FULFILLMENT OF DESIRES 

Q: Sir, I do not wish to sound ungrateful but I have always felt that in order to grow spiritually I must detach myself from all material wants. How do I combine both these?

Will you live upon the roads? Will you go about naked? Will you evolve so much that you do not need food and water? 
Fulfill your every need, and be joyous that your needs are slowly and naturally fading off. But do not feel guilty that there are still so many needs that need to be fulfilled. Be joyous that there are needs because then it gives you such a wonderful opportunity to go ahead.

Q: Sir, but then there is a very thin line between need and greed.

 Son, are you not that developed that you will not be able to draw that line? Draw your own lines, my children. The more responsibility you take upon yourself the faster will be your movement. Do not at all feel that everyone is supposed to renounce the world and live the life of a sage. Those who have chosen those paths will do it, but you have not. Walk on your path and walk it faithfully. IF YOUR PATH, MY CHILDREN, IS THAT OF A MURDERER YOU MUST WALK THAT PATH FAITHFULLY. If you have undertaken to walk that path to learn and experience, unless you walk that path faithfully you have not walked that path. There is no path that is wrong. So do not pass judgment upon the paths of others or upon your own.

 IT IS NOT GREEDY TO WANT TO ENJOY YOUR LIFE AND HAVE PHYSICAL COMFORTS AND LUXURIES. IT IS NOT WRONG. IT IS GOOD. Because if in that moment of luxury you can enjoy that moment faithfully and still know that ‘I have the strength in me to recognize that this is not a need but just a want, and I have evolved enough to recognize that.’ THERE MUST BE JOY. There must be joy when you spend money extravagantly, knowing that the next moment you will be able to cut yourself from that moment and live in a moment of simplicity. That is true evolution. It is very easy, my son, to move away from the world and then to practice spirituality.

My child here in her prayers today gave a beautiful definition of spirituality. ‘Let us understand what we do not need.’ But after having understood that, there must be joy at wanting that to be fulfilled. There is a difference between living in money and living with money. When you live in money it becomes your master. And then the only error, if you wish to call it that, is that you have given up the responsibility of yourself to an external. Living with money means having your own responsibility and using this money as a mere support. When you climb up a very sharp flight of steps do you not hold on to that banister? But is that your master? If that were not there would you not be able to climb that flight of stairs, maybe with a little more effort, but would you not be able to do it? What does that rod provide you?

A: Support.

EASE. It doesn’t become your master. It doesn’t climb up with you. It does not stop you from tripping over that broken step.

So much guilt about money. And all of it needless. Would we, you, the whole of universe who are co creators, have created money if it were that evil? You, my children, were the co creators of this. This must tell you something. Or are you saying that that was not your responsibility? Do you not enjoy a fine rich meal that you have cooked? With the finest wines and finest food ingredients? Do you not enjoy that? But do you wish to have it every moment? Are you not able to leave it behind after you have enjoyed that moment? Is it really true that you only enjoy simple food? Why apply butter to a slice of bread? You can have a dry piece of it. Enjoy the simple food and be not guilty of a sumptuous feast. When you say that ‘I do not need money and I have no needs that need to be met’ there is so much guilt in that statement. Guilt of the awareness that there are so many needs.

There are so many books that tell you that you must have no desires. How can you force yourself in physical form to have no desire? The physical is only a reflection of the spiritual. So are you guilty that you are not that evolved? If she walks faster than her will she feel guilty? Will she disparage herself because her steps are not as big as hers? If she did she would not be in that moment faithfully, she would not enjoy walking. And that would mean that the entire endeavor was useless. In fact, what she has just done is to add yet another lesson that she needs to learn. The lesson that, you must walk faithfully, without guilt, the path that you have chosen. If it is a path that you are uncomfortable with, then the means to change that are in your hands, the means to go ahead are in your hands. But, those means are not giving yourself a kick in the rear. And when you, my son, are trying to practice detachment that is what you are trying to do, and unless you are a great contortionist I cannot see it happening. (All laugh)

Q: Sir, that means the lesson to be learnt is that you must fulfill your desires?

ALL.