Question: You spoke of conquering desires and transforming desires into aspiration. How does one do this?

Sri Chinmoy: It is not only possible, not only practical, but inevitable. Each human being will transform desires into aspiration, either today or tomorrow. We are starting our journey with desire, but tomorrow we have to continue our journey with aspiration.

Your eldest and dearest son goes to school. Today you may pray to God, “O God, make my son stand first in the examination. How I wish that my son should be first!” This is your desire. But tomorrow you will pray, “O God, I do not want my son either to be first or to be last. I want him to be only what You want. Please give him true Wisdom, because You are Wisdom, You are divine Wisdom. He is my dearest son and I want him to have only divine knowledge, illumination. If You can give him illumination, I will be most grateful to You.” In that way you are transforming your desire into aspiration.

When you desire something, you have to feel that at that time you are nowhere near your Goal. But when you aspire, you have to feel that the Goal is not elsewhere; it is deep, deep inside you. All your desires will be killed if you say only one thing: “Let Thy Will be done.” If we want our human will to be fulfilled, then our aspiration immediately is dead. But in one prayer “Let Thy Will be done,” we transform our desire into aspiration.