05.21 – Are our desires locking us into a world of frustration or releasing us into the world of fulfillment?

We all may have experiences of how while dreaming and desiring something, we get transported somewhere into the world of our dreams, removed from everything around us. Such experiences demonstrate the power our desires have to transport us.

Unfortunately, our desires frequently take us to less-than-pleasant places us. We desire worldly things that we don’t get at all, or get but lose, or get but don’t feel satisfied. The resulting irritation and resentment cuts us away from others and especially from Krishna, locking us in a private world of frustration.

Gita wisdom guides us to tap the transportation power of desires for our good. The Bhagavad-gita (05.21) urges us to direct our desires not outwards towards worldly things but inwards towards Krishna. This transports us to the world of fulfillment – Krishna’s world of eternal love. This transportation does not necessarily refer to a mystical journey to the spiritual world. Of course, that will happen at the end of our lives if we choose lifelong to cultivate the desire to love and serve Krishna as our foremost desire. Additionally, even in the here-and-now we can be transported into a deeper, richer world of fulfillment – of the peace and bliss that comes when we invoke the presence of Krishna in our heart.

To invoke his presence, we need to remember him sincerely and serve him diligently. Though this may seem difficult initially, it becomes possible and habitual if we discover the manifestations of Krishna that kindle our devotional desires – holy names, beautiful Deities, scriptures. By fanning our attraction for these divine manifestations, we show Krishna our sincerity. And he reciprocates by drawing us closer towards him till eventually we find ourselves forever released in his eternal world of fulfillment.