LOUISE KAY
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DESIRES ARE NOT UNSPIRITUAL, BAD OR WRONG

7/25/2019

8 Comments

 
We often hear and read about spiritual teachings which say that desires are bad and in order to surrender fully to Truth we must let go of all desire. While that is true (letting go of desires can instantly return us to our natural state of peace) it is not the full story. Desires are not unspiritual. They’re not bad and they’re not wrong.

There are actually two kinds of desires and what is most important is our capacity to discern between them. One is a pure expression born from Truth, the other is an expression of ego.

Desires born from Truth are like energy pulsations which move from the Source (field of oneness / God / Universe / The Divine / Love / Whatever you want to call it). It is a potent energy in a form of pure potentiality, full of life and full of creation. Life wants to create through us and it brings us immense joy and a feeling of purpose and connection when we allow this energy to flow through us. When we are connected to Truth we are in communion with this energy and it communicates to us through a feeling of impersonal desire, using our body and mind to bring the formless into form.

Desires born from ego are selfish. They are based on taking and getting things for ‘me’ so that ‘I’ can have more and become bigger and better than others. When these desires are attained the ego / sense of separate self wants to make sure that everybody knows about its great value and worth so it feels a compulsion to post photos and notifications of all its achievements (real or fabricated) on social media to feed its mind made sense of separate self. There's nothing wrong with posting on social media but before you do check in with yourself and ask honestly, "am I getting a sense of worth from posting this?"

When egoic desires are fulfilled they never bring a lasting sense of satisfaction. There is a short-lived feeling of completeness and then the feeling of ‘not enough’ rises back up, driving us to take, get and buy more. The ego is so smart that it can even trick us into believing that our desires are born from Truth, for example if we do something seemingly selfless, such as volunteering to help people, the ego can feel a sense of superiority because “I’m selfless or spiritual and therefore better than others.” So be vigilant and radically honest with yourself when you question your desires and motives!


Even egoic desires are not bad or wrong. They are simply parts of us which feel in pain. These parts feel disconnected, lacking in worth and unhappy, and so naturally they seek a way to feel happy. By acknowledging and noticing these parts we bring them back home into the light. They are like little gifts for us to open up and when we unravel them they lead us to Truth.

It is important to note that it is natural to desire beautiful, enjoyable things. If we could eat processed, stale junk food or fresh, healthy organic food we'd probably choose the latter. And similarly if we could live in a tiny one bedroom apartment in a rough neighbourhood or a beautiful detached villa with a swimming pool by the beach we'd choose the villa. There's nothing wrong with these preferences. They only become a problem and a hindrance to our spiritual practice if we become dependent on desiring and needing these things for our happiness. If we develop attachment to anything it becomes unhealthy for us, but if we are able to maintain a detached state of Being where we simply feel gratitude for the abundance that we have, then we can become a billionaire and even if we lose all the money our state of Being will remain the same. We no longer derive our sense of self from our achievements or what we have because our allegiance lies with Truth.


A little exploration:

Write down a list of everything that you desire. Feel into each item on the list and ask yourself this question:

Is there a feeling that if I get this I'll be happier and more complete than I am right now?

If the answer is yes then the desire is born from ego. Let go of all those desires and surrender all of your personal self. Rest as awareness, pure presence. Allow the sense of a separate 'me' to dissolve into the present moment. Feel that what you have right now is enough. It's all you need. It's the best thing that you could experience. Feel gratitude for everything that is present in this moment, physically and energetically. Say in your heart, "I am whole. I am complete. Thank you, thank you, thank you."

Now ask:

What is it that brings me a sense of true satisfaction and joy?

What is it that makes my heart sing?

What is it that life wants to express and create through this vehicle in order to benefit the whole?

We usually need to become very silent and rest in presence in order to quieten the noise from the mind and its selfish desires and hear/feel our deeper calling. If you feel that you don’t have any desires born from Truth, that’s actually a good place to be because it means that you’re already disidentifying from egoic desires. Stay present in every moment and pray in your heart for Life to express itself through you. More and more of the egoic self and its selfish desires will dissolve and the True desires will reveal themselves in due time.

- Louise


Picture
Photo by Sean O. on Unsplash
8 Comments
Catherine
10/3/2019 09:36:01 pm

I’m newly experiencing a shift from karmic impulse to life of communion. It’s feeling unexplainable so am grateful to find your voice. Meher Baba is my master and is allowing my journey to go further. it’s a state of unusual balancing unlike i’ve experienced past. Desires now provide footing for my feet rather than jagged rocks to step on ✨

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Jamie L Williams link
1/6/2020 05:42:18 am

Dear Louise. I just wanted to thank you for your contribution. Your voice is so engaging and pleasant and somehow reaches a deep part of me that resonates loud and clear. That inner space is thrilled to connect with your understanding.

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Bhakti link
2/14/2020 03:56:50 pm

Wow wow wow can't believe what i am reading here. Thank you so much for this wisdom abs truth. I been with a non-dual teaching for the last 5 years and now more and more i see the nessecary Reintegration what is needed and seldom talked about!!

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Irma Gamkrelidze
2/17/2020 11:06:08 pm

My precious Louise , my deepest appreciation to YOU!!!🙏💕

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Craig link
7/22/2020 01:18:30 am

I would just like to say thank you.

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Mark
12/20/2020 09:09:59 pm

I appreciate Louise continuing to mention social media. A lot of media has been published about this now so I won't go into details here, but-- maybe I will approach it this way: I'd certainly prefer being in the presence of everyone in the community in actual physical presence than a virtual one, (which is of course not possible in 2020) and of course a few words and images on a newsfeed is even further removed from a live video interaction.

Nothing can replace your actual presence. No amount of posts can convey the beauty of your being.

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Kyle
1/25/2021 05:50:25 am

There are so many gifts here. Thank you Louise. ❤️🙏

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Lodewijk Langeweg
3/5/2021 06:04:17 pm

"Open up to the silence that's there. Gently drop your attention into the body, notice the sensations that are present, and very, very gently open up to feeling them.
These sensations are the gateway to going deeper... deeper into the silence through feeling."
~Louise Kay

(After following that advise, the insight came: Allow God to do that in His human appearance, which seems to be yours only, yet is also God's.)

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Photos of Louise by Gunnar Meier Photography
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