If you allow desires to control your thoughts, your mind will become restless and discontent. Zen means awareness during 24 hours.

Watch your thoughts carefully and try to understand from where desire arises. Let us analyse the process of desire: the eyes see a beautiful object, for example; the mind registers it and takes a mental picture; the picture in the mind keeps recurring - the imagination and memory provide motivation; this creates a desire, a craving - this craving arises even when the object is not here - the mind, unfulfilled and discontent, permanently thinks of this object.

Our task is to train our mind to be satisfied with what we have here and now. We should always ask ourselves, 'what is it that craves, what is craving?'

Desire and craving; dislike or hate; and fear - these three things are constantly working within us, and they cause discontent and restlessness in the mind.

True happiness and freedom are inner-states, which we may attain with practise and become in tune with the energy of the universe, if we are not yet.