desireless

answered 2013-09-04 12:33:12 -0500

Guruka Singh
9730 ●15 ●53 ●121

updated 2014-05-19 17:43:22 -0500

Akamay, usually translated as desireless is commonly misunderstood. Longing for God and desire for the Guru is constantly expressed in SGGS. Doesn't this seem like a contradiction? Actually it's not. All living things are filled with that joy you describe - it's a dancing, pushing, growing, unfolding energy. Think of a flower that points towards the sun and pushes ever upwards towards it to bathe in and merge in the light. This is a natural state of all living things - to move, evolve and grow. It is that state of ecstasy that is our natural state.

"Kam" is different. It's a constant desire for things, people and experiences to satisfy the ego. The problem is that the ego can never be satisfied. Each thing desired and attained only provides a temporary, illusory satisfaction. Each thing desired and not attained produces frustration and serves to increase desire. It's a cycle of dissatisfaction. The state of Akamay is attained by shifting the desire for maya to a desire for God, Guru and Sangat. This is a conscious process that comes from a strong amrit vela sadhana and Naam Simran.

answered 2013-10-01 15:49:02 -0500

Lo K. B.
329 ●7 ●13 ●21

Sat Nam,

Guruka Singh ji is completely right. But to answer your second question, there's nothing wrong with wanting to do all of those things you described (lifting weights, craving some food, going on a vacation). Constant desire is wanting something or the same things all the time to satisfy an urge. An example of "kam" would be something along the lines of this:

Say a woman goes out to buy clothing. She enters a store and sees so many shades, textures and styles and finds an article she likes. When she comes home, she throws it into her closet, and starts to think of all of the other things she could have. She imagines herself in different outfits, and a desire to keep going back to the store preoccupies her. It's a "hunger" she feels, to constantly go into the store and buy things. But no matter how many beautiful blouses, rainbow pants or dresses she buys, she is never satisfied. Soon, after a month, her closet is full of expensive clothing that she cannot wear. She soon realizes that she has spent the funds given to her by her parents for a new year of college. Guilt and anger overwhelms her. She has been stuck in an endless cycle of desire that is neither satisfying nor helpful.

This was me last year. It only stopped when I realized what was happening, but in the moment I didn't care. It's the same thing with a sexual, drug, or attention addiction. You are always looking for your next fix, and the one after that. Being desireless comes as a gift, because you are aware of what you need and do not need, and you know that whatever you need will always be at hand. Spontaneously wanting to eat pizza, or go out with friends and/or family does not fall into this category or addictions or preoccupations, per se.

I hope this has helped. God bless you.