously. After some music talk, they steer the conversation into the topic of the day—working with desire in our precious human birth. Peering through the lens of the Buddhist wheel of life, David describes how desire and passion are actually the watermark insignia for the human realm.

“It’s not inherently liberating to either repress desire or indulge it – it’s how you work with it that’s potentially liberating.” – David Nichtern

Ignorance, Reality, & Bubble Theory // Polarization & Compassion (11:08)

Through the lens of the Buddhist Wheel of Life, David elucidates ignorance and awareness in relation to desire and reality. Michael explains Trungpa Rinpoche’s view that our thoughts and emotions fuse to become an environment which we daydream within. Running with this, they jam on David’s Bubble Theory, contemplating how we can move from polarization to compassion. To close, they apply the metaphor of the Tower of Babble, and discuss romantic love, discipline, and desire.

“Whether you’re a monastic, householder, or a lay person—desire is going to arise. And then, as sentient beings, if we’re aware, we have an ability to choose.” – Michael Kammers