The Universe Is the Desire of Beingness
As many teachers of non-duality point out, we cannot eradicate desire, just as we cannot stop thinking, but we can reveal its deeper essential nature as an expression of our beingness. Thus, as the quote from Tendai and Nichiren Buddhism states, we discover that in essence, “Earthly desires are enlightenment and the sufferings of birth and death are nirvana.”
If we could say that the universe is the desire of pure, aware beingness to know itself, then, as we are that, we experience the pure desire to express the wholeness we are in whatever creative way our particular mind and body facilitate—through a combination of skill, talents, and inspiration. These very capacities are themselves all arising from the impersonal desire of pure, aware beingness. The vehicle of the body, which is inextricably linked to the universe as an integrated system in which it exists and through which this motive force is expressed, has its own practical needs, which naturally arise and are met as part of the mysterious, serendipitous synchronicity of the universe. Experiencing this is an outward validation of our impersonal boundless conscious nature.
However, when we fall into identification with the body, these same natural needs become the basis of our desire for wholeness, and the emotion (energy of motion) of the body becomes bottlenecked, as it is transformed into a wilful force trying to control its environment which is perceived as separate to attain wholeness. This stands in contrast to the flowing power of desire that motivates the body to act as an expression of wholeness.
The two states are very different experiences. In the first, believing ourselves to be a separate self, desire, need, and emotional energy are experienced as solid, uncomfortable identity—something to be controlled and changed—causing psychological suffering. In this case, wholeness is objectified, and the subtle quality of nourishment the body truly needs is replaced with gross, unbalanced consumption, exacerbating psychological suffering. Here, it is not so much about the quality of nourishment, but the quantity.
In the second, clearly seeing we are beingness, desire, need, and energy are experienced as a transparent, powerful flow that naturally arises and subsides without psychological suffering. The subtle quality of nourishment the body truly needs is expressed in balanced, naturally moderated consumption. Here, it is not so much about the quantity of nourishment, but the quality.
As with all worldly matters, perfection does not exist, but through trial and error and inner discernment, the quantity of needs—always guided by the quality of love, understanding, and beauty—is arrived at over time. Life unfolds through experimentation, subtle learning, and the responsiveness of embodied intelligence. But when the quality of love, understanding, and beauty becomes the guiding thread, even the body’s needs are met in harmony—not through will, but through wisdom.
Understanding this distinction also clarifies the foundation of an economy based on gross materialism, and one based on ecological balance. When desire is driven by unconscious identification and psychological lack, the result is excess, extraction, and imbalance—an economy that mirrors inner fragmentation. But when desire arises as an expression of wholeness, guided by sensitivity to what truly nourishes, an entirely different value system emerges—one that is naturally attuned to reciprocity, sufficiency, and care. The inner movement toward balance becomes reflected in outer systems that honour life rather than exploit it.
This can also be consciously explored through inquiry into the needs of the body, as a corollary to inquiry into the nature of beingness itself—something encouraged in the Context Awakening and Universal Family workshop offered in Naturally Being.
With Love,
Freyja