How should I deal with desires?

When you look really deeply into the motive for your actions in daily life, you will see that they are generally for the survival of the “I-concept”, the person. It is important to be aware of this. When you really feel in you the desire to be happy, totally follow this desire. Fundamentally, all desire leads to the one source of desire, the desire to be desireless, to be free from desire. But we must follow desire like we follow the shadow projected by a tree. It leads to the tree.

Jean Klein

Focus on the present - A Zen story

A young boy traveled across Japan to the school of a famous martial artist. When he arrived at the dojo he was given an audience by the Sensei
"What do you wish from me?" the master asked.
"I wish to be your student and become the finest kareteka in the land," the boy replied. "How long must I study?"
"Ten years at least," the master answered.
"Ten years is a long time," said the boy. "What if I studied twice as hard as all your other students?"
"Twenty years," replied the master.
"Twenty years! What if I practice day and night with all my effort?"
"Thirty years," was the master's reply.
"How is it that each time I say I will work harder, you tell me that it will take longer?" the boy asked.
"The answer is clear. When one eye is fixed upon your destination, there is only one eye left with which to find the Way

Zen Story

Useless Thinking

Useless Thinking by Guy Finley

Question: My thoughts run my life, driving me pillar to post. How do I learn to recognize when I'm trapped in useless thinking? I feel drained!

Answer: Whatever dominates us in the moment is what is first in our lives. We value things that seem to put us first, but actually put our true best interests last. We squander our lives -- our precious energy -- thinking about things that only serve to fill time. The cost of having a conscious first, being truly whole and successful, is giving up useless thoughts. How do you know a thought is useless? Ask yourself how long you've been thinking the same thing! Beyond that, here are some specific areas of useless thinking you can watch for:

1. Any thoughts whatsoever about what tomorrow may bring.



2. Thinking about what someone said or did to you.



3. Thinking about your possessions and your possibilities.



4. Thinking about what you could have said or should have done.



5. Thinking about what some kind of pain or illness may mean to you, or thinking about your own aging.



6. Thinking about how others displease you -- judging others.



7. Thinking about yourself.

Meditation is an attitude not an activity

Meditation is an attitude not an activity , so whatever you do can become meditative .The so-called meditation that people go on doing is not meditation .It is the attitude of being in the present which is the core ,the central , the essential thing .
Do whatever you are doing - walking on the street , running , taking a bath , eating , going to sleep, lying on the bed , relaxing - and remain with the activity totally ,with no past , no future ,remain in the present .It will be difficult in the beginning - very difficult and very arduous but by and by you will get the feel of it and then a new door will open a new realm .Then the thought process will no longer be there .
By that I don't mean to say that you will become incapable of thinking ; on the contrary , only then will you be capable of thinking .Thinking is a different thing from this mad rush of thoughts .This crowd of thoughts is not thinking at all .The thoughts go on and on , and you cannot do anything about them .You are just a victim , not a thinker .You suffer , you try not to think about them .

So be aware .Don't waste the present anymore .Live in the present .Live in the meditative quality of the present .

Osho