Category:Unlawful Desires

Theme Analysis

The category regarding unlawful desires identifies the fundamental spiritual deviation of the living entity. Śrīla Prabhupāda defines the root "unlawful desire" as the ambition to become one with God or to lord it over material nature. This desire is the very reason the material world is created. The quotes outline the severe consequences of harboring such desires: the living entity becomes entangled in anxiety, fear, and lamentation. Furthermore, nature reacts by stripping away wealth accumulated through these desires via various "agents" such as lawyers, doctors, taxes, and natural disasters. The remedy offered is to conquer these desires by refraining from making independent material plans and engaging fully in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, which restores the soul to its constitutional position.

• The Origin of the Material World: The entire material manifestation exists solely because the living entity harbored the unlawful desire to imitate the Supreme Lord and become one with Him. Without this desire, there would be no need for the material creation.
• Economic and Social Consequences: There is a direct karmic reaction to unlawful desires. Wealth accumulated through such means is inevitably taken away by the illusory energy in the form of medical expenses, legal fees, taxes, and calamities.
• The Cycle of Anxiety: Those filled with unlawful desires are described as being constantly embarrassed by material anxieties, fearful for their wealth and bodies, and filled with lamentation.
• Conquering the Propensity: To achieve salvation, one must conquer these desires along with lust and anger. A practical method suggested is to stop making independent plans for enjoyment and instead engage in devotional service, which removes the desire to control nature.

• Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: Consequences of Harboring Unlawful Desires.