To manage our desires effectively, consider the components of the process of desiring: the desirer, the desire and the desirable. We all are individual desirers; we have countless desires; and we rarely have enough resources to attain all our desirables. Does this existential condition itself sentence our desires to frustration? 

Yes, as long as we are under illusion, which fundamentally means that we don’t see the connection of things with Krishna. Specifically, we fail to see how desirers, desirables and desires are connected with him.

Thankfully, Gita wisdom helps us gain a more holistic vision of all three components of the process of desiring.  

Desirers: The Bhagavad-gita (15.07) explains that we all are parts of the all-attractive Divinity, Krishna. That means we are desirers because he is the supreme desirer. 

Desirables: Whatever we may desire, its desirability reflects a spark of his supreme desirability (10.41). Whatever joy we get by acquiring anything desirable, we will get all that and millions of times more joy by making him our supreme desirable. 

Desire: Connecting the soul with the Whole, or us with our Lord, is the very purpose of desire. Animated by desire, Krishna loves us; when we are animated by similar desire, we too love him. 

When the desire for Krishna becomes our defining desire, we gain the vision and the will to manage all other desires appropriately: rejuvenating some, regulating some and rejecting some. Ultimately, directing desire toward our Lord transforms our entire life into a dance of loving harmony with him. 

One-sentence summary: 

When we see us desirers as parts of Krishna and our desirables as sparks of Krishna, our desire powers us toward a loving union with him.

Think it over:

  • How does a fragmented vision of the process of desiring sentence us to frustration?
  • How does an integrated vision of that process open the door for fulfillment?
  • List three desires that link you with Krishna and three insights or practices that nourish each of those desires. 

15.07: The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal fragmental parts. Due to conditioned life, they are struggling very hard with the six senses, which include the mind.

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