Desires.....

Rohan gazed at the seamless movement of water. The seashore was always his place of solace. With the surge of every wave, there were multiple thoughts in his mind, oscillating within the possibilities.

To put an end to it comes in, his childhood buddy Vishal. Vishal and Rohan would spend uncountable hours together by the shore of the sea.

"Stop gazing through those never-ending waves, they will take you nowhere", said Vishal, with a pat on Rohan's back.

 

Without moving a bit, with eyes still on the waves Rohan questions, "Then why do they appear, if they serve no purpose?"

" They do serve the purpose of Rohan, imagine a sea without waves, how empty it would look in spite of being full. Waves beautify, add charm to the sea. But they don't lead the sea anywhere", exclaimed Vishal.

"Just like our desire", continued Rohan, further adding; " desires add charm and glorify our lives, but do they actually lead us anywhere," Rohan asked ambivalently.

"It depends on your desires. Virtues will beget the best for everyone. Someone desired to see a bulb glow, we have electricity today, someone desired to see a vehicle fly, we have jets and planes today. You must have heard, you will reap, what you sow. They sowed desires, efforts and reaped wonderful creations which are a boon to the mankind." replied Vishal

"More than desires these were mere ideas and strategies which clicked. No Vishal, desires of any kind are fatal to humans, as all desires bring with it an action plan that devastates and ruins a person" announced Rohan.

Oh my God!!! what is up with you Rohan?? You were not like this", Vishal asked in astonishment.

Rohan continued, "Yes I was not like this until I saw that neighboring small village burn into ashes yesterday and today this is my reality. I have finally understood, desires are the biggest enemy of mankind, think, just think Vishal what good has desire done to anybody, the desire of power, the desire of money, the desire of fame, desire to have someone, has always brought wars, crimes, and bloodshed. Smallest to the biggest of the desire, all are culprits of the heinous crimes committed in the world so far." 

Saying so, Rohan was panting steadfast and was totally absorbed in his thoughts. It took Vishal sometime to come back to his senses after seeing his friend in this condition of constant conflicting thought process which was not his usual self.

Vishal comforted Rohan, both sat and took a deep breath. There was a pause for some time. No one spoke.

 

Vishal then breathing in slowly said, " well, then what do you think about that lady who came from a foreign land of Macedonia to India, with a desire to serve the poor and helpless, she changed the definition of humanity. Today, she's been given the title of a saint. Look how her desire elevated her from a normal human to Saint Teresa."

Rohan interrupting in-between said, "that's an exception, what about wars, the World Wars and the countless wars that various countries had to fight to become free. How many people lost lives, became homeless, lost everything and were to the care of footpath. All this because some country desired to colonize and rule other countries. This desire of there gives rise to the desire for freedom, which again led to wars of liberation, revolution, revolts, which led to more and more bloodshed. Desires can never beget anything pleasant".

 Vishal hugged his friend tight and pacified him with comforting pats on his back. 

After a while, Vishal asked, 

"What do you desire my friend?"

Rohan looked at Vishal bewildered and said, "I don't know, I just strongly sense these feelings. I might have not lost any of my loved ones in any war but I can empathize with numerous people who have undergone the pain of being victims of someone's vicious desires."

 Vishal breathing a long breath, asked, "my friend, why are you looking at this from the point of view of desires alone, there are inundated reasons for all this to happen."

Rohan with a blunt smile on his face responded, "whoever did whatever, will never do without a reason and reasons always justify our wants and our wants are the parasites that feed on our minds and thus a desire is born. So, my dear friend, everything has started, is starting and will start from a simple, but malevolent desire.

Vishal sighed and after some time spoke up with a deep look on his face, "Gautam Buddha wandered for seven long years and finally after forty-nine days of meditation, he reached the stage of enlightenment. He realized that desires are the root cause of our sufferings. "

"Exactly, exactly, what I am intending to express," exclaimed Rohan.

Vishal continued calmly, " So, my dear friend what made Ashoka desire for Kalinga but later give up the throne for the desire of enlightenment, Tell me...?"

Vishal's question just pierced through all the thoughts Rohan had.

Vishal huffed and said, " you talk about desires doing all the nasty things to humans, but can you imagine a world without desires. Ok, name a person who would not have had any desire in his or her lifetime. It is like imagining brightness without knowing what darkness is. You cannot feel happy without feeling the depth of grief.

After all, the desire to not desiring is a type of desire in itself!!!!

Opposites illustrate their profound meanings to the best.

Buddha, only after conquering the desire of self-tormenting and hard penance could understand what enlightenment means...

Ashoka understood the importance of peace only after his desire for conquering Kalinga brought him no content. 

Wars are unfortunate, but they also bring in the realization that human life is not so cheap to just blow it up... 

All this is an unfortunate cycle, human desires can lead to anything from most divine to the evilest.

But towards the end, the other phase of desire will seem to have more value. This is the most unfortunate contradicting part of a desire."

Rohan looks at Vishal paradoxically.

"Then what God desires!! How can he just leave us, to die like this??. Rohan questions in distress.

To this Vishal replies with a smile, "Really, God has desires??? I thought he only had plans."

Both silently gazed the seamless movement of water.....immersed in their desires.....