Navigating our Mixed Desires
What is in a desire really? We have wants and needs, but desire is something that burns from within pulling us in various directions toward that deep seeded yearning. Plato states that human behavior flows from three main sources: desire, emotion, and knowledge. On the material plane, desires can manifest around an endless litany of conquests - wealth, fame, beauty, power, true love, etc. On the spiritual platform, we can desire connection with God, liberation, and enlightenment. One who is following a bhakti path is taught that love of God is the highest desire. A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada (Srila Prabhupada) explains in Srimad Bhagavatam 4.8.35 that "desire must exist, either material or spiritual. Material desire arises when one wants to satisfy one's personal senses. One who is ready to sacrifice anything to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead can be said to have spiritual desire." But what if our desires are mixed? What if we are still enthralle...