Hence Buddha says: While a man desires, his mind is bound… And there is not much difference between one desire and another. So mind is not worried what you desire. Mind’s worry is only one: that you must desire. Desire anything! You can start collecting postage stamps, that will do – but desire. Now, postage stamps are useless, but there are many people who go on collecting them.

I know one man who collects cigarette boxes. He has such a collection; he is ready to purchase at any cost. If a new cigarette packet can be given to him, he is ready. He collects beedi labels, and he goes on showing people with such great joy, as if he has conquered the world.

I know another man who goes on writing in books, “Rama, Rama, Rama.” He has been doing it for almost sixty years – now he is eighty years old. His whole house is full of books in which is written only one word, Rama, and he goes on showing people and bragging: “Look how many millions of times I have written Rama.”

When I was a guest in his house, he showed me too. I said. “You must be a fool. You wasted all these books. You should have given these books to children, poor children. They would have used them in a far better way. You have simply wasted ink, paper, your time, your life. And moreover, whenever you come across Rama, he will hit you on your head, because you must be continuously harassing him: ‘Rama, Rama, Rama.’ Day in, day out you go on harassing him. Avoid him; if you see Rama anywhere, escape.” I asked him, “Do you know why he always carries a bow with him? It is for devotees like you. He is always ready with his bow and arrow, so you cannot escape.”

He was shocked. He said, “What are you saying? Are you joking? I have been doing a religious act. Everybody has praised it, great saints have come and praised it.”

I said, “Those people must have been fools just like you.”

Mind can desire anything. Now, he is not collecting money, but more and more names of Rama. It is the same game.

A man went to see his lawyer about getting a divorce.

“How much do you charge for handling a case like mine?” he asked.

“I really don’t like to handle divorce cases,” replied his attorney. “Why do you want to get a divorce?”

“Because I want to marry my wife’s sister.”

“Now, a case like that could get pretty messy. It might cost you as much as a thousand dollars. Why don’t you go home and think it over.”

So the man went home, and the next day he called his lawyer. “I have talked the whole thing over with my best friend,” he said. “I have decided not to get a divorce after all.”

“That’s just fine,” said his lawyer. “Tell me, what did your friend say that made you change your mind?”