Who is the Enemy?

Above, the Dalai Lama talks about what is a fundamental goal of every religion - that we learn to love and serve others by becoming less obsessed with our desires and preferences.  That command over our own thoughts and actions is the road to being happier more of the time, suffering less, and causing less suffering.

It is not at all about becoming Nobody.  On the contrary, realized people always have a large energy field, or presence.  It is about becoming who we really are, not who we were told to be.  Insofar as we practice "self-denial" we are giving up our pleasures or desires.  We are denying our addictions and distractions, our delusions - relinquishing them - and becoming more fully human - the women and men we actually want to be.