Ramana Maharshi disciple discusses about The Three Desires we need to Renounce

[Guest guest]

In Sanskrit, they classify the desire for wife, son and wealth (thara-putra-dhana) as the three de-sires, whereas in Tamil they classify the desire for land, women and gold (man-pen-pon) as the de-sires. But on scrutiny, these are found to be not three desires but only two. 

The desire that we have for wife or women and the desire for son can be taken as one desire, namely the desire for relationships (or uravasai); likewise, the desire for gold, the desire for wealth and the desire for land can be taken as one desire, namely the desire for material possessions (or porul-asai). What then is the third of the three desires? It is only the evil desire for praise, fame, honor, appre-ciation or recognition (or puhazh-asai), which makes one hanker after the proud and vain glory of feeling “I have renounced the desire for all these four – wife, son, land and gold”.

The desire for loving relationships (uravasai) the desire for material possessions (porul-asai) and the desire for honor (puhazh-asai) are the unac-ceptable three desires. More than the first two de-sires, the third one is very dangerous. Know that the non-rising of the ego, which rises either with the feeling “I am having this particular desire” or with the feeling “I have renounced this particular desire,” is alone true renunciation.

Even after renouncing, with a little discrimi-nation, love for relationships and love for material possessions, many wise people become a prey to this desire for name and fame, which has the power to destroy their discrimination. Therefore, know that true renunciation is only the state in which the ego-”I” does not rise, having renounced the liking to en-joy even the honor (puhazh) that results from the re-nouncing of relatives and possessions.

Those who experience the sufferings that result from desire for relationships and desire for material possessions will finally one day or other be-come disgusted with these desires and renounce them. But the desire for honor (puhazh) that comes to one is a very treacherous delusion (maya) that is skillful in concealing and not showing the dangerous harm that lies in itself. Therefore, people will find more and more joy in this desire for power and honor (puhazh-asai) and will not shrink from it.

Note: When the mind experiences intense suffer-ing due to the diseases which result from the desire for women or due to the enmity which results from the desire for sons, it will sooner or later automati-cally gain a liking to renounce them. Similarly, on account of the endless misery that results from hav-ing desire for gold, land and wealth, the mind will sooner or later automatically gain a liking to re-nounce such possessions. Thus desire for relation-ships and material possessions (uravasai and porul-asai) will one day or other reveal the dangerous harm that lies in themselves. But when desire for honor, name and fame (puhazh) is experienced more and more, it will make the mind feel only a de-lusion of joy, and hence the dangerous harm that lies hidden in it cannot easily be discerned by the mind. That is why Sri Bhagavan warns us in verse 37 of Supplement to Reality in Forty Verses (Ulladu Narpadu Anubandham), “Even though all the worlds have been renounced as mere straw, and even though all the scriptures have been mastered, for those who have come under the sway of the wicked harlot called praise, honor, recognition or apprecia-tion, ah, to escape from slavery to her is indeed very difficult!”

Trying to destroy the three desires while re-taining the ego, the feeling “I am this body”, which is the root of all rising, is utter foolishness, just like try-ing to cross a river riding upon a crocodile as a raft. The destruction of the ego, the original sin, is alone the destruction of the threefold fire of desire. There-fore, in order to destroy all the three desires, the only way is to destroy oneself by inquiring, “Who am I, who have these desires?”

Source: A Light on the Teaching of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi The Essence of Spiritual Practice (Sadhanai Saram) By Sri Sadhu Om

-- Om namo Bhagavate Sri Ramanaya

Prasanth Jalasutram

[Guest guest]

Thank you for this.

Very important indeed.

I had a desire for wife and children at a young age.

Now, three kids and still married for 16 years.

Thanks to Ramana, the kids and wife don't interfere with one pointed devotion.

Though I sometimes want to leave them, Ramana advises who is there to leave.

Thankfully, I never had desire for money. But the fame and recognition, yes,

that has been there since a young age in full force. What to do but find out who

it is that this rises in?

Thank you for the important post.

 

Rafael

, Prasanth Jalasutram <jvrsprasanth

wrote:

>

> In Sanskrit, they classify the desire for wife, son and wealth

> (thara-putra-dhana) as the three de-sires, whereas in Tamil they classify

> the desire for land, women and gold (man-pen-pon) as the de-sires. But on

> scrutiny, these are found to be not three desires but only two.

>

> The desire that we have for wife or women and the desire for son can be

> taken as one desire, namely the desire for relationships (or uravasai);

> likewise, the desire for gold, the desire for wealth and the desire for land

> can be taken as one desire, namely the desire for material possessions (or

> porul-asai). What then is the third of the three desires? It is only the

> evil desire for praise, fame, honor, appre-ciation or recognition (or

> puhazh-asai), which makes one hanker after the proud and vain glory of

> feeling " I have renounced the desire for all these four – wife, son, land

> and gold " .

>

> The desire for loving relationships (uravasai) the desire for material

> possessions (porul-asai) and the desire for honor (puhazh-asai) are the

> unac-ceptable three desires. More than the first two de-sires, the third one

> is very dangerous. Know that the non-rising of the ego, which rises either

> with the feeling " I am having this particular desire " or with the feeling " I

> have renounced this particular desire, " is alone true renunciation.

>

> Even after renouncing, with a little discrimi-nation, love for relationships

> and love for material possessions, many wise people become a prey to this

> desire for name and fame, which has the power to destroy their

> discrimination. Therefore, know that true renunciation is only the state in

> which the ego- " I " does not rise, having renounced the liking to en-joy even

> the honor (puhazh) that results from the re-nouncing of relatives and

> possessions.

>

>

> Those who experience the sufferings that result from desire for

> relationships and desire for material possessions will finally one day or

> other be-come disgusted with these desires and renounce them. But the desire

> for honor (puhazh) that comes to one is a very treacherous delusion (maya)

> that is skillful in concealing and not showing the dangerous harm that lies

> in itself. Therefore, people will find more and more joy in this desire for

> power and honor (puhazh-asai) and will not shrink from it.

>

> Note: When the mind experiences intense suffer-ing due to the diseases which

> result from the desire for women or due to the enmity which results from the

> desire for sons, it will sooner or later automati-cally gain a liking to

> renounce them. Similarly, on account of the endless misery that results from

> hav-ing desire for gold, land and wealth, the mind will sooner or later

> automatically gain a liking to re-nounce such possessions. Thus desire for

> relation-ships and material possessions (uravasai and porul-asai) will one

> day or other reveal the dangerous harm that lies in themselves. But when

> desire for honor, name and fame (puhazh) is experienced more and more, it

> will make the mind feel only a de-lusion of joy, and hence the dangerous

> harm that lies hidden in it cannot easily be discerned by the mind. That is

> why Sri Bhagavan warns us in verse 37 of Supplement to Reality in Forty

> Verses (Ulladu Narpadu Anubandham), " Even though all the worlds have been

> renounced as mere straw, and even though all the scriptures have been

> mastered, for those who have come under the sway of the wicked harlot called

> praise, honor, recognition or apprecia-tion, ah, to escape from slavery to

> her is indeed very difficult! "

>

> Trying to destroy the three desires while re-taining the ego, the feeling " I

> am this body " , which is the root of all rising, is utter foolishness, just

> like try-ing to cross a river riding upon a crocodile as a raft. The

> destruction of the ego, the original sin, is alone the destruction of the

> threefold fire of desire. There-fore, in order to destroy all the three

> desires, the only way is to destroy oneself by inquiring, " Who am I, who

> have these desires? "

>

> Source: A Light on the Teaching of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi The Essence

> of Spiritual Practice (Sadhanai Saram) By Sri Sadhu Om

>

> --

> Om namo Bhagavate Sri Ramanaya

> Prasanth Jalasutram

>