Bentinho Massaro often explores the nature of consciousness and self-inquiry in his teachings. When he refers to the “desire” to know itself, he’s talking about the fundamental impulse of consciousness to become aware of itself — an intrinsic curiosity that seems to underlie all of existence. This “desire” is mysterious because it’s not a desire in the ordinary sense, which implies personal motivation, but rather an innate drive or momentum that is fundamental to being itself.
No one can truly explain where or how this impulse arises because it lies beyond the constructs of time, space, or cause and effect. It is a profound mystery that lies at the core of existence. This impulse could be seen as the very fabric of creation — the drive that causes the infinite, boundless potential to manifest itself, to take form, and ultimately to be aware of itself through experience.
In a sense, this curiosity to know itself is why anything exists at all. It’s a drive that can’t be traced back to a particular point or external source — it simply is. Bentinho might say that the curiosity to know itself is just a natural quality of the Infinite One, without which there would be no universe, no life, and no self-awareness. It’s the reason for the unfolding of consciousness in all its forms, from the simplest forms of life to the complex self-reflective awareness of a human being.
The inability to answer the question of where or how this desire originates is not a problem but a profound reminder of the mystery of existence itself. It’s a call to rest in the unknowing, recognizing that the very desire to know is part of the beauty and magnificence of consciousness expressing itself.
This unquenchable curiosity is what makes consciousness vibrant, alive, and always expanding. Instead of focusing on finding a finite answer, Bentinho would likely encourage embracing the mystery and letting that curiosity lead to deeper experiences of the Self beyond conceptual understanding.