Why Can’t Man Fulfil His Desires?

here. Man has a great capacity to enjoy pleasure, but enjoyment is impossible for man in this world. Once, I went to Kashmir, where, near Pahalgam, a mountain river flowed down from a stream up in the mountains. Its water was pure. When I reached Pahalgam and saw the clean, clear water, I desired to drink it. So I had a glass of water. It was wonderful—better than any other drink. I drank a second glass, then another, until I had drunk six glasses! Even after the sixth glass, I still wanted to drink more but could not. Then, I developed a splitting headache. The pain was so severe that I had to return at once. I got back to Srinagar. I was going to have dinner at somebody’s house, and several people were invited. When I reached the venue, my head hurt so badly that I could not attend the dinner. The same predicament arises with all other pleasures. Man earns wealth, obtains power, marries according to his choice, builds a grand house, accumulates many luxuries, etc. However, after having achieved all this, he realizes that there is a decisive obstacle in deriving complete and continuous satisfaction from any pleasurable thing. Even if he has all the comforts, luxuries, and material things he desires, he still fails to obtain complete and long-lasting joy and peace. Man’s desire for material comforts and luxuries is unlimited. However, to use these comforts, he has only a limited capacity. This limitation is always a barrier between man and the objects of pleasure. Even after obtaining everything that he desires, man remains frustrated and dissatisfied. Man’s bodily weakness, the