Freed From Desire

How a 90s Eurodance banger teaches Buddhist wisdom to overcome New York envy

There is a lot to love about living in New York City—not least hearing people’s reactions when traveling abroad. “Is it really like the movies?” I was asked last week. And after re-watching The Devil Wears Prada on the plane home, in which the protagonist lives not far from me on the Lower East Side, I feel confident in saying that: Yes, it kinda is.

But just like in that fashion fairytale, a significant downside of living in NYC is the proximity to extreme wealth. I find it near-impossible not to compare myself to the well-heeled, perfectly wealthy people all around me. Even though I live a life of extraordinary privilege, my brain tells me it isn’t enough. I should have more.

Every city has a currency. In Boston, it felt like what mattered most was whether you had a PhD (and how many!). In DC, it seems to be how close you are to the Presidency. In LA, I’m sure it’s about the movie business. And although there are numerous scenes in which to excel in New York, nobody can escape the towering, near-empty apartment buildings of Billionaires Row that suggest that money remains the currency of power in the city that never sleeps.

How wonderful, then, to be reminded of this Buddhist prayer in one of my favorite Eurodance tracks from the 1990s. Gala’s Freed From Desire went triple platinum in the UK, but nobody I’ve mentioned it to in the US seems to know the song.

Which is a shame because it is—and I say this sparingly—a total banger! Take a listen.

In fact, according to DJ Magazine, Gala Rizzatto wrote the song because of her own experience with the jarring inequality in New York, where she still lives, and her admiration for a lover who seemed to be able to avoid the traps of comparative desire.

Here are the lyrics:

My love has got no money, he’s got his strong beliefs (x4)

Want more and more, people just want more and more

Freedom and love, what he’s looking for (x2)

Freed from desire, mind and senses purified (x4)

But there was another inspiration for the track—Buddhist philosophy.

The principles she draws on are perhaps the most foundational teachings of Buddhism: The Four Noble Truths. These four principles form a framework to understand the nature of suffering, and a path toward liberation. Gala put it to music and millions have sung it at the top of their lungs in nightclubs across Europe for nearly thirty years since.

Here are those noble truths:

1. The Existence of Suffering (dukkha/duhkha)

The first is the pervasive presence of suffering. Being alive means suffering—even when things seem good.

2. The Cause of Suffering (samudaya)

The cause of this suffering is ignorance. We misunderstand our own nature and the nature of reality. We believe, mistakenly, that we are separate and things unchanging.

3. The End of Suffering (nirodha)

But there is a solution! When our minds awaken to the true nature of reality—suffering ceases.

4. The Path (magga/marga)

And to awaken, we must follow the Eightfold Path. (Buddhism is truly the management consultancy of religion—so many good frameworks!) Through spiritual practice, ethical living, and developing wisdom, we can journey toward enlightenment.

So, the next time I’m walking along the skyscrapers of 57th Street or feel lesser-than among the buff bodies in my gym in Soho—I’ll try to remind myself of the Buddha’s timeless wisdom. (While two-stepping to Gala’s perfect track.)

Freed from desire. Mind and senses purified. Freed from desire.

The Historical Buddha. Central Tibet, 14th Century. Smithsonian Collection.