What’s wrong with desirelessness? — Desire management series 6 – Desires often make us do things we regret. On understanding how desires sabotage us, we may seek to become desireless. 

However, desirelessness is self-contradictory in conception and self-crippling in execution. 

Self-contradictory: Wanting to become desireless is itself a desire, making the idea of desirelessness self-contradictory. And this self-contradiction extends beyond the logical to the existential. By the very nature of our existence, we are conscious beings. And when our consciousness perceives things around us, some of those things appeal to us; that is, they trigger desire within us. Thus, to be conscious is to be desirous — to try to become desireless is to reject or repress an innate feature of our very being.

Self-crippling: Desire is our great power; it can enable us to do things which others might deem impossible. Yes, desire usually drives people toward material achievement. But it can also drive seekers to spiritual enrichment. Eradicating desire for embarking on our spiritual journey is like crippling ourselves for starting a marathon. 

If we can’t become desireless, should we at least try to desire less? Maybe. But this approach still sees desire negatively, as something to be reduced. We need to see desire positively, as something powerful which just needs to be redirected. How can desire be redirected? By desiring better things; that is, by directing our desire toward things that are meaningful, uplifting and enduring. The best among many such things, Gita wisdom explains, is the ultimate reality, the all-attractive supreme person, Krishna. And bhakti-yoga practice nurtures our desire for Krishna (Bhagavad-gita 12.09). 

What’s wrong with desirelessness? — Desire management series 6 -Even if we can acquire one spiritual desire, however tiny, that itself is worth cherishing and nourishing. Over time, it will gain strength till it becomes our driving desire, thereby overpowering our self-sabotaging desires and powering us toward self-realization. 

One-sentence summary

Desirelessness is self-contradictory and self-crippling — don’t seek to become desireless or even to desire less; seek to desire better. 

Think it over:

  • What’s wrong with desirelessness? 
  • What’s wrong with desiring less?
  • How can we desire better?

***

12.09: My dear Arjuna, O winner of wealth, if you cannot fix your mind upon Me without deviation, then follow the regulative principles of bhakti-yoga. In this way develop a desire to attain Me.

What’s wrong with desirelessness? — Desire management series 6

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