There is no end to the desires of the mind and to the troubles to which they lead. Let us say we want to buy something expensive. We either have to work harder to get it, thus taking away from our leisure and free time, or we have to give up something else for it. We may have to sell our favorite old car to buy a new, larger one. We may have to deny ourselves something else we want, to fulfill another desire. Some people are so desperate to buy something they want that they may even resort to dishonest means such as cheating, taking money from their loved ones, or even stealing.
If we track the route of any desire, we can see what kind of troubles to which it often leads. They may be large or small tribulations, but they cause a disturbance in our sea of tranquility. Maybe we desire something that is not an object. We may crave power over others. That too is a treacherous road. We have to step over many people, lie, deceive, and manipulate others to get what we want. Others will grow wise to us, and in response will either avoid us, defame us, or attack us. There is no end to the troubles such a person faces when he or she tries to gain control over everyone and everything.
If we want fame, we may have to publicize ourselves to all we meet. Our ego gets inflated. Look at how some people have to deceive, lie, and make false promises to get people to join their bandwagon. Actors and actresses have to bear the scandalous news articles about them to get publicity. The fame they thought they wanted is often laden with a scandalous reputation.
Once we start out on the road of desire, we wonder why we left our safe haven of peace and contentment to have to bear all these trials and tribulations. In the end, we start craving the peace and contentment we had before desire led us astray. The world is like a race. Some call it a rat race. We run around on a treadmill or wheel going nowhere fast.
Few realize that contentment and peace are ours for the asking. They are already inside us. If we can be still and tap within, we will find riches far greater than any available on earth. We do not need to exert to find them. We can go about our daily life, earning our honest livelihood, providing for our families, and making enough to share with others, and still enjoy the peace and contentment within ourselves. We need not sacrifice that inner peace in the pursuit of outer riches which may or may not come, or which may or may not provide the happiness we think it will give us.
Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj
