Buddha’s main thesis? 

“We can eliminate suffering when we cease to desire.”   

From my reading over the years, that seems to encapsulate it. 

Certainly there are other major themes for all Buddhists, be they eastern or western/eclectic Buddhists.

However, does that theme seem to be a self-defeating argument – the desire to put down all one’s desires?

The eclectic western Buddhists in the market last Saturday disagreed with the original statement. 

I think that many of our desires are good God-given desires. If we run with those desires in the right context, then we can be quite happy. 

If my desires conflict with that, then it would be better to put them down…

That is especially if we want to please God, and do the right thing by our neighbor. 

Your thoughts?