Intent V/s Desire

Freedom from desire makes you truly free. It is desire that keeps us looking to the future instead of living in the present. A person who is free from desire can actually experience the present moment and delight in it. He can actually smell the coffee and not just gulp it while reading the newspaper or watching TV.

To start a business is an intent. It is more than a desire. It is more of a conscious choice to fulfil a certain purpose. Desire is more of a temporary feeling. Intent is based on a planned and systematic decision backed by action. Intent is more conscious, and involves awareness. Desire can be at a subconscious or sensory level (e.g., desire to buy a product when you watch an ad for it or desire to watch a movie while viewing its trailer) even without involving a higher awareness. It is more automatic and governed by external stimuli. Intent is towards fulfilling a purpose (e.g., based on your individual dharma). Desire can be mere neediness or identifying a want or need that is presently unfulfilled. Intent is accompanied by belief and faith. A person with intent does not feel unhappy in the present because what is intended is not yet within his grasp. He works his way towards making the it happen while maintaining his faith. He does not feel unhappy because what is intended has not manifested yet.


A Karma Yogi will make a conscious decision with awareness on his goals and objectives with intent and orient his actions to fulfil that intent. However he will also detach himself from the result and hence not feel unhappy over the result. He will quickly move on to focus on the present and continue fulfilling his intent. He does not identify with the end result and focuses only on the intent, goal and his actions towards fulfilling them. Also intent may be more long term so it is never the end whereas desires are more short term so unhappiness is more likely to result.

e.g., for a person whose intent is to have a fulfilling and rewarding job or business, even if he fails in one interview or in one project, he does not give up, saying that his desire was not fulfilled. He will continue to focus on what he can do in the present by improving his skills and continue the process. In the case of a short term desire (e.g., to marry a specific girl, or to pass a specific exam), if that desire is unfulfilled, it seems like the end, and many young people commit suicide because of such unfulfilled desires. A person with intent will appear for the exam better prepared again or try to woo the girl again (if she is not yet married) or move on in life to find someone else who will also love him (the intent being internally focused on him having a good marriage and not focused on the girl who is external). Intent is formulated from the inside based on internal aspects like one's nature, talents, purpose etc whereas desire is focused on external objects that are outside of one's control.