If Candide and other characters in the novella had followed the ways of Buddhism, they would not have experienced so many tragedies. Buddhism works on the Four Noble Truths, the first two of which are that "there is suffering in the world," and that "all suffering is caused by desire." Nirvana, the Buddhist word for enlightenment, means extinguishing the flames of desire. Buddha's answer to the pain of wanting is to let go of the future and focus on things that are right here, right now.
Candide certainly has many desires, among which his desire for regaining Cunégonde is the most detrimental to him. Candide's misery is a testament to the truth of Buddha's teachings about suffering and desire. Although El Dorado might be boring and lack the ingredients for improvement (since there is no evil), we can conclude that there is no suffering because desire does not exist there. Another important scene regarding desire is when Candide and Martin visit Lord Pococurante, a Venetian nobleman. Pococurante is rich and has many works of great poets, writers, and artists, but he does not like the paintings and books that he has. He says, "Fools admire everything in a well-known author. I read only for my own pleasure." Candide thinks that Pococurante is the happiest of all men because there is "pleasure in having no pleasure."
Wanting is something hard to handle and difficult to understand. Many people go shopping not because of their desire for a particular thing, but their desire for the relief that comes from having acquired the item and thus no longer having to want. So is extinguishing all desire within us the simple solution to our world's woes? Probably not, since this world is the most complex of all possible worlds, but it is certainly important to know how to control our desires to be content.
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