Monday, February 6th, 2012

On Want

Toronto, Ontario

Our morning talk to out resident group of monks involved the nature of
"desire".

Desire can be very consuming. Our want or our desire, ambition, is like
fire. Feed it something like wood and it will never be satisfied. It is
insatiable. It can destroy if we don't temper it.

Desire is a concomitant factor. It's in us. We come to this world with
it. Or rather it is that very thing that leads the jiva (the soul) to this
world. Without desire we basically have no life. It is so intrinsic to the
self.

Unfortunately, desires are many - too many to gratify. If you are on a
mission to try to fulfill all wants you will end up very fatigued because
they spur on action. Chasing all demands or catering to all the senses in
contact with sense objects is practically impossible to achieve. Therefore
it's recommended to identify a limited number and become satisfied with
that. Future lives may offer opportunities for additional fulfillment. Most
of us don't have strong enough backs to carry the load of ALL OUR DESIRES.

The supreme way to address desire is to align your wishes with those of the
Absolute. The young prince Dhruva aspired for an opulent kingdom but in
time he went through a purging and hence he resisted the colossal wishes.
Material acquisition ultimately becomes rather bland.

So what is it that the supreme Absolute wishes or desires if we are to
align ourselves? Well, for one, He wishes freedom for us. He wants us to
turn our backs on self-slavery. It is our nature to pursue gratigying our
bodies and yet, at the end we catch ourselves in a trap. LIBERATE!

The unwise donkey may behold a carrot that is dangling in front of him. He
works hard for that carrot which is always beyond his reach.

Perhaps you can think of yourself as a jackass trying to do "mission
impossible". But it is totally legit to wish for basics in order to keep
body and soul together.  Anything mor might be considered "in excess".

Today I left for India. I'm going out of a sense of duty mixed with desire.
If you desire something strong enough you'll obtain it in this life, or the
next. Our patience will be tried.

8 Km