The spiritual geniuses of the past have discovered this truth of our reality that desire, expectations, attachment and/or craving creates suffering to human mind. That is the very thesis of Gautama Buddha, the enlightened one. His own understanding around this was so deep that he went on to say that the samsara / unenlightened life-cycle / life is suffering. Buddha came upon to the spiritual insight that desire creates suffering and rising above the desires is what makes people free. Thus cessation, renunciation, relinquishment, release, & letting go of that very craving is the goal according to Buddha.

Now the methodology of rising above desire was experimented by many truth seekers across the age. In many path the practice is through direct denial which can turn to be very negatively suppressing.

What is the most scientific (here the term 'scientific' is used not to encourage scientism but to help reflect a more logical, contemplative, verifiable and reproducible approach) method for attaining freedom from attachment and desire?

There is a very important Sign in the Final Testament, the Qur'an which may provide a flash of inspiration in this subject. Islam's approach to transcend desire is not suppressing or complete denial of what is natural but a more merciful and organic approach. The Sign of the Qur'an that provide insight to this secret of becoming free from desire is found in the 2nd Chapter. It is often cited by the spiritually inclined sufis.

The Sign reads, fazkurunee azkurukum washkurnuli wa la kafurun. (Surah Baqarah)


Shaykh Fadhlalla's commentary opens the secret. In his book, "Man in Qur'an And the Meaning of Furqan"

If you remember Allah, then you are in the grip of Reality because you avoided other-than-it. If remember is total, then the turning between the so-called individual and All-encompassing Reality is total. Allah, Reality, will reflect the remembrance - if the sincere seeker remembers Allah, Allah remembers him.

Shukr (from shakara, to be grateful) is the key to the fruition and personalization of dhikr. Here the so-called individual enters into the coziness of specific and experiential joy of inner contentment as a result of the neutralization of desires. Shukr is the outer expression of that inner state. When shukr is genuine and deep, the individual's state is that of rida, deep and peaceful contentment.

In the state of true shukr, the individual is free of desire and expectations, his transmission is beamed only toward Allah, and his receptivity is without resistance. The state of shukr results in inner confirmation, and blessed contentment with the Creator and what He has created. It is a taste of tawhid through the knowledge of decree.

The opposite of this trajectory is the stumbling and fumbling over hurdles on the road of kufr and isyan, disobedience. The asi carries with him all his bundles of anxiety, and self-imposed defenses and ammunition, which give him a false and temporary feeling of safety, but which ultimately are the cause of his doom, starved in the ignorance of the dark cave of stubborn arrogance and the hollow caverns of nafs.

The ayah focuses on the two states of being in remembrance of Allah and being in kufr - covering up and remembrance of other-than-Allah. You are either in shukr or kufr, contentment or discontent, affirming mercy or denying it. In a state of gratitude, of contentment, your desires are neutralized. Only then will you be more efficient, your energy more available, and your spirit truly alive.

So in the above, its worth noting:

In the state of true shukr (pure overflowing gratefulness), the individual is free of desire and expectations, his transmission is beamed only toward the Divine, and his receptivity is without resistance. The state of shukr results in inner confirmation, and blessed contentment with the Creator and what He has created. It is a taste of oneness (tawhid) through the knowledge of decree. (Shaykh Fadhlalla)


One of the central practice and teaching is to be grateful (shukr), and what it does is that it frees the person from neediness of the world. The more one practice shukr or gratitude the more he/she enters into the zone of being independent of the lower world and its veils. The more one become independent of the lower world and its veils the more one understand that the real sustenance reach us from the upper world, from the Real. In the process one become free from desire.

The first step towards realization of shukr can begin by contemplating the visible or seen gifts around us. Like contemplating and conversing with the Real and thanking the Real for the food on our plate, the roof above our head, the bed to sleep, our health and wellness, the love and care of our family, the sustenance given to us and much more. As we contemplate the visible or seen gifts, slowly and surely the other infinite and unseen gifts will also be realized. From the moments of our inception in our mother's womb to our birth and many other life events which we had no control but was taken care of completely and with never ceasing mercy will start to become clearer to us.

These steps when practiced in sustained fashion will plant seed of more permanent rida or contentment and free us from desire / craving / attachment. We are again and again reminded that all that is in the heaven and earth belongs to the Real, the Ultimate King and Inheritor of all. So when we turn complete to the Ultimate Inheritor, we are aligning to the true reservoir of all and by our turning away from the unreal we become free from the lower world. Truly rich is that man who is free from all needs. Getting oneself from needs we become worthy of the image of the Real King, the vicegerent of God.

As one Tagore song goes:

আমরা       সবাই রাজা আমাদের এই রাজার রাজত্বে–
              নইলে মোদের রাজার সনে মিলব কী স্বত্বে ?।
আমরা       যা খুশি তাই করি,   তবু   তাঁর খুশিতেই চরি,
আমরা       নই বাঁধা নই দাসের রাজার ত্রাসের দাসত্বে–
              নইলে মোদের রাজার সনে মিলব কী স্বত্বে ?।
রাজা         সবারে দেন মান,    সে মান    আপনি ফিরে পান,
মোদের      খাটো ক'রে রাখে নি কেউ কোনো অসত্যে–
              নইলে মোদের রাজার সনে মিলব কী স্বত্বে ?
আমরা       চলব আপন মতে,    শেষে     মিলব তাঁরি পথে,
মোরা        মরব না কেউ বিফলতার বিষম আবর্তে–
              নইলে মোদের রাজার সনে মিলব কী স্বত্বে?।




Often we say certain praise terms in a foreign language, we glorify God and praise God but the reality of praise doesn't touch us. We say Alhamdulillah, we say Subhanallah, we say ShukrAllah, but they sometime remain simply few words or sounds we are habituated to pronounce without really meaning them. We are so culturally habituated that we have formed an impenetrable barrier around us. Through awakening to the reality of being truly grateful, in a state of true shukr we may taste its sweetness, which is freedom from desire.
When one is grateful, one is given more. This is an ingrained reality of the reservoir of gifts which are given without asking. The Real gives it freely and giving it to all doesn't diminish an atom from His Kingdom.


Returning back to the Sign of the Final Testament: Washkurulee ~ Be in Shukr to Me ~ Be in Shukr towards the Divine, the Giver of Gifts ~ that Shukr / Gratitude is the Elegant Secret of Becoming Free from every desires.

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