By : Sri Radhakrishna Swamiji
The basis of life is desire. According to the Rig Veda, the universe came into being when ‘it’ desired so. When there is no desire, there is no life. We either choose life with all its ups and downs or opt for no desire and no life.
My Guru – Sri Narasimha Swamiji has stated in his book ‘Life of Sai Baba’ that ‘Desire is an outcome of experience and the mind is relentlessly seeking experiences. The moment the brain stops receiving a signal, there is no life. The brain craves experience since the neural pathways must be formed. The brain is an autonomous organ and there is continuous energy and material flow into it for making and unmaking neural pathways. These neural pathways then form memories and hence desires.
Therefore, ‘Desire’ is nothing but memories. The intensity of desire depends on how intense the 
memory is. This is also mediated by a strong will power, a function of strong memories. When the whole brain becomes focused on one desire, then, it becomes passion!
Strong, emotional memories are like knots. They lock a large number of neural pathways. It is the dissolution of these pathways that helps in resolution of desire that allows the brain to become very powerful and happy.
Happiness is a powerful brain, working at its full capacity without the encumbrance of emotional knots.
Patanjali said, that a Yogi’s brain is like pure crystal. It reflects clearly, the object of perception.
We cannot remove memories easily. They can be reduced by long practice of austerities which allows the weakening of neural pathways so that the processing power of brain is increased. ‘Nama Smaran’ like chanting Sai Baba’s name and Vishnu Sahasranama will help achieve this.
All desires manifest themselves as something we want to possess, sexual, financial, food-related or any other desire. If satiation is not complete these desires in turn fuel more desires and the cycle will continue and can sometimes spiral out of control.
Just possessing the object of desire does not help in its resolution. Satiation has to occur at a much deeper level whereby its cause and its fulfilment is analyzed; meditated and contemplated upon. Then the desire knots or emotional memories are resolved and hopefully dissolved. This requires a very powerful brain. That is why I have stressed – ‘A desireless person is a veritable Emperor’.
Another way to fulfil a desire is by using a virtual reality tool. It allows real life experiences and does not need very much energy, materials and resources. Again the resolution of desire knots via this tool requires a powerful mind to analyze, resolve and dissolve them.
The desire knots not only have to be resolved in our brain but their memories have to be removed from the Knowledge and also for achieving liberation from the cycle of death and birth.
As Patanjali has said, ‘When the sanskaras (karma, memories, desires, etc) are resolved, they have no role to play in a person’s life and then one achieves Kaivalya or Nirvana’.
Desires are extremely important for life and provide the forum for evolution and achievement. But we need to create desire for higher and noble things. This creates happy memories, a fulfilling life and contentment.
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