The True Purpose of DESIRE

During nearly twenty years on my own Hero's Journey toward self realization, the term DESIRE has become a corner stone on which to build the foundational aspects of everything of value in life.  It shows up constantly in most of the books, mentoring programs, and teachings on the path to truly living your Soul's purpose.  But what exactly is it?  Why is it SO important?  And how can we use it to assist and guide us toward living a life that is filled with tantalizing joy and happiness, as well as pure intent?   

One of its most radical proponents is the sizzling spiritual SOULdier of truth Danielle Laporte.  In her tremendously powerful book, ‘The Desire Map’, she says. “knowing how you want to feel is the most important clarity you can have.  Generating those feelings is the most important thing you can do in your life."  So DESIRE is about our feelings.  Makes sense- feelings are the guideposts to the Soul, right?!  But if we based everything on our feelings, at all times, couldn't life become a constant roller coaster of nausea inducing ‘loop de loop's’ and frightening free falls!  And as far as DESIRE goes, do feelings alone encompass the entire story?

The teachings of Abraham, (a compendium of Universal energy channeled by Esther Hicks) spells out in their tomb, ‘The Law of Attraction’,  that manifesting our DESIRES is the reason for our Being.  Essentially, each Soul decides to manifest into the human condition in order to joyfully create their most heartfelt DESIRES.  While most of us can attest to the downright blissful rumination that bubble from our heart and soul when a deep, hard fought Desire is made manifest in our reality, we are also grounded enough to realize the pragmatic challenges we must face in between such moments of heavenly creation.  And does this mean that in the moments when I am NOT in continuous Manifest Mode, that I am doing something wrong.

Thank goodness I finally came across the ancient teachings of the VEDAS.  Consisting of a large series of texts, the VEDAS are the oldest Hindu proclamations on recording that have all been transcribed from Sanskrit.  According to their teachings, the Soul has FOUR distinct DESIRES.

The first is dharma, the DESIRE to become who you were meant to be.  It is that internal guidance system that helps us remember our ultimate destiny here on earth.  In New Age Nerd terms, it is THE HERO'S JOURNEY!

The second is artha, or the DESIRE for the means to accomplish your destiny.  Let's be honest, being more broke than a 'fritter on a fryin' pan' makes it pretty tough to start that business, or quit that job in order to ‘don the cape’ and join the Universal Team of Spiritual Superhero's!

The third DESIRE is kama, the longing for pleasure in any and all forms.  This is where our feelings really come into play.  And, NO, it doesn't mean a spiritual life in alignment with your true purpose should be constantly filled with scratching your hedonistic pleasures whenever you FEEL like it.  

(“Damn, Smithers, and just when things were getting....interesting!”  LOL)  Rather, it is the understanding that our feelings are an internal guidance system that help us navigate our authentic path.  They are one of the most powerful elements in the construction of our true DESIRE.  With a few exceptions, our feelings are what I call the GROUNDED PURPOSE of SPIRIT (GPS) for the Soul!  Got it!  Good!  :0)

The fourth and final DESIRE is moksha.  This is the want of spiritual realization and freedom.  Have you ever felt like you wanted or even needed to disconnect from the world, and get off the grid?!  As if your Soul was begging to forget about everything mundane, and commune with Source to get recharged back into the BLISS from which it came.  This is moksha in action!

The VEDAS teachings further espouse that these FOUR DESIRES are inherent to your soul and absolutely essential to assisting you on the completion of your Hero's Journey.    These teachings have become one of the core foundational aspects of my understanding of how DESIRE can be used to both discover our purpose and help us block out the barrage of distractions we all engage along the way!  

For instance, the teachings declare not all DESIRES should be pursued, and that the majority of the pain and suffering in our lives comes from the attachment we carry toward our DESIRES.  In fact, the VEDAS go as far in explaining that most DESIRES which are NOT in alignment with our purpose, result in frustration, depression, and much of the anxiety on this planet.  

If anything from above resonates with you, I HIGHLY suggest you do yourself a GI-normous favor and get your hands on a copy of ‘The Four Desires’ by Rod Stryker.  This book absolutely changed my life and is a constant companion on the nightstand nearly five years after my first engagement with its enlightened prose.  We tend to engage all four of these DESIRES on a daily basis, and Stryker helps us navigate between them with Grace and Patience.   I also love that it eschews any explanation in terms of the absolute (Right vs. wrong, good vs bad etc.), and leaves plenty of room for the understanding that spiritual principles DO NOT have to be mutually exclusive.   It further fleshes out how to use our DESIRES for our own greatest good, and in the process, not only fulfill our destiny, but bring greater Joy and Happiness into our life in the process!  

DESIRE is NOT just a feeling.  It is a daily process!  And like anything of real value, it takes  dedicated time and effort to master.   When we stop framing the Universe as our own personal wish fulfilling mechanism, and step into the true purpose of Desire- a tool to help us fulfill our destiny- life becomes much more easy to navigate and TEN times more enriching!!

Nerdmaste,

Jeffrey Louis Martinez