photo slight clutter
The best test-question I know. The question that goes straight into the core of the person.
What do you want?
Some can not give any answer. Some start listing their desires. But try to answer with one word!
What do you want?
As simple as that. As genius as that.
I asked many people. I got different answers. The one which I loved the most was “I want Moksha”… What deepness!
This question stroke me in the American science fiction TV series Babylon 5 – the Shadows ask the question of “What do you want?” centring towards desire. As negative characters they try to find out about the desires of a person they want to overpower. They go on asking this question till the person gives an answer. And then they manipulate the poor thing if the desire is not pure…
But desire is the motor of evolution! Even a spiritual journey of a person can not go forward without a desire. First you awaken your desire, and then go into action.
So WHAT DO YOU WANT?
When you have your answer, I have another even simpler and easier question for you next time…
LOVE, axinia
axinia
1000 petals by axinia 
“But desire is the motor of evolution! Even a spiritual journey of a person can not go forward without a desire. First you awaken your desire, and then go into action.”
It makes a lot of sense.
But desire towards Moksha cant be considered as a Desire, it is the state of being Desireless,that is what we are here for. Am i right?
Desire to evolve is the only desire which is pure. All the other desires are coming from your ego or conditionings.
tried so hard to find some reason, found nothing, absolutely nothing at all but complexities. what do we want?
Would quote part of a song called ‘in the sun’ by joseph arthur
If I find my own way
How much will I find
If I find my own way
How much will I find
You
I dont know anymore
What its for
Im not even sure
If there is anyone who is in the sun
Will you help me to understand
cause I been caught in between all I wish for and all I need
Maybe youre not even sure what its for
Any more than me
Dear “dk”,
it seems to me that the answer should be very simple, but in a way unique to everyone. As soon as It gets complicated you can not live and enjoy..
May be it is the reason for people`s sufferings?
As I contemplated your question, the most elegant answer I could give was love. I could have sworn I heard temple bells in the distance.
Thank you for this koan and God Bless
Nice hat tip to Babylon5! 🙂
On a related note, the Shadows’ counterparts, the Vorlons, asked “Who are you?”: and most of the time people would use labels, ranks, titles, all of which are external descriptions.
I don’t really know who I am, but I *want* to find out! I think understanding who I am is important in becoming my own Master.
i think i wont mostly Joy
by the way i loved the series babylon 5 and the most intrested me were the shadows, the Vorlons seems remote to me detached
The answer is best given in Indian culture but really how many people have that pure desire?
One day one king decided to leave all prisoner on his birthday but other people who are advising him told that let’s find really how many people wants freedom. then they do survey of prisoners. they told lot of things that sleeping beds, food, TV for recreation , News paper, wife in the jail etc they complain about lack of various facilities in prison but not a single person asked about freedom that he want freedom otherwise they were happy in the prison so this is story of mankind they dont know what is their or what should be their pure desire.
Mahesh, that’s an interesting story!! thanks 🙂
What do you want? And that too, in one word, eh? Okay, here goes the answer, it is…
Nothing
Please feel free to interpret the answer in anyway you like, Axinia 😐 for nothing doesn’t always mean nothing! Hehehe… 😉
🙂
that’s cool, Raj!
but I don’t belive you 🙂
Boo hoo! 😥 Why don’t you believe me, Axinia? 😦
Then what do you think I want? And how do you think you know what I want better than I do?
What do I want?
Nothing.
Do I want tons of gold?
No, as I can’t take it with me when I go after I’m old.
Do I want loads of fame?
No, for I don’t seriously play any game.
Do I want to dwell in a luxurious castle?
No, for the only one of that kind I like is a sand-castle.
Then what do I want?
Nothing.
Do I want the latest toys?
No, I’m not like most other boys.
Do I want to wield enormous power?
No, for it can come down crashing like a rotting wooden tower.
Do I want to give death the miss?
No, for then I would miss that wonderful kiss.
Then what do I want?
Nothing.
What can I want?
When nothing is permanent.
I’m like the leaves.
That sprout out of a plant which lives.
And then move on.
Into that everlasting state of being nothing.
Nothing.
That is what I want.
🙂
but you do want to change the world, don’t you?…
🙂
You’re certainly a very wise girl, Axinia! 🙂
Although I definitely would love to see a better world, a civilised world, make no mistake, I’m a realistic person as well 😐 I don’t suffer from any grand delusions of being a super-hero or an alien with otherworldly powers.
I know my limitations and what I can do and cannot do, both individually and collectively. Besides, changing the world is by no means an ordinary task. If even an Earthling as great as Christ tried his best, and only fractionally succeeded in changing (or civilising) the world (and that too, millenia after his death), then how can an ordinary undesirable like me harbour grand ambitions of changing the world in a short span of time 😕
So it’s not exactly what I’d put under my list of “wants” 🙂
However, there are certain things which go without saying. Like breathing, drinking water and eating. You have to do it since you have no other choice, since you are a mere human mortal.
Let’s say, it’s like walking down a path and finding an injured dog on the way. A semi-civilised hominoid would probably walk past without bothering. A filthy uncouth sub-human would probably kick the dog and derive sadistic pleasure as it desperately yelps in excruciating pain.
It would take a civilised human being to try and help the poor dog. It’s what they are naturally inclined by their civilised insticts to do, it isn’t exactly what they “want” to do. If you understand what I mean 😉
🙂
witnessing the madness of the crowd….
a loving heart…what i want to achieve!
Я хочу красоты !
OGM, swaps…so simple…have it, my dear!!!!!!