Moving beyond our wants

WHY are you running after one thing or another? Let me tell you that you are running away from yourself, your inner being, when you do that. Running after desires, pursuing possessions and acquisitions, and the relentless chase of things that you do not even know why you are chasing, all these move you from your centre to your periphery. You will say, Master, I have no desires. I only have needs that I need to fulfill. I have commitments that I cannot ignore.

Let me be clear. There is a big difference between desire and need. How to differentiate between the two? Listen to what various spiritual masters have said about needs.

Mahavira, the founder of the Jainism religion, said that each being that takes birth in this world comes into this world with whatever is needed for its living already provided by the Universe. The Universe never denies a basic need.

Ramana Maharishi, an enlightened master of the 20th century says: This universe has enough to fulfill the needs of every single being who occupies it; however it can not fulfill the wants of even one being. Yet, we want. Not only do we want, we are also in a hurry to get it. We are always comparing ourselves with our neighbours, colleagues, siblings, and friends. We grab everything in our path attention, time, energy, and still we aren't satisfied. We grab all the time. It has become a deeply ingrained habit that we are no longer conscious of doing it. It's not because we need it but because we want, out of greed, jealousy, and lust. We grab, horde, acquire, possess, out of our fear.

Believe that the universe will provide for you. Trust the energy and intelligence of the universe. All that the world gives has to go. That is the fate of everyone. Nobody is spared of this.

A small story:

Towards the end of his life Albert Einstein was very depressed. He had turned to spirituality after his discoveries were put to destructive uses. One of his assistants asked him what he would do if he were to live his life all over again.

Einstein said: I would like to become a plumber.

Shocked, the assistant asked, why, you have been so very successful as a scientist, why would you want to be a plumber?

Einstein said, all my life I have worked for what ever I thought I wanted, but at the end I understand that my life is a big lie. It was wasted. From childhood I have always wanted to be a plumber, and I have been denied the joy of doing what I wanted. That's why I want to be a plumber, when I am reborn to be what my Being wants to be.