Desire

Icha Shakti

Kama, Icha, Asha or desire as one may call it, is the one and only reason why this Earth and together with it, all of us exist. The cells are held together by force of gravitation, which is nothing but desire to be together. The Sun, Earth and planets revolve in their orbits by sheer desire to be. Else, where's the need for the Earth to spin around itself. Where's the need for the moon to wax and wane. Where's the need for the sun to shine. Where's the need for this whole Universe to exist. Everything can remain in that expansive Brihat, Param - as a state of nothing.
That nothing, takes forms by conglomeration of particles, for a sheer desire to know itself and that is what we see as the manifestations around us. If scientists at NASA peer at the stars above - the innate governing factor is this desire of the primordial essence to know itself. If the rishi is sitting under a bodhi tree in meditation - it is the desire of the divine to go within itself for a complete knowledge of its own self.
Many Masters such as the Buddha have said that 'Desire is the root cause of all evil,' no doubt. But Sanatana Dharma - something that existed aeons before the word Hinduism was invented some centuries ago, calls Desire as 'Icha Shakti.' Icha - Desire. Shakti - Power. Progress is possible only with desire. A child can learn only if she desires to open a book, desires to read, desires to memorise, a man and woman can be in love only if they have the desire for each other, parents can bring forth a child only with the desire to come together, I can get a job only if I desire, I can eat, sleep, play or enjoy only if I desire. And please note, even death happens only when there is a desire to die - that is, it is deep within the sub-conscious mind, not apparent.
So desire is a propelling force. It is energy. It is personified as Shakti. It is the foundation for the next force of creation - Kriya Shakti. The desire leads to action - Kriya. And the third is Gnana Shakti - Knowledge. The desire to study science, the inventions and discoveries and better and better understanding. It is the desire of scientists, mathematicians, literateurs, poets, actors, sculptors, artists, musicians that is responsible for all the activities happening around the Earth. It is the desire of the Sanyasi to attain Moksha that makes him walk the path towards Enlightenment. Nothing can be wrought on the stage of this Earth without this energy.
But any energy can be harmful when it is imbalanced or used without understanding. Electricity is fine. But I will be a fool to touch a hanging live wire. Water is fine. But I will not go and drown in a river to drink it. Rocks are fine. I can build beautiful houses using them but will not stand in front of a rolling boulder.
Same way with desire. It is an energy. It should be taken with a pail from the ocean to build the little edifices that we want to. Desire, when matched with action results in the achievement of wisdom. I can achieve all that I desire, provided I am clear about what I want and I am aware of the consequences. I may have the desire to rule the world, but it works only if I have the matching capacity.
In my personal experience, I have discovered that generally I do not desire for this or that. But when situations arise and I want something - have a desire totally and forget about it. Lo and behold it materialises. A small example: I was travelling to work by bus. Around last year, I had to go every Saturday - my weekly off to take Aksharabhyas classes for children, I felt that having a two-wheeler would be useful. Just a desire and the next week I was riding my Honda Activa.
If this example may be simple, here's another one. I was staying in a rented house last year. Suddenly with a water crisis, I felt that it was foolish to pay monthly rent for just nothing at the end of so many years. I wished I owned a small flat for myself. I made the necessary applications and told my house owner that I would vacate in three months. Nothing seemed to click. I just sat quietly one day in meditation, felt intensely that I should own a beautiful home and left the whole thought to itself. At the end of three months, someone told my parents about a house for sale. We went and saw it. All of us liked it. Approached the Housing company for loan. Just the previous week I attended a meeting on work and they asked me to apply for housing loan. In 15 days, I moved into my new house on Jan. 1, 2005.
Desire, empowered by meditation works. But the funniest thing about desire is, it has no end. So the trick is to remain quiet and act when one has to. When the work is over get back to being quiet and still. Desire is there to be used. But the consequences are dire if abused.
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