Leaving aside the terminology, the important thing is the reason why we seek the Divine. Desire is always a movement of the separate ego which wants everything for its own benefit. It wants the Divine not with any idea of changing oneself but for all that it can get from the Divine for its small purposes. It is the artharthi approach, wanting the Divine for some worldly or otherworldly gain. Aspiration, on the other hand, seeks the Divine for the sake of the Divine. It seeks to become one with the Divine, develop the qualities and nature of the Divine such as Wisdom, Compassion, Love, Peace, Bliss, Strength etc. Apart from this, aspiration is like a flame that burns steadily upwards towards the Divine. It may be covered for some time but never dies. Desire is a fire that fluctuates impatiently and turns away or even dies out if it does not get what it wants and is hoping for, or the way and the timeframe within which it wants the Divine. There is nothing wrong in the desire for the Divine, even if it be for very mundane purposes and worldly ends, but aspiration is something higher and opens the doors to the true spiritual consciousness. So, the sooner desire changes into aspiration, the better it is.
Affectionately
Alok da
Reference:
विश्व चेतना | श्री अरविन्द के काव्य 7/12 | TH 515
YT Link: https://youtu.be/NJ9kF4D-1ho
