Making a distinction between needs and desires, here Amrit Sadhana explains that when the body seeks something, it is need and when the mind wants, it is desire
We all know that craving for “a little more” — whether having the last spoon of Ice cream or the last sip of Coke, the mind says, have a little more. The stomach immediately says, “Enough” but the mind says, “It is so tasty! Have some more.” When the body gets thirsty, it never asks for Coca Cola, it is happy with a glass of water. But the mind is not satisfied with just water. When the body wants something, it is need, when the mind wants it is desire. The Osho sutra says : “When need and desire both disappear, time disappears. And remember to make a distinction between desire and need; otherwise you can be in a very deep mess. “We are already in a mess. We try to drop needs and never try to curb desires. People fast for days, and desire for heaven. Fasting is cutting the need and desiring heaven is helping desire to grow. Some Osho tips to restore the balance :
Stop when the need stops; Watch where the desire starts. Make it a continuous awareness. If you can make the distinction, you have attained something — a clue to existence. Need is beautiful, desire is ugly. Remember, it is easy to drop needs, because body is so silent you can torture it. Dropping needs is going against nature. What do you need? Food, water, a shelter, somebody to love you and somebody you can love. Desires are useless and foolish. What is a desire? It is not a desire of shelter. Desire is always for a better shelter. Desire is comparative, need is simple. You need a shelter, desire needs a palace. You need a woman to love, a man to love. But desire needs a Cleopatra. Desire is for the impossible; need is for the possible. Cut desires and become aware. Then you will be beyond time. Desires create time; if you cut desires you will be beyond time. Having no desire is transcending the mind.
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6 comments:
Wouldn't a focus on transcending desire have to assume a desire to do that? What do you make of that particular desire?
I like the basic distinction you make, although I think it can get fuzzy with some things. For example, needing a partner to love might also be thought of as a desire. It has to do with the body but also the mind. And if we're denied a mate we don't die.
as said in the article,the eventual desire(pun intended) is to be free of needs and desire.
If that's not possible, at least be free of desires.
Now, the difference between needs and desires is purely subjective and is largely depends on the person in question.
Still in a broad sense of things, this distinction can be made.
And it's even possible not to need to live anymore - which is not at all necessarily equivalent to needing or wanting to die.
Wow.
that's deep.This has made me think.Think a lot.It's a nice dilemma which you have brought out.
Not wanting to live already kills something inside.That the body is merely performing it's bodily functions needn't necessarily mean being alive.
I needed and desired this post's informatio; thank you.
Hi Despo,
Today I needed this more than ever and it entered my essence completely. I seek to release all desire. What a very nice posting you have shared. Thank you. dc
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