A thought is a result of the desire (Baal HaSulam, Shamati 153, “A Thought Is a Result of the Desire”).

This is indeed true, because the most important thing in a person is desire. Thoughts appear only to fulfill these desires.

Desires arise in the heart, and we listen only to it. The mind is activated only when it is necessary to realize the desires that come from the heart. Therefore, the main thing is desire, while the intellect is merely an auxiliary tool, a means to achieve what is desired.

A person thinks of what he wants. He will not think of what he does not want.

In our world this is natural. You can look at any person and, by understanding his desires, guess what thoughts he has. All his thoughts are directed solely toward realizing what he desires. And to the extent that his desires have a hierarchy, you can tell which thoughts dominate and which are less important, what occupies him more or less. In other words, desires practically rule us.

For example, a person never thinks of his day of death. On the contrary, he will always contemplate his eternity, since this is what he wants. Thus, one always thinks of what is desirable for him.

Thought is secondary, auxiliary. It develops only because a person has desires. And therefore, one develops intellect in order to attain what is desired. As the saying goes: “One beaten man is worth two unbeaten ones.” For the one who is beaten, who is forced and compelled, becomes wiser because he searches for ways to realize himself.

Thus, the mind always grows when there are great desires. And conversely, if there are no desires, there is no great mind. Therefore, if you wish to develop your children, you must awaken in them great desires, not spoil them.

To spoil means to try to impose some kind of fulfillment on a child before he even wishes for it. On the contrary, let him desire, let him experience a bit of lack, let him seek how to realize what he wants. From this his intellect will develop. Only in this way, and no other.
[249076]
From the Kabbalah Lesson in Russian 3/14/19

Related Material:
Thoughts And Mind
Mind And Feelings In Spiritual Development
Desire Determines Thought

Filed under: Spiritual Work | Add Comment →