The Kingdom Within: A Tale of Two Kings
Art by Charbak Dipta
When I hear the word "desires" what comes to mind are the seven deadly sins: You know, pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and sloth.
What do they all have in common? The answer lies in the management of our desires.
So, how do we usually manage these desires? Common ways include:
Suppressing unwanted emotions through distractions
Exerting willpower to overcome temptations
Making ourselves feel guilty if we falter
But here's the thing, when I try to silence my desires, it doesn't make the desires go away.
They merely simmer below the surface, ready to explode when we least expect them. When we experience any of these desires, what's an effective way to respond?
Learn from Desires
But maybe I've been missing in the way I look at desires.
Just as I feel that the universe and life have profound meaning and wisdom, could it be that desires too have a deeper meaning?
Could it be that, much like everything in life is a sign from God for those who reflect, desires too are pointers of something more significant?
Just as a rose reflects God's beauty, could our desires be reflecting some deeper, divine purpose?
Instead of shunning our desires, what if we took the time to understand them?
How do we learn from our desires?
When I understand that desires are part of God’s wisdom, it opens up the opportunity to learn from it.
For instance, when the desire to overeat arises, and I yield, I feel regret afterwards.
But instead of punishing myself, I can ask:
How did I feel after overeating?
What need was I trying to fulfill?
Was I masking some form of emotional pain?
What part of me was hurting that made me turn towards overeating?
By doing this, I'm aligning with my belief that everything in life, even our struggles, has a purpose. I use these moments as an opportunity to get to know myself better.
This approach enables us to move from:
Self-punishment to self-awareness
Internal conflict to internal harmony.
In the same way that understanding the meaning behind life forms brings us closer to God, understanding our desires brings us closer to our deeper selves.
Once we really learn what’s motivating our actions, we’ll not need any external threat or punishment to control our actions.
I’ll end with a Sufi Comic from my first book 40 Sufi Comics.
The story shows an Imam in control of his desires, not through sheer willpower, but thanks to an internal compass (fitrah) that helps him see the reality behind actions like "lying."
When we understand the root causes of our desires, learn from them, and heal, we rely less on willpower, shame, guilt and external forces. Our internal compass becomes our guide, and that kind of guidance is not just effective—it's enduring.
