Epicureans, Buddhists, and Maslow: The Fine Line Between Desire and Need

     To my knowledge, the Epicureans never interacted with the Buddhists.  If they had, the conversations might have been interesting.  The Epicureans believed that a good life is a pleasurable one and a bad one is full of pain.  This is not quite as material a philosophy as hedonism, for the Epicureans believed some desires are bad as well.  In fact, they posited a deductive hierarchy of desires that systematizes ones that are healthy and ones that are destructive.  Vain desires that include luxury pursuits, greed, or looking a certain way fell into the latter category, as do merely natural ones like lust, which must be taken in moderation.  Similarly, the necessary desires like food, drink, and even friendship must be taken in moderation or the path to gluttony will be realized as self-destructive.  Thus while the Buddhists believed all desire causes suffering, the Epicureans argued that only too much of it becomes destructive.  Certain desires are useful for a happy life, particularly the ones people need.  Psychologist Abraham Maslow theorized that people could not live a content life unless their basic needs were being met.  In this manner, there's a thin line between desire and need that the Buddhists were more keen on drawing.