Often when we talk of spirituality it is advised to free one
from desires and practice detachment. Many Buddhist texts also preach about practicing
detachment. Bhagavad Gita also states to work without desire of fruit.
Now, to start with it is not easy to leave all desires at
once, in fact many of us are not even able to identify the desire at various
levels. To become spiritual is a desire itself, is it not? Desire work at
different levels and to start with we should first start simplifying our
desires.
At the highest level of spirituality desires may be
completely shunned, where you can enjoy your emptiness. But at a lower level
simple desires can keep you motivated and give you a purpose and direction in
life.
Let’s talk about simple desires and multiple desires. How
simple desires can provide thrust and multiple desires can weigh us down. Our
relationships are greatly affected by our desires and are one of major source
for sorrow and joy. For example you desire a person is a simple desire. You
enjoy the company of that person. Now, you start complicating this desire when
you start loving certain actions of that person. You desire that person to
behave in a certain way, you desire that person to do certain things for you.
This is where multiple desires make it hard for the outside world to fit your
narrow view of affairs. This friction between
the outside and inside world causes pain.
It is like a writing a computer code. You write a function
to do something, and then you put too many if and else conditions in it to get
the desired output. More if and else conditions you put larger, slower and
complicated the code becomes. If this code goes wrong it is difficult to
correct it.
So simplify desires to simplify life, be light to move more,
have less to enjoy more. Desire a thing, a goal, or a person and be open to
pain, joy, hard-work, sacrifice, fame, applause it bring. Desires flourish in
an open heart.
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