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268
Aptavani-4
Desire Is Indeed the Obstacle
Questioner: Where does desire (ichchha) originate?
Dadashri: Desire arises from the pressure of circumstances. Right now, no one has a desire to cover himself up with a blanket, but if it suddenly turns very cold, everyone will have the desire to cover themselves. Circumstances make them do that.
Questioner: Desire is dependency, so why should one desire anything?
Dadashri: Even though you may not want to desire, it is not something you can be free of, is it?
Questioner: In parabrahma (the Self), there is no desire and no mind, is there?
Dadashri: The Self (Parabrahma) never has any desires. Desire is a state of dependency. If there is a desire-free (nirichchhak) man in the world, it is only the Gnani Purush. A desire-free person does not have any kind of desire. Even if you gave him all the gold in the world, he would have no use for it. Such a being does not have even a single thought about sex (vishay). He is absolutely indifferent to respect (maan) or insult (upmaan). He has no beggarly desire for fame (kirti), disciples, or building temples. He has become free from ownership of the body (swamitwa). Such a Gnani Purush makes us free of desire.
When can one remain in applied awareness of the Self (upayog)? It is when all desires become weak. Won't they have to be weakened sooner or later? The slightest of desire is a beggary. It is because I have become completely free of desire that I have attained the state of a Gnani.
No obstacles remain for the one whose desires come to an end. Obstacles arise when desires arise.
