Gita 16.12

Sadhak: "The image of hundreds of nooses is terrifying. How do hopes become traps?"

Guru: "Every expectation creates a bond to a specific future. 'If this happens, I will be happy.' That expectation is a noose—if it comes true, you are bound to maintaining it; if it does not, you are bound to suffering its absence. Multiply this by hundreds of desires, and you understand the binding. Each hope pulls consciousness in a different direction."

Sadhak: "But isn't hope a good thing? Don't we need hope to survive?"

Guru: "There are different kinds of hope. Hope rooted in trust in the Divine, hope for growth, hope that inspires action without attachment—these are liberating. Hope for specific sense objects, hope that creates anxiety if unfulfilled, hope that binds happiness to external outcomes—these are the nooses. The question is: does your hope free you or bind you?"

Sadhak: "What is the connection between desire and anger here?"

Guru: "They are two sides of one coin. Desire reaches out to grasp; when thwarted, it transforms into anger that wants to destroy the obstacle. Watch this in yourself: when you want something badly and cannot get it, notice what arises. First frustration, then irritation, then anger. The demoniac are parāyaṇāḥ—devoted—to this cycle. It rules them completely."

Sadhak: "And anyāyena—unjust means—is the result?"

Guru: "Inevitably. When desire is paramount and anger serves it, ethics become inconvenient restrictions. The demoniac mind reasons: 'I need this wealth to enjoy; the method doesn't matter as long as I succeed.' This logic produces exploitation, fraud, violence. Notice: they strive for wealth not as an end but 'kāma-bhogārtham'—for desire-enjoyment. Wealth is just the means to the true goal: more pleasure. And that goal knows no ethical bounds."