Desirelessness

Towards Achieving Oneness

“There are many for whom the qualification of desirelessness is a difficult one, for they feel that they are their desires – that if their distinctive desires, their likings and dislikings, are taken away from them, there will be no self left. But these are only they who have not seen the Master; in the light of his holy presence all desire dies but the desire to be like him.Yet before you have the happiness of meeting him face to face, you may attain desirelessness if you will. Discrimination has already shown you that the things which most men desire, such as wealth and power are not worth having; when this is really felt, not merely said, all desire for the ceases.

Thus far all is simple; it needs only that you should understand. But there are some who forsake the pursuit of earthy aims only in order to gain heaven, or to attain personal liberation from rebirth; into this error you must not fall. If you have forgotten self altogether, you cannot be thinking when that self should be set free, or what kind of heaven it shall have. Remember that all selfish desire binds, however high may be its object, and until you have got rid of it you are not wholly free to devote yourself to the work of the master.

When all desires for self are gone, there may still be a desire to see the result of your work. If you help anybody, you want to see how much you have helped him; perhaps even you want him to see it too, and to be grateful. But this is still desire, and also want of trust. When you pour out your strength to help, there must be a result, whether you can see it or not; if you know the Law you know this must be so. So you must do right for the sake of the right, not in the hope of reward; you must work for the sake of the work, not in the hope of seeing the result; you must give yourself to the service of the world because you love it, and cannot help giving yourself to it.”

J. Krishnamurti