by Swami Ramasukhdasji (Translated From Original Hindi by Swami Radhanandaji)

These three desires are not called desires because they do not bind a person.

1. Desire to see God or desire to love God.
2. Desire to Realize one’s own Self (Atman).
3. Desire to serve others without selfish motives.

The desire to realize one’s self or Paramatma, to see God, or to love God is not a desire because to realize our own self (swaroop) and Paramatma is obtainable and they are both our own. Just like taking out money from our own pocket is not called stealing, so also desire to know ourselves or Paramatma who are ours and are in us, is not called a desire.

Desire for things of the Samsar (world) to be used up for the good of the world is not a desire but is renunciation because binding desire always implies something we want to grab from others, not give to others. In short, to desire whatever “things” that are ours and eternal is necessary and the desire that things belonging to others should be given to others is renunciation, not desire.

Just as the desire to eat to satisfy hunger, not taste, is not a binding desire, just the same, to satisfy our own hunger for God or Self is necessary and is not considered a desire that binds. Binding desires are always for inert and perishable objects and necessity is always for live substances or consciousness.

Desires can never be satisfied, rather they go on increasing until they destroy the greedy. That is why they should be abandoned. But what is necessary is always satisfying by its very nature. Now what is necessary -- Self-realization or love of God -- can be achieved through three ways or paths: Karma Yoga, Gyana Yoga and Bhakti Yoga.

Men and women have believed and behaved as if the perishable worldly objects are theirs and so become slaves to them. So, if they recognize that all perishable worldly things or objects are for the benefit of others and should be used or given up for others, they will become free from the slavery of these objects and thus will be free themselves. This is called Karma Yoga, or the path of action.

Paramatma is our own self (swaroop). Our Jiva is not separate from it and because we believe and are attached to perishable things, thinking we own them, we have lost our reality. We have thus separated from our true reality. So we should give up and renounce perishable objects, and it will necessarily help us to realize our very self, God as our own. This is called Gyana Yoga or the path of knowledge.

The jiva (us) is a fraction of the whole (God), and they are eternally related or connected like waves are connected to the ocean, all the time. Only because we believe and accept perishable things or objects as our own, we have separated ourselves from God who is Imperishable and ever ours. If we will not believe or accept perishable objects as our own but believe only God as our own, we will immediately and naturally come face to face with God and will experience the Pure Love of God. This is called Bhakti Yoga or path of Devotion.

In summary, when an individual jiva believes that the perishable objects are one’s own, he or she becomes a slave of the world and becomes separated from one’s own Self. If he/she will not believe that the perishable objects are his/hers, then he/she will be free from the slavery of the Samsar or the world and will then know one’s own self and will also receive or experience Love of God.

Note: We must also remember that our own body, mind, intellect, ego etc. are perishable and therefore should detach these from ourselves and use these instruments for the good of the world because they belong to them in the first place. This will then enable us to love God and God alone who is in every creature, live or inert. Efforts, pain, and difficulties are in renouncing our self love. Loving God requires no efforts and has no pain or difficulties.