1.4.8 spirituality in practice

1.5.2.1 desire

I wish to speak this evening about the difference between spiritual desires and worldly desires. When a person has worldly desires they become enamored with material objects and worldly experience. When the desires are not worldly but of a spiritual nature, the person is enamored with things that are immaterial, abstract concepts and experiences in the subtle realm.

Now, these two types of desires have one communality. That commonality is that they both express movement of the mind. In material desires, the mind is moving towards the objects of this material world. In spiritual desires, the mind is moving towards abstract concepts, conceptual abstractions and cognitive experience. But in both, the mind is moving. The mind cannot stay stationary. Do you know, it is the very nature of the mind to move. It is the characteristic of mental function. The mind of a human being cannot stand still for long, it will go from one thing to another, to another. This is the characteristic of mind, and this manifests through the medium of desire. The individual will experience this movement of mind in the form of desire. "Oh I am desiring this, I am desiring that". Really it is the movement of the mind, first in one place then in another, then in another, like this. It is the nature of mind to move thus.

When the mind is moving, it is of significance in what direction it moves, how it moves, because it is also the nature of mind to assume the qualities and characteristics of that upon which it focuses. So, if the mind of a person is focused always on carnal desires, on the appetites of the body, then those appetites will grow in magnitude. If this focus continues, then the person may even take on the characteristics of the particular object for which there is an appetite. Now, if a person has a desire for name and fame, position and power, that too will affect the mind. The mind will go towards those objects which it is drawn to, and it will take on the qualities and characteristic of those objects. So the person may find themselves in the midst of very ambitious people, and then they will take on the qualities of those ambitious people.

Likewise, if the mind is focused upon the subtle qualities and characteristics of consciousness, the subtle conceptual realm, the mind will in its desire begin to assume more complex and subtle characteristics. There will be a greater degree of cognitive function. So, you see, desire is a natural phenomenon. It is the essential quality of mind, the movement which is inherent in the nature of the mind.

Now, when mind goes in a particular direction it takes the characteristics of that which it moves towards. This is the malleable quality of the human mind. Now, there is a third quality of the human mind which may or may not be known to the individual. The mind not only takes the characteristics of that upon which it ideates, but over an extended period of time, it will actually take the form of that which it ideates upon with such passion. So that, if a man ideates upon food, day and night he thinks of food, nothing but food, when he leaves his physical body, the thought of food will be in his mind and he will think "Oh, I just wish to have a situation where I may eat and eat" and so he will become a creature who can eat and eat and he will himself take on the very form of that upon which he has ideated so that he may express fully this desire, this passion which has dominated his mind. So, this is the third characteristic of mind.

Now, there is one more characteristic which is very important. The mind may not only be pointed in a given direction, but it may be intentionally pointed. That is to say, one who has developed the intellect, developed the rational mind, may consciously and intentionally point the mind in a given direction. They may choose "I will choose to move this way, not that. I will choose to go right, not left. I will choose to walk forward, not backward". This is another characteristic of the human mind, the capacity to choose which direction it will move.

Now, there is naturally some dominance of sam'ska'ra, the reactive momentum of the mind, but there is also the capacity for choice. This is due to the development of the rational function within a human being. Cognitive function is developed to the point of self reflection within a human being and this self reflection allows a person to choose. "I am reflecting upon my life, I am reflecting upon the directions I have taken, and I may choose to go down this road, or I may take another". This is a specialty of human beings.

Now, these four characteristics are the principal characteristics of mind. When a human being wishes to acquire a particular object, wishes to direct themselves in a particular direction, they may go in the direction with great speed or they may go slowly, it depends on another factor. Do you know what it is? It is the degree of intensity of the desire, the speed of the mind. When the arrow of the mind is shot from the bow of desire in a particular direction, it may go very slowly if it is not such an energetic thrust. Or it may go very quickly if the thrust is forceful. So, the mind may be shot in a casual fashion or with a great deal of passion.

Now, if a person wants to know the Infinite, all of these characteristics of the mind may be utilized by the rational person making a conscious choice to direct the mind towards the Supreme Consciousness which underlies all manifestation. When this is done, the qualities and the characteristics of the mind are consciously and intentionally directed. The tendency of the mind to move is directed by giving it an object of ideation which will bring the mind in focus in the direction of the persons' choice. If the choice is to know God, then God becomes the object of ideation. "Oh Lord, I would know You so, I will develop some technique to focus my mind on You." Now, it so happens that the Lord is beyond the scope of mind. Isn't it? In fact, Lord cannot be known by mind alone because Lord is beyond mind. Lord is the consciousness which underlies the mind. But, nonetheless, the image of Lord may be taken, may be taken in a visual image, may be taken in an auditory image, by a mantra, an auditory image of God, or may be taken even in a kinesthetic experience. So through one of these senses, the mind is directed towards the infinite. The image of the infinite is impressed on the mind. The movement of mind through desire is utilized. The desire is "I must know that One, I must know that One, I must understand, I must experience." So the desire arises and the one desiring shoots the mind towards the object of ideation, in this case, the Infinite Purus'a.

Now then, the second characteristic of mind is that mind will take on the qualities and characteristics of that upon which it ideates. So if the mind is ideating upon the Infinite Consciousness utilizing kinesthetic, auditory, or visual images, what happens over time? The mind concentrates with such force that the very qualities and characteristics of that which is ideated upon become the qualities and the characteristics of the mind, at least while the concentration is done. If the concentration is just a little "I like to meditate, I think it is a good idea but really I am far more interested in my daily life". If it is like this, then progress will be slow. But if the whole heart is there, if the passion is there and the arrow of the mind is shot with force, then you know what will happen? It will fly at a very fast rate towards its goal and the qualities and characteristics of the Infinite will be assumed by the mind due to the malleable quality of mind. There is one interesting factor here. The very object of ideation is in fact beyond the scope of mind, it is infinite. Mind is not infinite. So, what happens? The very structure is of the mind is changed. The mental function, the passion is shot forward and then it lodges in that which is still, which is beyond movement, that consciousness which is quiescent in all movement. Then the mind, getting lodged in such a large, such an all encompassing object of ideation, becomes overwhelmed. When it attempts to take on the qualities and characteristics of this object, it becomes stunned and it can no longer move. It begins to dissolve. The movement becomes one of dissolution into that which is greater than itself. Consciousness comes into the scope of mind. This is the secret of sadhana.

And you know, the third characteristic also will come to play over time. The mind will not only take on the qualities and characteristics of that upon which it ideates, but over time, it will, in fact, take the very shape of that on which it ideates. Isn't it? So what happens if the Great is the object of ideation? Over time the mind will assume the very shape of that upon which it ideates. And what shape is that which is formless. The mind itself becomes dissolved in the infinite consciousness which underlies mind, underlies all expressed manifestation, and the realization of the infinite comes to the living being. All sense of littleness gets dissolved. The little mind becomes one with the Great and loses its smallness.

This is the process of the utilization of desire for the realization of the Infinite. So if someone tells you "You must become desireless", is it the truth? No, no, no, you cannot become desireless. It is a false notion. But all of your desires may get directed towards the Infinite and, in that passionate thrust, you may find that the mind itself becomes stunned and can no longer move at all and all desires become dissolved in the ocean of consciousness. The innate tendencies of the mind may be used to free you from the bondage's inherent in the nature of mind. If you want that freedom, you will have to employ this approach, this technique to free the mind. It is not a matter of belief, "Oh, I believe in God, oh, I do not believe in God". It has nothing to do with belief. It is a practical approach. You do it and you get the results. This is the science of Yoga.