Desires

Should desires be given up altogether? How do we control them? 

There are two kinds of desires: One is natural. The other is excessive and misdirected desire. "I want a house" is a legitimate desire, and one should seek it. But it is greedy to possess two or more houses. 

Today, greed is more prevalent among men than the desire for necessities. With the result that man is afflicted with grief and worry. He has become a stranger to contentment. He is steeped in discontent on account of insatiable desires. 

Whenever one is thirsty, one has to drink water. When will this thirst end? Thirst will not end as long as life lasts. Even at the moment of death, people feel thirsty. How is the thirst (for material things) to be quenched? It is possible to get rid of iron shackles when they get rusty with time, but it is not easy to get rid of trishna (desire). Trishna is the cause of limitless desires. 

If desires are fulfilled, one’s ahamkara (ego) gets inflated. If they are not realised, hatred develops. There are three doorways to hell for man: kama (desire), krodha (hatred) and lobha (greed). Desires tend to get out of bounds. Hence, it is essential to try to curb them as far as possible. The process of controlling desires is called sadhana.

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

(Divine Discourse - May 29, 1988)

Life is a long journey. Reduce the burden of your desires. Less luggage, more comfort makes travel a pleasure. – BABA