Managing Desires
We often speak about the effect our desires have on our behaviour. Desires that get fulfilled make place for new desires and those that go unfulfilled cause agitations in our minds. At the same time, to have no desires is not possible. So what should we do to break this endless cycle? We need to channelise our desires, divinise them or sublimate them - thereby freeing ourselves from their enslaving and compulsive nature. This is called desire management. All desires spring from the basic desire for happiness. We all want pleasures, comfort, peace, love, thrills, satisfaction etc., which are all expressions of the desire for happiness. How then do we become truely happy? Which desires should be fulfilled? When? Why? Here are some important guidelines from our scriptures: 1. Give up illegitimate desires . Entertaining or fulfilling such desires leads to adharma and sorrow. For e.g., the desire for another's wealth could get us into trouble. 2. Do not fulfil legit...