Hcfyk

I think that the Pali distinguishes two words:

• 
  tanha -- "craving" or more literally "thirst"


• 
  

  chanda -- "desire" or maybe intention

  
  
  

  
  

  One of the six occasional mental factors in the Theravada Abhidharma; in this tradition, chanda is a factor that can have positive or negative result depending upon the mental factors that it is co-joined with.

  
  
  

  This kind of desire must be distinguished from desire in the reprehensible sense, that is, from lobha, greed and raga, lust. Whereas the latter terms are invariably unwholesome, chanda is an ethically variable factor which, when conjoined with wholesome concomitants, can function as the virtuous desire to achieve a worthy goal.

  
  

  
  
  

  See also this definition.

  
  

The second noble truth says that "craving" is the origin of suffering (and so is not a Good Thing).

Whereas "desire" might be good or bad depending on what it's a desire for -- e.g. whether it's a desire for something wholesome or unwholesome (and maybe also depending on whether you act on it skilfully).

An example of a wholesome desire might be a desire for enlightenment. The Uṇṇābhabrāhmaṇasutta (SN 51.15) begins to explain that seeming paradox -- if the "goal" or "purpose" is "give up desire", how can you desire that?

Shouldn't it be greed instead?

Maybe it is -- or "greed as well".

Describing the "three unwholesome roots" introduces another word, rāga -- sometimes translated "passion" or "lust" or "greed".

Working on your hobbies, advancing your career, growing a business, developing a family, nurturing a child, improving your health through good diet and exercise, going on vacations, increasing your wealth, using your money for the enjoyment or development of yourself and others, raising your status in the world, attaining fame in society etc. could all make you happy.

It would not just make you happy, but also your family and people around you. If you start a business, you might create jobs for others. If you buy goods and services, you sustain others' income.

All these types of worldly happiness definitely need sensual cravings (kama tanha) and cravings of becoming something (bhava tanha).

Buddhism teaches the pursuit of happiness and the elimination of suffering (dukkha). The short term happiness goal in Buddhism is worldly happiness, when it is achieved through virtue, merit, charity and harmony. Also see this answer to the excellent question "Can a Buddhist own and run a billion dollar business?".

Here's another example of a sutta where worldly happiness is preached in Buddhism. From AN 5.58:

He always does his duty toward his parents;

he promotes the welfare of his wife and children.

He takes care of the people in his home

and those who live in dependence on him.

The wise person, charitable and virtuous,

acts for the good of both kinds of relatives,

those who have passed away

and those still living in this world.

He benefits ascetics and brahmins,

and also the deities;

he is one who gives rise to joy

while living a righteous life at home.

Having done what is good,

he is worthy of veneration and praise.

They praise him here in this world

and after death he rejoices in heaven.

However, worldly happiness is a short term type of happiness. Nothing ever lasts.

Your health and youth would not last forever. Your loved ones or friends may forsake you. Your career or businesses may dwindle. Your money and possessions may get stolen. Your peaceful life in your country may be replaced by civil unrest.

No one knows this better than the Buddha, who was a prince who had everything. Realizing that worldly happiness would not last forever, he set out to find permanent happiness and eventually found it. To achieve permanent happiness, you must uproot craving.

There are three types of craving (tanha): craving for sensual pleasures, craving to become something (that makes someone have ambition) and the craving to not become something (that makes one suicidal or withdrawn).

If you crave for food, and eat some tasty food, you may cling to it or become attached to it. You think and fantasize about it even when it's not there. That's clinging or attachment. Craving gives rise to clinging and clinging gives rise to greed or lust to acquire it.

If someone prevents you from getting the tasty food that you cling to, then you feel angry. That hatred or aversion arises because you were denied what you cling to.

If this anger makes you enraged that you go and harm this person who prevents you from getting what you want, this is delusion. Delusion clouds your better judgment.

The craving to become something is similar. Examples are like wanting to get a gold medal or to get a promotion or to become doctor or professor or get recognition etc.

If you crave to get recognition and get it once, you may cling to it and want it even when it's not present. This leads you to do things to get recognition as you have greed (or lust) for it.

If you don't get recognition, but someone else does, you become envious. That's aversion.

If continuously not getting recognition leads you to become depressed, which clouds your normal healthy state of mind, then that's delusion.

That is how craving is the root of all suffering. When you uproot craving, you will uproot suffering.

Of course, it is not a MUST that you seek the permanent happiness of Nibbana. If you are only seeking the short term type of happiness, that is worldly happiness, make sure you include virtue, merit, charity and harmony. At the very minimum, the practice of the five precepts is needed.

The word "desire" is an English word. The Buddha did not speak English.

Buddhism teaches "tanha" is the root of suffering. "Tanha" is generally translated as "craving". It literally means "thirst". "Tanha" is uwnwholesome.

Therefore, in respect to meditation, the type of "wholesome or skilful desire" used in meditation is called "chanda iddhipada" or "samma-sankhappa".

As for the worldly materialistic examples in the question, you answered your own question, when you said: "Not everyone seeks nirvana".

The abandoning of tanha is for those who seek Nirvana. Therefore, what is the point of your question?

As for suffering, whenever it occurs, there is craving. Therefore, craving is the root of suffering.

If you crave to be a billionaire and you achieve this, obviously there is no suffering about becoming a billionaire.

But if you crave to be a billionaire and you do not achieve this, obviously there will be suffering about becoming a billionaire and this suffering is caused by the unfulfilled craving.

Or if you want your children to do good things but your children refuse, if you suffer about this, this is due to your "desire" or "craving". Therefore, even "good desires" can bring suffering.

In conclusion, whenever suffering arises, a cause of this suffering will be "craving" or "unwise desire". "Craving is the root of suffering". This is an irrefutable fact.

As the Buddha explains in numerous suttas, desire is the root of suffering because it sets the gears of becoming in motion.

Becoming is a process of gradually emerging (and supporting already emerged) sense of individual narrative, the story of "my" life. Once there's such story, there's a framework for judging experience as right or wrong, success or failure etc. Once there's judgement, there's suffering.

So, once there's desire, there's purposefull activity, once there's purposefull activity, there's food for the sense of I, once there's sense of I, there is comparison, once there's comparison there's suffering.

It isn't an enemy but very required. Seeing that desire is, out of not-knowing, the cause of suffering, one needs a lot of desire to get ride of it.

Isn't desire for sensuality, becoming, not-becoming the actual reason why people neither help themselves or others? How can someone full of desire help anyone?

Without desire nothing can be reached, but after having abound all desires there are no more limits in regard of help.

So maybe investigate what keeps you from really helping, being helpful.

(note that this is not given for trade, exchange, stacks or entertain ones desires toward this circle here, but for some desires to go on to leave it)

Buddhism is not understood with our mind, but with our experience.
Do the meditation and other practices, and gradually over months, years, you will start to SEE the connection between your desire and your suffering.

Each Buddhist proves Buddhism to themselves through their practice and that is the only way to understand an experience.

the buddha says that chanda is bad because it is the source of what is like or disliked and what is liked and disliked is the source of ''jealousy and stinginess'' which are bad.

“Dear sir, what fetters bind the gods, humans, demons, dragons,
fairies—and any of the other diverse creatures—so that, though they
wish to be free of enmity, violence, hostility, and hate, they still
have enmity, violence, hostility, and hate?” Such was Sakka’s question
to the Buddha. And the Buddha answered him:

“Lord of gods, the fetters of jealousy and stinginess bind the gods,
humans, demons, dragons, fairies—and any of the other diverse
creatures—so that, though they wish to be free of enmity, violence,
hostility, and hate, they still have enmity, violence, hostility, and
hate.” Such was the Buddha’s answer to Sakka. Delighted, Sakka
approved and agreed with what the Buddha said, saying:

“That’s so true, Blessed One! That’s so true, Holy One! Hearing the
Buddha’s answer, I’ve gone beyond doubt and got rid of indecision.”

And then, having approved and agreed with what the Buddha said, Sakka
asked another question:

“But dear sir, what is the source, origin, birthplace, and inception
of jealousy and stinginess? When what exists is there jealousy and
stinginess? When what doesn’t exist is there no jealousy and
stinginess?”

“The liked and the disliked, lord of gods, are the source of jealousy
and stinginess. When the liked and the disliked exist there is
jealousy and stinginess. When the liked and the disliked don’t exist
there is no jealousy and stinginess.”

“But dear sir, what is the source of what is liked and disliked?”
“Desire is the source of what is liked and disliked.”

“But what is the source of desire?” “Thought is the source of desire.”

“But what is the source of thought?” “Concepts of identity that emerge
from the proliferation of perceptions are the source of thoughts.”

https://suttacentral.net/dn21/en/sujato