The Truth about “Freedom from Desire”

Many spiritual texts claim that the enlightened have no desire. They even cite examples of enlightened individuals who have to be force fed because they have no desire for food. They have to be tended to carefully because otherwise they may wander off into the jungle or be indifferent to worms boring holes through their legs. You may wonder if that is really true and if so, what is actually going on there. Let’s take a look at the mechanics involved.

The human nervous system has evolved sufficiently to hold within its awareness the full spectrum of the grandeur of existence, including direct awareness of that one thing that is the source of all things, pure Consciousness, pure Is-ness, the Transcendent, the unified field of physics. That level is the essence of everything, the source of everything. It cannot desire anything because it already is that thing.

However, full enlightenment is an integrated state, where the individual can function in harmony with all levels of existence. Harmony on the physical level certainly includes tending to and caring for the physical body.

In the state of full enlightenment, a person is then awake to that level of their being that is free of desire, while simultaneously functioning in the world of desire, the world of wanting. So even while it is true that an enlightened individual is free from desire on the deepest level of their being, they simultaneously have desires on more superficial levels.

Freedom from Desire | Dr. Michael Mamas Vedic Knowledge Blog

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8 Comments

  1. It’s funny to see people putting on an air of non-attachment while others observing it intuitively sense its absurdity. Yet, the reason for confusion around it became perfectly clear to me reading this blog. The mechanics of nature, what enlightenment is, and what a human nervous system is capable of are all generally unknown or misunderstood in the world today. Thank you.

  2. I really appreciate this clarification of Freedom from Desire. It is commonly misunderstood. This explanation from Dr. Michael Mamas makes so much sense!

  3. Beautiful Blog!

  4. With the mention of wants, desires, and passionate Union along with a spiritual practice I think of tantra. Does Mount Soma have classes on tantric practices and being in relationships? What are your views on giving a loving hug, merging with another, vs abstinence?

  5. Thanks for this articulate and elegant explanation.

  6. Your explanation clarifies the misunderstanding and misconception of what it means by freedom from desire. If not being careful, one can easily become indoctrinated into behaving like freedom from desire. Great blog. Thank you!

  7. I think the concept of pursuing enlightenment is generally equated with non-attachment. Our preconceived notions of what evolution looks like does not include wanting a beautiful house, a fancy car, etc.

  8. I think there is a lot of confusion around the conundrum of being spiritual and living in the physical. It’s poignant that being evolved is the integration of both.