Desire is a strong feeling, worthy or unworthy, that impels to the attainment or possession of something that is (in reality or imagination) within reach; a desire for success. Craving implies a deep and imperative wish for something, based on a sense of need and hunger; a craving for food, companionship. A longing is an intense wish, generally repeated or enduring, for something that is at the moment beyond reach but may be attainable at some future time; a longing to visit Europe. Yearning suggests persistent, uneasy, and sometimes wistful or tender longing; a yearning for one's native land. Natural desires are the wants that properly-functioning human beings will tend to have regardless of external circumstances.  They come directly from human nature (our innate capacities) not from conditioning or exposure to external objects.  Examples of natural desires are the desires for food, water, shelter, friendship, and sex.

According to Ayurveda, the oldest existing healing system, desire is the cause for all miseries and pains. If you could discipline your mind and body you can control your desire. Follow a routine in daily life can bring discipline to our body and mind.

 In the matter of mental control a three fold division is possible. It has to be based on three identifiable kinds of ideas and emotions that every man is likely experience at some time or other. Of these, the lowest kind makes a man sluggish and ordinarily averse to hard work, especially mental. But when he chooses to exert , his tendency may be to cling doggedly and without reason to any single idea , as if it were all, Or he may rush head long into action without understanding the need to pause and consider his own ability, or the loss and injury that may be inflicted on others. He may be fickle and stiff necked by turns, and as a general too indolent to shake off the habit of looking at things from the wrong end. When these symptoms are found, we must conclude that the mental mechanism is still in the lowest ‘gear’ in which Nature had left it at birth! Such moods, outlook and behavior are called tamasic.

The next higher kind is called rajasic. It makes egocentric ideas dominate the mind. The man who is goaded by them will always aim at personal gain. He would gladly undergo severe hardships; even carry on prolonged religious austerities, in order to secure wealth and sensual pleasures. Greedy and cruel, he does not hesitate to encroach on the rights of others. He runs into extremes – of joy when his schemes and of utter misery when they fail. It does not strike him that what he thinks to be enjoyment is in fact a veritable trap door through which he loses, intellectual vigour and psychological stability. He must indeed be a  most fool-hardly driver who is unable to notice that his chance hits have put his machine  in the ‘reverse gear’ in the evolutionary plane!

The third in the series is the sattwic mood. As any text book on spiritual topics will show, sattwa endows the aspirant with mental firmness and vigour. It leads to steady rise within him of qualities like fearlessness. Uprightness, serenity, modesty, compassion, and devotion to study and worship. They gradually purify and enrich his personality. As they penetrate into deeper levels, they establish irreversible patterns of reaction out of very energies that previously produced only tamasic and rajasic moods. When purity reaches its peak, the mind becomes fully receptive to the highest Truth, the one indestructible Reality in all beings. The intellect, thoughts, vitality, and sense organs henceforth lose their separate existence in a way; for they have now become equally faithful instruments to express that Oneness in their respective spheres of work. That this transformation has a reality, far surpassing that of the physical body and material objects surrounding it, is verifiable directly by the sage himself whenever he is inclined to look within, and indirectly by others who live so close to him as to be able to observe the turn of events within his range.

 Nature will lead the selfish man to a crossroad. He will then see that he can gain his further objectives by peaceful means which may be little sow in fructifying, or he can resort to violence or intrigue in the name of speed, and risk everything, including previous gains and even his own life. Confronted by these alternatives, he will be compelled by his self interest itself to pause and reflect. The difficulty is only in picking up sufficient courage to make the first right choice. After that he would see the advantage of adopting the path of love and gentleness to achieve his legitimate ends. Each subsequent adjustment within him would mean a little more widening of the aperture to let in the light of sattwa. Before he would begin to treat day to day problems as excellent opportunities for reacting quickly with virtuous ‘drives’. When this attitude takes firm roots in him he would play the game of life with power and grace, distilled out of the very energy that used to work havoc inside him before.


Dr. C. D. Siby
Bachelor In Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery.
Madras University
Senior Ayurvedic Physician Ayur Centre Sdn Bhd
Petaling Jaya, Tel: 03-79542899/6092
E Mail. s_chiramel@yahoo.com