11:11 Waves Blog 41: Desire

Every Monday, I share 1 question for you to contemplate, 1 idea from me, 1 quote from others, and 1 inspiration for us.

This week’s topic is: Desire

My favourite movie of all time, which I re-watched this past weekend, is called Burning. In this “cinematic triumph”, there is a scene where one of the key characters, Hai-mi, talks about her recent trip to Africa. She explains that the Bushmen of the Kalahari Desert have two types of hunger: the “Little Hunger” – the literal hunger for food and the “Great Hunger” – the unquiet existential yearning within us that describes the desire for the meaning in life. Desire is a big philosophical, spiritual and religious notion and this scene always makes me think about the conundrum of conquering what one desires vs. surrendering to what is.

One Question for you

Desire comes from a place that reason and common sense cannot reach.

Discuss the question here.

One Idea from me

Desire comes from the Latin word “desiderium” which means “a clue that something is missing”. This clue can be experienced as a cause for suffering or as a driving force to achieve goals and visions. This week I share two thoughts and two practices on these polar views of desire.

Desire and suffering: Many spiritual teachers (like Buddha) believe that desire is the root of suffering. They say that happiness can only be achieved by learning how to get rid of desire. However, even the desire to rid yourself of desire, is a desire. The reality is that human beings are designed to desire and desire does not cause pain. It is what we add to desire that causes pain. For example, when we think “I cannot have what I desire” what causes pain is the focus on what we don’t have (or what is unwanted) after we have already given birth to the idea of what we do want. To help with this, you can learn how to develop a more dynamic relationship with desire. This week I invite you to take few minutes and examine your relationship with the concept of desire. Think about desire as something that can arise within you – just like an emotion, a feeling or a thought. See your attachment to desire as well as your resistance to what you don’t desire. Consider how you relate to that desire and that resistance and see the great satisfaction that can be experienced in the process of consciously bringing about what you desire.

Desire as the fuel for achievement: Desire is also seen as the starting point of all achievement, the root of personal growth and expansion. This week I invite you to focus on the why of your desires (rather than what you desire and how you will achieve your desire). Take few minutes and list your top three desires. Now ask yourself: Why do I want what I desire? Write down what comes up for you and establish if these desires are “conditioned desires” – something you should want – or “authentic desires” – what you want from the depths of your being. Once you have completed this exercise, I invite you to detach yourself from the what and the how and let the universe handle the details. If you remain attached to the what and how of a desire, you limit the possibilities to one outcome. The Vedas say “Desiring for the fruit of an action, implies lack of faith in the Divine’s willingness to give all”.

One Quote from others

“Desire is possibility seeking expression” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

One Inspiration for us

Inspired by Burning, this week I share the “Great Hunger” dance scene. Enjoy!