Tao Bible - Genesis 3:6

And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
~ King James version ~

Unbounded desire leads one away from Tao.
~ possible Taoist alternative ~

In many ways, though expressed differently, the Judeo-Christian perspective is not that dissimilar from that of philosophical Taoism. In both cases, unfettered desire is the engine that leads us away from the divine.

Desire and attachment go hand in hand. When each of us really, really wants something or someone, we become attached to the concept. We often mistakenly believe that our craven desires are part and parcel of our unique identities. The stronger the attachment becomes, the more we want to possess it completely. In time, this unbounded desire can blot out everything else.

Having desires is a human trait. We can no more rid ourselves of them entirely than we can live without love or move through life without ever going to the bathroom! In order to live a balanced life -- one that embraces harmony -- we must learn to balance desire with a lack thereof. The more we can free ourselves from narcissistic attachments, the more we can walk with God or Tao.

If you're interesting reading more from this experimental series, go to the Tao Bible Index page.