[Mooji] As long as you have these kinds of wants,
the habit of wanting something,
and especially wanting something to make you happy,
it's a sure way to be miserable.
That happiness is placed outside,
that a relationship, or being in the right job,
or passing whatever things you have to pass through,
will bring you to this place,
it's already an ill-conceived notion,
It's an ill-conceived notion.
Happiness ... Even I want to say to you,
in the light of your own listening here,
and then you say also, 'Now I don't know what I want'.
Then, allow this complete access,
don't know what you want.
Why should you want something? Can you be without want?
Is it a state of deficiency or something?
Have you ever heard of ... amongst your own masters that you talk about,
can they be in a place of want and be happy? Not at all.
They abandon all of this stuff, they are not in want.
No need.
But it does not mean that without need,
without wants, that their life stops.
Somehow, natural unfolding is taking place.
And it is enough. They're content, beautifully content.
They're not working for happiness.
What a great spaciousness to not want.
[Questioner] But I do want, I think.
Now, that's different, 'I want, I think'. What do you want?
Or do you think you should want?
Because that's what your statement says.
[Q.] I'll stick to, 'I don't know what I want'.
[Q.] And this 'don't know' affects ... [M.] Yes.
But the very fact that you say,
'I don't know what I want', means you don't want.
'I don't know what I want', means that what you want doesn't exist.
[Q.] It's because I'm confused.
[M.] And then that leads to confusion.
One friend was coming to the house, he was always saying,
'I have this problem, and this problem, this problem, problem, problem'.
He came and stayed with me for a few days, and we talked.
Then one morning he came, we're having tea,
I looked at him and said, OK, what's the problem now? [laughter]
He says, 'Mooji, I have this problem'. What is the problem?
'The problem is, I can't find a problem.' [laughter]
It's true, some of the people here know him.
'My problem is, I can't find a problem!'
'And it bothers me that I can't find a problem!' [laughter]
And you're saying, 'My trouble is, I don't know what I want'.
So if you don't know what you want, what is the purpose of want?
Except that there's a feeling that,
'I should want something; everybody else has a want'.
Or you may substitute the word 'want' for 'dream',
'Everyone has a dream, I want a dream'.
Or it seems so. But many people don't have dreams,
as in projecting some state that will be beautiful, or something.
For one moment, just for one moment here with me,
then you don't touch this idea of wanting something
or that not wanting it is a problem.
Because if you want something, you are molested by it.
Listen to what Ramana Maharishi said, I think it might be useful for you.
He says, suppose you want this microphone, you've always wanted it!
So even though you're talking to me,
you're just interested in the microphone. [laughter]
You want the microphone so bad, because you think it'll make you happy.
So, as long as you want it, as long as you want this thing,
you are never really available for anything else.
Every time you're talking to anybody,
it's really just this that you want, 'I just want this microphone'.
Your mind is focused only on satisfying your desire.
But there is no joy in the microphone.
You feel that if you get it, you'll be so happy!
But there's no happiness in the microphone.
It's just you feel, 'If I get this thing, I'll be happy'.
Here is what he says about it, I found it fascinating, he says,
'As long as you have a desire,
you are being tormented by this desire'.
Why? Because if you don't get it, you're miserable.
All your energy is just waiting to try and fulfil your desire.
So I give you the microphone.
When you get the microphone, you get your desire,
in this moment it's given to you, the object you desire,
you feel tremendous happiness!
But the thing didn't give you the happiness.
So he says this, 'There's no happiness in the thing.
What happens is that your desire was molesting you,
it was troubling you, agitating your mind.
When you get the thing, the agitation stops.
And it is the relief from the agitation,
that you're interpreting as the joy you're receiving.'
You think that this thing is giving you happiness,
you get it, 'I feel so good!'
Because you're enjoying the freedom from the desire to have it.
Because now you have it. But this thing has nothing in it!
Not one vitamin in it. [laughter]
But you [panting] say, 'Oh, my God!' But all of this comes from you.
'As long as there is wanting in you,
especially for someone or something to make you happy;
Paradoxically, this is a sure way to make yourself feel miserable.'