Is It Greed to Want to Be Happy and Free Without Giving Up My Desires?

🔹Ven Pomnyun’s Dharma Q&A 2023.5.5.🔹Question : I wonder why the Buddha didn't return to secular or home life after attaining enlightenment, but continued to live as a homeless and build his monastic order. Couldn't he have tried to become a good king, like honorable, generous, and wise one who really watch out for his people? Was it because he knew that it would be so hard or impossible for a king to be free just like a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven? Or did he renounce the worldly pleasure: money, fame, power, comforts and etc. because those are based on somebody else's pain? Jesus said we cannot serve two masters: God and money. I wonder if the Buddha thought the same. I'm asking this question because, unlike the Buddha or Jesus's teaching, I was taught to achieve both: success and happiness. I understand that there is no end to the desire. However, I'm not sure if I can be happy being a homeless either. So, here are my questions. Is worldly success and being happy and free mutually exclusive? And, given somebody like the Buddha had to leave home and abandon everything to attain enlightenment, am I being so greedy wanting to be happy and free without giving up any worldly possessions? What do I really have to do if I really want to wake up and not just try to avoid a nightmare? Thank you.🔻Jungto Dharma School(Introduction to Buddhism): https://www.jungtosociety.org/jungto-dharma-school-online-course/ 🔻 Find more at the following links: http://www.jungtosociety.org http://www.pomnyun.com https://www.instagram.com/jungto.society/ https://www.instagram.com/ven.pomnyun.sunim/ https://www.facebook.com/pomnyundailyquote https://insighttimer.com/jungtokorea 🔻 All Jungto Society’ssocial platforms: http://linktr.ee/jungtoint