"HAVING NO DESIRES IS THE SUREST WAY TO RELEASE",

"HAVING NO DESIRES IS THE SUREST WAY TO RELEASE", KILL ALL YOUR DESIRES" and such noble sounding slogans are just for public consumption. They are not practical nor necessary to release or MOksha. Suppose one kills all desires; why did he do so? The answer is "TO GET MOKSHA". iS THIS NOT A DSIRE? Thus wishing . to kill all desires is again a desire and in fact, the biggest of all desires. Thus, having no desires or killing all desires is an impossibility and one who says that it is the only way to Moksha is talking thru his hat.

Desires or Kama are divided into two categories - Aharma Aviruddha and Dharma viruddha kama. To breath is a desire, to fill the stomach to survive is a desire. To put your children in the right path is both a desire and responsibility (kartavya). Every desire has a threshold value attached to it. For example filling the stomach to survive or live is a Dharma Aviruddha Kama (DAK). Suppose one begins to eat to survive and later begins to live to eat. The DAK becomes Dharma Viruddha Kama. (DVK). Eating a piece of chicken to survive is not Paapa. But Eating a Kg or two of Baingan ka bharta because you like the taste is surely Paapa. In the first case, the eating was DAK and in the second it is DVK. One should know what is DAK and when it becomes DVK.

A DAK induces karma; as long as the kama remains DAK, the associated Karma is Akarma and even Vikarma, That is the effect of these actions do not stain the Atma. But when the Kama or desire transcends into DVK, then even inaction becomes Karma and stains the Atma. Hence, it is essential that one knows the difference between Karma, akarma and Vikarma

KARMANOHI API BODDHAVYAM, BODDHAVYAM CA VIKARMANAH

AKARMANAH CA BODDHAVYAM GAHANAA KARMANO GATIH

KARMANI AKARMA YAH PASYET AKARMANI CA KARMA YAH

SA BUDDHI MAAN MANUSHYESHU SA YUKTAH KRITSNA KARMA KRIT 4.17, 18, BG

The sense of not doing anything while doing some thing comes only when the motivation of doing the work is as per Dharma or in accordance with Dharma. Bhagavad Gita tells us many times that it impossible for any one to be Action less, equivalently bereft of desire (ref to ch.3 adn 18). In fact,

YADI AHAMKAARAM AASRITYA NA YOTSYA ITI MANYASE

MITHYA ESHA VYAVASAAYATE PRAKRITIH TVAAM VIMOKSHYATI 18.59, BG

The moral, therefoe, is do not try to be desireless; you would then be trying for the impossible. Try to keep your kama within the threshold limits, keep them Dharma aviruddho kma

BALAM BALAVATAAM CA AHAM KAMA RAAGA VIVARJITAM

dHARMA AVIRUDDHO BHOOTESHU KAMO ASMI BHARATH RISHABHAH 7.11, BG

DAK is Godly; then why should one be desireless?