Needs And Wants Of Humans

on September 14, 2010

The very nature of the mind is to be dissatisfied, not be contented, and not be in the present moment. The mind can only exist either in the past or the future because you cannot have thoughts in the present moment. So, by its very nature, the mind will chase desires. We have to bring awareness to ourselves and understand whether our desires are actually ours or borrowed from others.

When you go for a drive in your car and notice an expensive Mercedes alongside, you start thinking, 'It is time to buy a new car... may be a Mercedes." Until then you were happy, but now, seeing somebody else"s car, a desire has entered you to possess that same vehicle. You have borrowed the desire of that car owner — this borrowed desire is an example of a want, not a need, which is born out of comparison. Drop all your prestige problems and do an honest self-analysis of your desires. If you cannot drop your prestige when alone, how will you drop it when you are with people!

Before sending you to planet Earth, Existence furnishes you with the energy to fulfill all that you will require to live a contented and fulfilling life. But when you start spending this energy to realise borrowed desires, you start feeling that you are not equipped with enough energy for fulfilling all your desires. You experience discontentment because your own desires have not been fulfilled. The moment one want is fulfilled, numerous wants arise within you because you borrow more desires from others.

The enlightened master Ramana Maharishi says, 'The mind is such that it shows a tiny mustard seed to be a huge mountain until it is attained. As soon as it has been attained, even a mountain appears as insignificant as a mustard seed!" We all function around these three axes of doing, having and being. Doing for having, without enjoying being, is the cause of all our misery. Doing never catches up with having! Every time you work hard and fulfill one desire, suddenly that desire loses its pull over you.

As soon as one desire is fulfilled, you attract another desire — you don"t even have time to enjoy your fulfilled desire and feel satisfied. You start thinking, 'Just let me acquire one more thing. Then I can relax and enjoy what I have." Be very clear, your mind will never allow it to happen. You have enough energy for fulfilling all of your needs but not your wants. The only way to really live and enjoy life is to enjoy the very doing itself. Then automatically the doing, having and being, will be integrated and will happen. Be Blissful!