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Our Mimetic Desires


There is hardly anyone who does not have desires. Desires do not emerge only from within. Many desires arise through imitation of other people’s desires, which the French polymath, Rene Girard, termed as ‘Mimetic Desires‘. French philosopher Montesquieu expounded that if we only wanted to be happy, it would be easy; but we want to be happier than other people, which is difficult since we think them to be happier than they are.

To be free from such yearning, Ramakrishna Parahamansa narrated an anecdote. He said, ‘A man had a pet dog that he used to carry in his arms, caress and kiss. Once his friend cautioned him not to lavish such affection on the dog as it is an irrational creature and can bite him. The man stopped caressing the dog. As the dog could not understand the change in the master’s behaviour, it frequently came to him. Being driven away several times by the master, the dog ceased to trouble him. Desire is like the dog, which will appear time and again but needs to be shunned. In course of time, freedom from the importunities of the desire will be attained.’

Whenever the desire surfaces, chanting the divine’s name of the Supreme too can help us to shun it away. Those who pursue this path are blessed with calm and peaceful mind and heart.



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