The meditative state is the highest state of existence. So long as there is desire, no real happiness can come. It is only the contemplative, witness like study of objects that brings to us real enjoyment and happiness --- Swamy Vivekananda.
Then what is 'desire'? Do you know that it is that mischievous 'Impurity of Mind' that is playing illusory role of masking away our True nature of being the Brahman - The Almighty? In the words
of the learned ones, "In spite of living in the Ocean of the Absolute and in reality being identical with It, you imagine yourself to be different from It, due to your desires." Hence, comprehension of this vital factor - namely 'desire', which acts as a major stumbling block on the path of Self Realisation, is a must for the seeker. It can be described as an impulse, an ardent longing for obtaining, possessing some person, place, object or happening. It's an urge, yearning for an enjoyment or pursuance of something.
At the time of coming on to this earth, our mind was full of purity - predominantly Satva guna based. But as the days passed by, the impurities in the form of thought, desire, lust, greed, passion, jealousy on account of Rajo guna and Tamo guna started to turn the otherwise ever-blissful state of existence in to suffering one. The havoc played by the 'desire', in one's downfall is well described in Bhagavadgita (Chapter 2 - Slokas 62,63).
Dhyayato vishayan pumsah sangaste shupajayate
sangatsamjayate kamah kamat krodho bhijayate ll
Krodha dbhavati sammohah sammoha tsmruti vibhramah
Smruti bhramsa dbhuddhi naso biddhinasa tpranasyati ll
(Pondering over objects, one gets attached to them; attachment breeds desire, from desire anger is born. Anger leads to delusion, from delusion memory gets clouded, from clouding of memory the intellect gets destroyed; when the intellect goes, one is ruined.)
Then what is the remedy? Anything for a seeker can be difficult one but certainly not impossible one to accomplish. Since the desire is of complex nature and difficult to comprehend, conquering it may be a tough task. Still a man with determination, dis-passion can conquer it by rigorous practice (sadhana).
Let's have a small story that serves as a beacon and gives great fillip in our efforts to master our mind without difficulty....
A sage was living in an ashram with his disciples in the outskirts of a village. One day one of the devotees approached him and stood with folded hands. The sage asked him what was the matter.
The devotee expressed his problem, "Guruji! It is said, being desire-less is indication of spiritual advancement. But even though I have been worshipping God with much veneration and sincerity
for many decades, I couldn't become desire-less. If one desire is satisfied another crops up. Is there any way to stop them?" Upon hearing this, Guruji got up from his asana (seat) and asked his devotee to follow him. Guruji entering into the kitchen showed the hearth with lot of firewood keeping the fire high. He gradually removed firewood sticks one by one from the hearth. The high flame started to diminish and finally quenched. The Guruji turned towards his devotee and said, " Did you observe that adding more and more firewood only makes the 'fire' to demand for more endlessly. But if you stop the firewood by withdrawing, the 'fire' extinguishes. Our mind is like the 'fire.' It is termed
'Mahaas(z)ana' (great glutton) with new desires cropping up every time the old ones are satisfied. Once you stop paying attention to them, they vanish one by one and our mind gradually becomes under our control with 'desire-free' condition." With this practical demonstration by the Guruji, the devotee became more inspired
in his sadhana towards enlightenment.
If life is problem-less it becomes insipid. Instead one should have the boldness to face the problems and have satisfaction over succeeding them. As Swamy Sivananda said, "Avidya (ignorance)
kama (desire) and karma (action) are the 'Hridaya grandhis (knots) that have tied the deluded Jiva
(individual soul) to the samsara (wheel of births and deaths).....Annihilation of desire alone is
Moksha (liberation). The state of 'desire-less-ness' is the highest Nirvikalpa Samadhi (Super Consciousness)."
Om Shanti!
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