Page 31 - NAMAH-Oct-2024

The Anatomy of Desire

Rekha K. Amar

Abstract
Desires are products of ignorance and can cause enormous suffering if not dealt with sufficient
wisdom. To handle them skilfully, especially in today’s instant gratification age, a fixed set of
mental rules are not always helpful. The power of desire is such that these external rules can fail
us any time. What can help instead is an impersonal observation of the whole anatomy of desire,
a clear understanding of how it works within us and how it influences our mind and psychology.
If we approach the problem in this manner, we can hope to negate its effects by taking intelligent
decisions, minimising suffering for ourselves and others and gaining control over our lives.

them into action. But it’s such a force that it
can also push us to the brink of destruction
if not managed well. Sri Aurobindo explains
that, “Most men are, like animals, driven by
the forces of Nature: whatever desires come,
they fulfil them, whatever emotions come they
allow them to play, whatever physical wants
they have, they try to satisfy (2).“

But since man also has a mind and a faculty
of reason, he can learn to curb the ill-effects
of desire through reason and will. This is the
method of conquering our lower nature by
our higher nature. Let us closely examine
“Desire was the helper; Desire is the bar some of the problems that arise around
(1).” uncontrolled desires and seek to remedy
them with a new awareness. Everyone
Desire is a primal force of evolution. It was encounters some of these issues at different
meant to awaken men from inertia and propel stages in their life but we may not be conscious

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