The Truth About Desire

Recently, we made a family trip to Boise, Idaho. Along the way, we stopped off in Reno for the night. We stayed at a hotel in a casino since the prices were so affordable. I have never been to Las Vegas, but I have been to Reno twice before since I have family who live nearby. I usually will take a little time to stroll through the casinos and look at all the action. I love watching people, all kinds of different people from all over the world.

On this particular trip, I went to the casino and spend forty dollars on the slot machines. I chose a slot machine and put in the first twenty dollars. Immediately it was gone, all within a minute! I reluctantly put in the last twenty dollars into the machine, pulled the lever, and again nothing. Feeling discouraged, I pulled the lever a second time, and suddenly the lights went off. One hundred and twenty-dollar jackpot! I felt the massive rush of winning while smiling with glee. Soon after, a strong desire of wanting more appeared. I thought, “If I won this much so quickly, maybe I could win even more!”

This is our human condition. Desiring or chasing after something is not good or bad, but it has a natural result. If we don’t get what we want, we are dissatisfied. If we get what we want, there is no way we can keep it. What is one thing in this life that we can keep? Or we get what we want, but it is not enough. We want more. Or we wish it could be a little different. This is the natural result of desire. This is how dissatisfaction appears in our lives.

If we want to be truly satisfied and content, then we must stop searching outside of ourselves. We need to investigate and look inside. There is something that we already have that nobody can give to us. It is also something that nobody can take away. It is inherent in all human beings. It is not dependent on the coming and going of everything in this life. What is that thing? Can you see it right now in this moment? If you can, then it is possible to live life with clarity, compassion, and purpose. And that is something we can share with this entire world.