________________
88
Life of an aspirant
of the mind, the plant of joy will not grow. As long as there is life, there are bound to be temptations and therefore an everflowing sea of desire. The question is - which of these desires are worthy of attention and which are the ones to be ignored?
At the outset, one has to reflect upon the issue of desires. What are the desires that are essential for a balanced life? And which are those desires that cause turmoil and burden in one's life? For the fulfilment of those desires, which are essential, one has to make the right effort to clean out the grime and burden of unnecessary desires. Everyday, innumerable desires are born in the mind, and innumerable desires are thwarted. The mind is like a field, where along with essential grains, many wild weeds also sprout up. When the farmer sows the seeds, his only aim is to grow his crops. But along with grains, many kinds of grass find root, which are not just unnecessary, but harmful as well. If they are not weeded out well, they will grow like a wild forest in that field. As a result, the seeds which have been sown will not receive adequate nourishment. Any crop that grows well is meant for the betterment of the farmer as well as the nation at large. Man's mind is also like the field where seeds of resolve are sown. If we are careless, the weeds of negative thoughts infringe our minds. As a result, the more pristine desires which may have been spiritual, familial, or patriotic will not get adequately nurtured. The mind will be tempted to nurture the unhealthy desires. Therefore, it is essential that an intelligent person must create an inner strength to discriminate between his needs and desires. Herein lies the importance of introspection.
There are two types of reactions to this phenomenon called desire. Some people nurture their desires, and feel successful with the fulfilment of each desire. But there are some who aspire to vanquish desires even before they surface. They believe in relinquishing material possessions and try to conquer the desires that take birth in their minds. They do not gloat with pride when their desires are fulfilled, nor do they suffer in deprivation. The first category of people enjoy worldly success in the fulfilment of desires whereas the second category of people experience spiritual ecstasy on conquering their desires.
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
