FROM AMERICAN MORPHOLOGY/ISLAMIC SYNTAX

THE BUDDHISTS, IT SEEMS, GIVE THE PRIMARY ROLE TO DESIRE, AND HERE WE SEE ONE ATTEMPT TO RESOLVE THE PARADOX OF THE ONE AND THE MANY. IN BUDDHISM, DESIRE IS THE BASIS OF THE HUMAN SELF, AS OPPOSED TO THE WILL, AND DESIRE ALWAYS CAUSES SUFFERING. TO ATTAIN BUDDHAHOOD, TO BE FREED FROM SUFFERING AND, INDEED, FROM THE CYCLE OF BIRTH AND DEATH, ONE MUST COMPLETELY EXTINGUISH DESIRE, WHICH DOUBLES IN BUDDHISM AS THE SELF. IN MY TERMINOLOGY, TO EXTINGUISH DESIRE ENTAILS DISENTANGLING THE WILL FROM SPACETIME. THE MOST COMMON WAY TO DO THIS IS BY DYING.