Desire nothing, give up all desires and be happy.

“Desire nothing, give up all desires and be happy.” — thus spoke Swami Sivananda, a sage whose words were as calm as the waters of the Ganges and as sharp as the blade of truth. In these few simple words lies the key to the eternal peace sought by kings and beggars alike. For what is desire but the restless wind that drives the heart from shore to shore, never allowing it to rest? And what is happiness, if not the still lake that mirrors the heavens when the wind is stilled? Sivananda, master of renunciation and disciple of the eternal, reminds us that joy is not born from possession but from freedom—freedom from the fever of wanting, the endless thirst that enslaves the soul.

In the world of men, desire wears many faces. It may come clothed in gold, or in the soft voice of affection, or in the secret hunger for fame. Each promises joy but gives only longing. The more one feeds the fire, the brighter it burns—and the more it consumes. Desire binds the spirit as surely as iron chains bind the limbs. To give up all desires is not to reject life, but to reclaim it. When the mind ceases its grasping, when the heart no longer demands, then life itself becomes a gift, pure and whole. The one who desires nothing possesses everything, for the universe reveals its beauty to the eyes that no longer crave.

Swami Sivananda, born in the sacred land of India, lived not as a prince of wealth but as a sovereign of peace. A doctor by trade, he healed bodies; a saint by nature, he healed souls. In his ashram on the banks of the Ganges, he taught that happiness is the natural state of man, obscured only by the clouds of desire. He lived with little—his food was simple, his robe plain, his home a humble hut—but his heart overflowed with divine joy. To those who asked how one could be happy with so little, he smiled and said, “When you want nothing, everything comes to you.”

Consider the life of Prince Siddhartha, who became the Buddha. Surrounded by luxury, silks, and music, he should have been content. Yet his heart was not at peace. The more he possessed, the more he feared to lose. One night, he looked upon the sleeping faces of his household and saw the impermanence of all things—beauty fading, youth dying, wealth slipping away like sand through fingers. He left his palace, gave up every desire, and wandered the forests in search of truth. There, beneath the Bodhi tree, when nothing was left to lose, he awoke to the bliss of enlightenment. The world he had renounced was returned to him—not as a burden, but as a song of peace.

So too must we understand that happiness does not come by addition, but by subtraction. The child is happy with a simple toy because his mind is unburdened. The sage is happy with nothing because his mind is free. Between the two stands the adult, tormented by wants, caught between memory and expectation. If he would but pause, if he would but let go of his grasping, the joy that has always been within him would rise like the sun after a long storm. This is not a cold detachment, but a radiant contentment—a joy that asks for nothing, for it is complete in itself.

Desire is a clever master. It whispers, “Just one more thing, and you will be content.” Yet even as one grasp is filled, another hunger arises. To desire nothing is to break the cycle of this deceit. It is to declare to the world, “I am enough.” It is to live not in pursuit, but in presence. When the heart ceases to run after shadows, it begins to rest in light. The wise do not kill desire by force; they let it wither by understanding. For once you see that desire is the source of sorrow, you will lay it down gladly, as one lays down a heavy stone after a long journey.

Therefore, O seeker of peace, if you would be truly happy, renounce not the world, but your longing for it. Eat with gratitude, work with devotion, love without attachment. When joy comes, smile; when sorrow visits, do not cling to it. Let life flow through you as the river flows to the sea—without resistance, without demand. Sit for a few minutes each day in silence. Watch your breath. Watch your thoughts. You will see how they rise and fall like waves—and beyond them, the vast ocean of peace. Then you will know what the sage meant when he said: Desire nothing, give up all desires, and be happy. For happiness is not found in the fulfillment of desire, but in the freedom from desire—and in that freedom, the soul rests in eternal bliss.