It is the very nature of desire self that the more it gets, the more it demands. That is why you will observe that people who have little, just enough to take care of all their needs plus a little extra, as was the way of life earlier in the villages, remain quite contented with few things. But the moment the markets opened up and goods flooded the market and money started pouring in, the more discontent and restless life became. Desire is the offspring of ignorance. It wants the infinite, hungers for the Permanent but through ignorant means by acquiring external objects. It is an impossible loop. For nothing can satisfy this hunger except momentarily. Its most primitive form is hunger for food that is never fulfilled and keeps needing change endlessly. That is why perhaps the Jains and other extreme paths try to finish desires by catching it at the material end, by depriving it. But that is not the solution. Suppressing hunger, killing desire is an impoverishment not a conquest. However if we learn to live with gratitude and acceptance of what we have as a gift from the Divine, be as a trustee and use everything, be it money, cellphone, car, house, family, with the idea and attitude of service to the Divine, we shall eventually discover the Divine who is Infinite. Then the desire self becomes quiet, the restlessness ceases, we are happy with and enjoy what we receive as a gift of the Divine Grace, treat and use it as a caretaker and, if it taken away we do not lament since it has passed to other hands. This is the perfect and permanent solution.
However if we cannot do this then the other way is keep applying reason and see how much we really need what we seem to be wanting. We can by the steady application of a rational will, train the desires into moderation and balance.
Affectionately,
Alok Da
