What if the very thing you are chasing—wealth, success, pleasure—is actually the source of your suffering?
What if the greatest obstacle in your life isn't out there but within your own mind?
In this profound discourse, Swami Mukundananda Ji reveals the biggest mental trap that keeps us bound to dissatisfaction and suffering: desire. He takes us on a journey from surface-level emotions like anger and greed to their root cause—attachment—and ultimately to the origin of that attachment itself.
Let’s dive into this timeless wisdom to understand how we can take charge of our thoughts, our desires, and our destiny.
Desire: The Unquenchable Fire
Swamiji opens with a striking assertion:
"Human desire is bigger than the universe."
Think about that for a moment. Bigger than the mountains, oceans, and galaxies—what else but desire could earn such a description?
Swamiji explains that no matter how much we fulfill our desires, they multiply rather than subside. If someone becomes a millionaire, they soon want to be a billionaire. The billionaire compares themselves with Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos. There is no finish line in this race.
"Desire is considered bigger than God," he says, referencing the ancient scriptures.
The truth is, desire has no ceiling. Even if God were to fulfill every wish the moment we made it, the mind would still desire more.
Scriptural Wisdom: The Nature of Desire
Swamiji draws on scriptural wisdom to prove the insatiable nature of human desire:
“If one person were to get all the pleasures of the world, desire would still not find satisfaction.”
This aligns with a famous verse from the Bhagavad Gita and other Hindu texts that describe desire as a fire that grows stronger when fed.
Let’s consider this hierarchy:
- Bigger than mountains is the ocean
- Bigger than the ocean is the planet
- Bigger than the planet is the solar system
- Bigger than that is the galaxy
- And beyond it all is the universe
- But bigger than the universe is human desire.
This metaphor shows just how boundless and dangerous unchecked desire can be.
The Cycle of Desire → Anger and Greed
"Desire fulfilled breeds greed; desire obstructed ignites anger. Swamiji reveals the hidden sequence shaping our emotions."
Swamiji explains a psychological sequence that most people remain unaware of:
- Desire arises
- If it is fulfilled, it creates greed
- If it is obstructed, it leads to anger
As quoted in the Bhagavad Gita (Chapter 2, Verse 63):
"Krodhād bhavati sammohaḥ sammohāt smṛiti-vibhramaḥ
smṛiti-bhraṁśād buddhi-nāśo buddhi-nāśāt praṇaśyati"
👉 Read the verse here
Translation: "From anger arises delusion; from delusion, bewilderment of memory; from bewilderment of memory, loss of intellect; and when intellect is lost, one falls down."
So, the moment you lose yourself in desire, you’ve set in motion a chain reaction that can lead to your downfall.
Real-Life Trap: Desire Fulfilled = More Desire
Swamiji shares a thought-provoking scenario:
“Imagine if every desire of yours was fulfilled instantly—money, luxury, travel. Still, your mind would go on desiring for eternity.”
That’s the trap. Desire isn’t a straight road—it’s a loop. The more you get, the more you want. It’s like drinking salty water to quench your thirst—it only makes you thirstier.
That’s why greed and anger are not the diseases—they are symptoms. The real disease is desire.
The Secret to Inner Peace: Freedom from Desire
What if we could stop the cycle altogether?
Swamiji explains:
“When desires are removed, there’s no scope for greed. Anger disappears. And with it, all afflictions vanish.”
This is not a philosophy of suppression, but of sublimation—where desires are redirected towards higher purposes like knowledge, service, and spiritual evolution.
In spiritual terms, desirelessness is God-likeness. The scriptures say:
“One who has conquered desires becomes like God.”
This is echoed across the Bhagavad Gita, Mahabharat, and even Buddhist and Sankhya philosophies.
The Buddha’s Four Noble Truths
Swamiji draws a parallel with the Four Noble Truths of Buddha:
- There is suffering in the world
- Suffering has a cause
- The cause of suffering is desire
- If you eliminate desire, you eliminate suffering
Even though Buddha’s teachings diverge in some aspects, the core psychological insight matches that of the Gita and Vedantic thought.
Five Traps of the Senses: A Powerful Analogy
Swamiji shares an unforgettable metaphor from the scriptures—the five sensory traps:
- Sound – The Deer
The hunter plays sweet music. The deer, attracted by the sound, walks into the trap. - Touch – The Elephant
A female elephant is used to lure a male elephant into a pit. - Sight – The Moth
The moth, captivated by the flame’s glow, flies into the fire and dies. - Taste – The Fish
The fisherman’s bait hooks the fish with the promise of food. - Smell – The Bee
The bee, intoxicated by the fragrance of a lotus, delays its departure. The flower closes. An elephant eats the flower—and the bee.
“Each creature is trapped by just one sense,” Swamiji says, “but the human being indulges all five.”
This profound illustration shows how multi-sensory indulgence makes human beings more vulnerable to downfall than animals. The mind becomes ensnared—not by things—but by the attachment to those things.
What Actually Causes Desire?
Not everyone desires the same thing. Some think about wealth, others about entertainment, family, or even pets. Why does desire vary so much?
Swamiji reveals the root cause of desire: attachment.
“Wherever your mind is attached, that becomes the source of desire.”
Gita supports this in Chapter 2, Verse 62:
"dhyāyato viṣhayān puṁsaḥ saṅgas teṣhūpajāyate
saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ kāmāt krodho ’bhijāyate"
👉 Read the verse here
Translation: "While contemplating the objects of the senses, one develops attachment. From attachment comes desire, and from desire, anger arises."
So, attachment leads to desire, which leads to greed and anger. It’s a self-constructed trap.
Desire Is Not in the Object, It’s in the Mind
Swamiji makes an enlightening point using alcohol as an example:
“Does alcohol have a great aroma? No—it stinks! But an alcoholic finds joy in its scent. Why? Because their mind is attached.”
This proves that desires are not in the object—they are in the mental associations we create. One person sees garbage; another sees gold. The difference lies in mental conditioning.
What Causes Attachment?
If attachment causes desire, what causes attachment?
Swamiji answers:
“When we repeatedly contemplate happiness in something, the mind becomes attached to it.”
This is the original trap—the source code of suffering.
If you keep telling yourself, “This will make me happy,” your mind starts to believe it. It clings to the object, creating attachment, which then generates desire, and the whole cycle begins.
You can apply this to:
- Money
- Relationships
- Entertainment
- Fame
- Food
- Substances
The mind goes where it believes happiness resides. So if you train your mind to believe external things = happiness, it will constantly chase—and suffer.
The Realization: You Can Retrain the Mind
Here lies the most empowering truth:
Desires are learned. And what is learned can be unlearned.
Just as your mind learned to associate happiness with money or fame, it can reprogram itself to find joy in peace, purpose, or God.
Swamiji’s step-by-step breakdown is as follows:
- You believe something gives happiness
- You contemplate it repeatedly
- The mind clings to it
- Clinging creates attachment
- Attachment leads to desire
- Desire leads to anger and greed
- And you lose control over your life
But the moment you realize that happiness is not in things—but in your consciousness, you break the cycle.
Breaking Free from the Trap
So how do you break free?
- Stop glorifying your cravings.
- Be conscious of your thoughts.
- Detach your mind from false sources of joy.
- Contemplate higher truths—those that give lasting satisfaction.
- Practice spiritual disciplines like meditation, prayer, seva (service), and scriptural study.
Your life doesn't change by accident. It changes when you stop living reactively and start living consciously.
Final Words from Swamiji
Swamiji summarizes with a powerful statement:
“The greatest power lies in detachment. If you can withdraw your mind from the objects you falsely believe give happiness—you will become God-like.”
Desire is not bad. But unconscious desire is dangerous.
Call to Action: Begin Your Journey Today
If you found this teaching meaningful and wish to dive deeper into life-changing insights, start following Swami Mukundananda Ji’s teachings today.
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