MORE ABOUT DESIRES
Mind
associated with desires is in bondage.
Mind free from desires is free (Mukta). Desires are themselves pain.
Non-desire is itself pure Atmic Bliss.
What Is Desire?
Desire is a
mode of the emotive mind. It has got a power of externalising the mind. Desire
is the fuel; thought is the fire. The thought-fire is kept up by the
desire-fuel. If you withdraw the supply of fuel, the fire will be withdrawn into
its womb. If you stop thinking by cutting off desires, the mind will be
withdrawn into Brahman.
It is only
when the mind, being divested of all its desires, is indifferent to pleasures
and pains and is not attracted by any object that it will be rendered pure,
free from the grip of the great delusion like a bird freed from its cage and
roaming freely in the Akasa.
Desire,
thought and ego (Ahankara) form one vicious circle. If you can destroy any one of
them, the other two will die by themselves. These are the three pillars or
corner-stones of the edifice of mind. They are the three links of the
mind-chain. Destroy any one of the links; the whole chain will be broken.
Why Do Desires Arise?
Why do
desires arise in the mind? On account of absence of Ananda or spiritual bliss (Ananda-Abhava).
The cause for desire is the existence of objects outside. Curiosity becomes a
desire in the mind. Interest and feeling precede a desire. Hope and expectation
fatten the desire.
Tossing (Vikshepa)-the Very
Nature Of Mind
Just as heat
is inseparable from fire, Vikshepa or the tossing of the mind is inseparable
from the mind. It troubles the Sadhakas a lot. It destroys all of a sudden the
determinations of strong-willed persons also. The mind ceases to exist if it is
destitute of this oscillation. This fluctuating mind alone creates the
universe. Even Mala (impurity) can be removed easily. It demands strenuous
efforts for a protracted time on the part of the Sadhaka to remove this
Vikshepa. The undaunted Uddalaka suffered a lot from this distracting Vikshepa
when he tried to enter into Nirvikalpa state. Raja Bhartrihari underwent the
same difficulty when he tried to overcome this troublesome fluctuating Sakti of
the mind. Vikshepa is Maya. Vikshepa is impure Vasana (Asuddha Vasana). You will
have to destroy this Vikshepasakti by constant Upasana or Yoga or ceaseless
Atmic enquiry (Brahmavichara). Then, peace (Santi) will come by itself.
Types Of Desire
Desire in
the mind is the real impurity. Sexual desire, vulgar attraction for the
opposite sex, is the greatest impurity. This causes the real bondage. You can
even give up wife, children and wealth. But, it is extremely difficult to give
up ambition, name and fame. Ambition is a serious obstacle in the path of Yoga.
This is the most powerful weapon of Maya with which she slaughters
worldly-minded persons. Even if there is a tinge of desire for name and fame,
Truth will not manifest. Truth will shine by Itself. It does not need any
pompous advertisement. It is the very Self of all beings and objects.
Anirbuddha Or Subtle, Hidden Desires
Even after
you have renounced all the desires, there may remain in the mind some subtle,
hidden desires (Sukshma, Anirbuddha) that cannot be comprehended. These are
very dangerous ones. Therefore, you will have to be very, very careful. The
lurking under-currents of desires will throw you down at any moment if you are
not very vigilant and cautious, will destroy your Vairagya (dispassion) and
will bring about your downfall eventually. I have witnessed many Yogabhrashtas
who had fallen from Yoga owing to the overpowering influence of these subtle,
hidden desires. So long as you have these subtle, hidden, Anirbuddha
(unnoticeable) desires in your mind, you can never dream of entering into the
Nirvikalpa state without any modification of the mind. You can never develop
real Paravairagya (supreme non-attachment and dispassion) also.
Craving Or Trishna
You may
become old, your hairs may turn grey, but your mind is ever young. The capacity
may vanish, but the craving remains even when you have reached advanced
senility. Cravings (Trishna) are the real seeds of birth. These craving-seeds
give rise to Sankalpa and action. The wheel of Samsara is kept revolving by
these cravings. Nip them in the bud. Then only will you be safe. You will get
Moksha. Brahma-Bhavana, Brahma-Chintana, meditation on OM and devotion will
root out these craving-seeds which are laid deep. You will have to dig them out
properly in various corners and burn them beyond resurrection. Then only will
your efforts bear the fruit of Nirvikalpa Samadhi.
"Love
and kill," "Marry and observe Brahmacharya," "Enjoyment
without desire," "Action without fruits" are paradoxical terms.
A man with gross Vyavaharic Buddhi can hardly understand these terms. A subtle,
pure intellect is needed. Suppose you were a terrible smoker for the last
fifteen years. Then you gave up smoking for five years. The craving for smoking
also died. Suppose one of your friends offers you a cigar in the sixth year.
You have no craving for smoking now. If you take it now and enjoy it just to
please your friend, it will be called a Suddha Bhoga only. You have enjoyed it
without a craving or a desire. Isvara enjoys Suddha Bhoga.
Satisfaction Of Desire Yields Illusory Happiness
Only
Desire
excites the mind and senses. When desire is gratified by enjoyment of the
objects of desire, satisfaction (Tripti) comes in temporarily. Rapture is
delight in the attainment of the desired object. Bliss is the enjoyment of the
taste of what is attained. Where rapture is there is bliss; but where bliss is
there is not, quite of necessity, rapture. Rapture is like a weary traveller
who hears or sees water or a shady wood. Bliss is the enjoying of the water or
entering the forest shade.
When there
is desire, then alone is there pleasure. The cause for pleasure is desire. When
there is no desire, there cannot be any pleasure. When there is no hunger,
delicious food can give you no pleasure. When there is no thirst, any
refreshing beverage will have no effect. So, hunger is the best sauce. The
first cup of hot milk gives pleasure. The second cup induces disgust. After the
enjoyment is over, Tripti comes. Hence, disgust arises when the second cup is
taken. There is no real pleasure in milk. The happiness is in Atman only. It is
reflected in the object (milk) owing to ignorance, owing to Bhranti (illusion).
It is Bhranti-Sukha. If there were real happiness in milk, it should induce
pleasure always and in every person. It is not the case.
A desire
arises in the mind. There is a Vritti now. This Vritti agitates your mind till
you get satisfaction through enjoyment of the desired object. There is Santi or
peace or happiness after the enjoyment is over. Another desire arises in the
mind. Now, in the interval between the gratification of one desire and the
manifestation of another, there is pure bliss, because there is no mind then.
It is at rest. You are in union with Brahman. That state of pure bliss between
two desires is Brahman. If you can prolong that period of bliss through Sadhana
by keeping up the idea of Brahman and by not allowing another Vritti or desire
to crop up, you will be in Samadhi. The period between one Vritti and another
Vritti is the real Sandhi (juncture).
Desires Are Insatiable
Mind plays
havoc through desires. As soon as a desire arises, you think you will get all
happiness by its realisation. You exert yourself to achieve the desired object.
As soon as you get it, a little satisfaction (false Tushti or gratification) is
experienced for a short time. Again, mind becomes restless. It wants new
sensations. Disgust and dissatisfaction come in. Again, it wants some new
objects for its enjoyment. That is the reason why this world is termed as mere
Kalpana (imagination) by Vedantins.
Desires are
innumerable, insatiable and unconquerable. Enjoyment cannot bring in
satisfaction. It is a mistake to think so. Enjoyment fans the desire. It is
like pouring ghee in fire. Enjoyment strengthens, increases and aggravates a
desire. See the case of Raja Yayati of yore. He borrowed the youthful state
from his son to have sexual enjoyment for thousands of years. At last, he cries
out in his old age with bitterness, "Alas! What a fool I am! Still my
sexual desires are waxing. There is no end of desires. I have wasted my life. O
God! Have mercy on me. Lift me up from this mire of Samsara." This comes
in Mahabharata. In the Gita, Chapter III-39, you will find "Kama-rupena
Kaunteya Dushpurena-analena cha-desire which is insatiable as a flame."
Freedom From Desires Necessary For Jnana
You can
attain Jnana only if you are free from sensuous desires and immoral mental
states. Aloofness of body from sensuous objects and aloofness of mind from
immoral states of mind are needed for the attainment of Jnana. Then only will
Divine Light descend. Just as a bungalow is cleaned of cobwebs and all kinds of
dirts and the garden of all its weeds for the reception of the Viceroy, the
mental palace should be cleansed of all vices, desires and immoral states for
the reception of the Holy Brahman, the Viceroy of viceroys.
When a
desire arises in the mind, a worldling welcomes it and tries to fulfil it; but,
an aspirant renounces it immediately through Viveka. Wise people consider even
a spark of desire as a very great evil. Therefore, they will not entertain any
kind of desire. They will be ever delightful in Atman only.
How To Control Desires
In this
ocean of Samsara, desires are the crocodiles. Kill them as soon as they arise
on the surface of the mind. Do not yield to them. Do not become despondent
under your trials. Make friendship with the pure, Sattvic mind and destroy the
impure mind with the help of the pure mind. Make your mind rest in the blissful
Atman. Desires should be crushed the very moment they arise in the mind, by
discrimination and dauntless, indefatigable efforts.
Whenever a
desire arises in the mind, consult always your Viveka (power of
discrimination). Viveka will at once tell you that the desire is attended with
pain, that it is only a vain temptation set up by the mind and that Vairagya
and Tyaga alone can bring about satisfaction and peace of mind. It will advise
you to renounce the desire immediately and take to the study of Upanishads,
repetition of OM and to have Samadhi-Nishtha in a solitary place on the bank of
the sacred Ganga. Think deeply again and again whether the new desire will give
you more happiness or more spiritual gain. Viveka will guide you to take up the
help of will and drive the desire immediately. Viveka and will are two potent
weapons for an aspirant on the Jnana Yogic path to destroy evil Mara
(temptation) and remove all major and minor impediments.
Just as you
starve a plant by depriving it of water, so you may starve out obnoxious
desires by allowing the mind not to dwell upon such desires. You have no desire
for a thing till you know what it is like. It is only after you have seen it or
heard of it or touched it that you get a longing for it. Therefore, the best
principle for a man is not to take, touch or see anything that is likely to taint
the imagination. You will have to turn aside the attention resolutely and
particularly the imagination from the subject. In course of time, all
objectionable desires will die out.
It is desire
in the mind that has created this body. The nature of the desire depends upon
the quality of Samskaras. If these are good, virtuous Samskaras, good desires
will crop up and, if they are bad, they will give rise to evil desires. Buddhi
also is Karmanusarini (according to the nature of Karmas). It has to be specially
trained by repeated efforts to think and act according to the holy injunctions
of sacred scriptures. Desire becomes the thought and thought becomes the
action. An evil desire sets up an evil thought which leads to evil action. Do
always virtuous action-charity, Tapas, Japa, Dama, Dhyana and study of
scriptures. Give up Nishiddha Karma (actions prohibited by Sastras). Have
constant Satsanga. This is very important. It is the only means of changing the
evil Samskaras of the mind.
The mind
with half-developed Jnana feels severe pain when it relinquishes all desires.
It demands aid, through prayer, from higher souls.
A
counter-desire, a desire for God, one strong desire to attain Brahman will
destroy all other worldly desires. Put down vicious desires through virtuous
desires. Then give up virtuous desires through one strong desire-Mumukshutva
(desire for liberation). Abandon this desire for God also in the long run. Give
up Asubha Vasana through Subha Vasana. Give up Subha Vasana through Svarupa
Vasana. Give up Svarupa Vasana by Nididhyasana. Desires will become extinct
with the rise of discrimination. When desires cease, Jivahood becomes extinct.
Brahma-Chintana
will destroy all desires. There are no desires in Brahman. Brahman is
All-Purity. Repeat OM. Repeat the Mantra, "All purity I am." All the
desires will vanish.
Kill the
thoughts. Practise thoughtlessness. You can destroy desires. Mind associated
with thoughts of gratifying the passionate desires, blindly goads a man to seek
for sensual pleasures. Uncontrolled thoughts are the roots of all evils.
Sublime thoughts will easily destroy lower, base thoughts. Do not entertain any
base thought.
Destruction Of Desires Leads To Atmic Bliss
Vasanasahita
mind (mind associated with desires) is Bandha (bondage). Mind free from desires
is Mukta (free). Desires are themselves pain. Non-desire is itself pure Atmic
Bliss. Mere annihilation of Maya is Moksha. With the extinction of the base
Sankalpas, there is also the extinction of Avidya. Should all longings for the
visibles cease, then such an abnegation of mind is itself the destruction of
Ajnana or the mind. Such a bliss is generated through one's efforts only. There
is nothing like Purushartha (right exertion). Purushartha changed the destiny
of Markandeya. He became a Chiranjivi.
Desire is
the enemy of peace. You have become the beggar of beggars through desires. A
desireless man is the richest man in the world. It is the mind that makes a man
rich.
Free
yourself from the firm grip of crocodiles of desires. Do not get disheartened
under trials. Cheer yourself up. Stand up like a lion. Destroy the impure mind
with the help of the pure mind. Make friendship with the Sattvic mind and rest
yourself peacefully in Atman.