I have urged you to desire, to heap desire upon desire, because desires are the lamps that light your path. At the same time, I have urged you to be unattached to your desires. Desire to beat the band. And at the same time, let your desires go. You do not hold on to them. You let them make their own way.

It is as if you are a painter. You move the brush. And yet you also let the brush in your hand have a life of its own. In that sense, the painting does not belong to you. It belongs to itself.

In the same way, desires are yours, and yet they are not yours. They are like stars in the sky. You can pull each one to your heart, and yet stars are stars lighting the night sky. Stars are like pushpins that keep the night sky in place. And yet stars enter your heart and light it.

So with desires. They enter your heart and light it. You are lit with desires. Attachment to desires blocks their light. Be rampant with desires, and let them all go up like balloons in the sky.

Consider desires like your computer keys. You touch the keys lightly. You do not press hard on them.

When you start your car, you turn the key once, and that’s it. You don’t have to keep turning the key. Once turned, it’s turned, and the car starts. The sound of the motor may be imperceptible. Nevertheless, the engine has been started. You steer the car, beloveds, and you trust in the motor to propel you forward.

You can let go of desire in your mind, and yet it is still in sight.

Desires do not have maps. They are not a scavenger hunt. They are pre-set missiles, yet you cannot know the time they are set to go off. You can only know they will.

Desires are not something hidden in your grandmother’s chest in the attic that you must pore through. The contents have been taken out to hang in the fresh air.

Desires are like apple trees you have planted. They will bloom in time. Or you may find the fruit of your desire will be a peach. Or you may have apples and peaches.

The thing is you can desire any fruit you like. You may water the tree, but you leave the blooming to the tree. You do not whip the tree to produce fruit sooner. Yes, consider your desires like seedlings you have planted. Your desires will become full-blown trees bearing fruit. Your desires will land, and they will bear fruit. Meanwhile, you do not investigate your desires overmuch, or you will make bonsais of them.

Desire and watch your desires come true. Of course, some desires you directly manifest. When your desire is a cabinet, first you envision it. Maybe you find it on the curb. Or perhaps you buy the wood and hammer nails. When your desire is to wear rouge, you have to put it on. You don’t wait for an unseen hand. Yet when you desire great good to come to you, there is only so much you can do. And then just be ready to answer the door.

Desires are to be desired. Let your desires be oranges you throw up in the air as a juggler would. And when the oranges come back down, you catch them. Don’t worry, you will catch them.