The Path of Desire

[Guest guest]

Pravritti Marga<br><br>Our saadhna club's general

focus has been the 4 broad yoga paths of sadhana

(spiritual practice) which include Karma (Action) yoga,

Bhakti (Devotion) yoga, Gyana (Knowledge) yoga, and Raja

(Direct Experience) yoga. All these paths have one thing

in common. A path that leads us away from material

desires to the attainment of the ultimate bliss of union

with the divine, whether in form or formless. However

many members often ask, what about the everyday

desires? The desire to achieve, creature comforts, health,

fame, power, companionship, or even human love and

interaction. In a text of the organization, Swami Nirvedananda

of Ramakrishna Mission, wrote an interesting chapter

on this topic which I want to summarize here.

<br><br>The world is full of desirable experiences for all

our senses. Pleasing sights, sounds, tastes and

touches attract us all. The more we know them the desire

for them increases. According to Hindus shastras,

there are even more attractions in the finer worlds.

Pitriloka - the world of ancestors- offers pleasure million

times greater than that of this world; Devaloka - world

of devas/devis, offers still greater pleasures for

those who want more and Brahmaloka has the ultimate in

enjoying pleasures of the senses. Given this knowledge,

"man" reaches out for the thrills, not only of this

world, but also to those of higher and higher

worlds.<br><br>Hindu shastras present The Path of Desire (Pravritti

Marga) as the road for fulfilling Desires. There are

various do’s and don’ts on this path too. It is important

for one to scan one’s desires, to make sure that only

those that do not cause harm to our self and others are

pursued. Thus desires that prompt lying, cheating,

stealing, hurting, resentment, anger etc are all

discouraged. These are prohibitions (nishedhas) that have to

be followed meticulously.<br><br>The requirements

include certain injunctions (vidhis) for meritorious

actions. A meritorious deed is considered to be one that

helps one to be less selfish. Such acts involve giving

something up at present for the attainment of something

later. In other words, each such act is a sacrifice

(yagna).<br><br>1. Yagyas -<br>Deva- yajya- Offerings made to devas

and devis leading to blessings of fulfillment of

desires. <br>Pitri-yagya –Ancestors, who love us, need to

be offered oblations so that they may be satisfied

and grant desires.<br>Rishi-yagya - Seers expect

nothing but the study and practice of scriptures, in

return for which they grant desires. The time and energy

spent in the present time is considered an act of

sacrifice for the future.<br>Nri-yajya- Service to fellow

human beings who are in need. Each being represents a

form of God and serving fellows human is considered an

act of service to God. <br>Bhuta -Yagya – Serving

animals, birds, insect etc by providing a portion of our

food. <br><br>2. Duties of stages of life

(Ashramas)–<br><br>Hindu life is traditionally divided into four

consecutive stages. Brhamacharya ( student), Gryhastha

(householder), Vanaprastha (retired), and Sanyasa ( renunciate).

Each stage has specific duties and responsibilities,

which are to be meticulously followed, if one wants to

realize one’s Desires. <br><br>.......... cont'd

[Guest guest]

3. Duties of occupational groups - Varnas<br>The

Hindu society is further divided into social

occupational groups by birth, called varnas, (literally means

color; here used to describe occupations groups) each of

which has specific duties. <br><br>Brahmins (spiritual

teachers and law makers) who have to lead simple and pure

lives; Kshastriyas (warriors who defend a region) who

have to protect the weak and punish the wicked,

without misusing powers for personal gain; Vaishyas

(traders who market and distribute means of survival) who

have to provide services without greed and dishonesty,

and Sudras (laborers) who have to provide honest

physical labor. <br><br>Today there are tons of different

varnas, sub-varnas and has been and still is one of the

most abused systems in hindu society today. It is

evident that few have truly followed the injunctions.

<br><br>Today, since one is no longer limited to the occupations

of ones’ ancestors, the Gurus of today state that

the respective rules of the above broad occupational

groups have to be followed by those who take them up.

The stages of life (ashramas) have also blurred today

and people are asked to follow the rules of whatever

stage there are pursuing. <br><br>3. Prayers - to the

Ultimate “God” “Parameshwar” for the fulfillment of all

desires.<br><br>While many practices have changed over the millennia,

the essential moral discipline threaded within the

life of a Hindu has remained the same. One striving on

the Path of Desire must attempt to be clean in his

thoughts, words and actions must be dictated by right

conduct. He must preserve cleanliness in body and mind. He

must not injure or judge others and he must not get

too addicted to sense objects. <br><br>This however

is only the beginning. Slowly but surely, as

material desires are satisfied, man realizes that there is

a desire greater than what he has been seeking. He

has been reaching out to sense-pleasures but finds

out that all this is only transient. He finds out

that the Desire for the ultimate bliss of the Union

with Parameshwar is the only permanent bliss of all.

<br><br>In this manner the Path of Desire prepares man for

the next level of sadhna which is that of Nivritti

Marga - The Path of Renunciation.<br><br>_/\_ Tat twam

asi<br><br>Uma