मैं जागरूकता का अभ्यास तो करता हूँ। लेकिन इच्छाएँ अभी भी बनी हुई हैं; वे उठती रहती हैं, और मन भागने लगता है। मैं इससे कैसे निपटूँ?

So, the seeker is practicing awareness, genuinely seeking the truth.

I asked the seeker – what does it mean-
“Practicing awareness?” and the reply was-
“Being aware of the world, of the body, and of the thoughts.”
That’s great, but it is still an early stage; one needs to go to the next stage – “awareness being aware of itself as a witness, a stand-alone entity.”
Sansar, body, and mind are one entity, always in motion.
Being aware of them is a starting point for separating awareness from them.
Every event, every experience, has awareness built into it; without awareness, no experience can take place.
But….
Our problem is that we get caught up with the object so much that we forget that awareness even exists.
Meditation makes you realize that awareness is separate.
But one needs to rise higher, and with practice, let the awareness “fold” itself up onto itself.
(Buddha calls this Parmita – walk away (from mental Sansar)).
That is Dhyan.
And only then does true spirituality starts; until then, you were only playing with the material world – Sansar; body and mind; they are all material.
So, Dhyan is the beginning of your spiritual path.
Little by little, by repeatedly spending time in awareness, one gets immersed in it and becomes one with it.
(Buddha calls it Sallinta (opposite of Tallinta- where one becomes one with music for example).
First Sallinta (Dhyan) happens in meditation, and then it starts spilling (or at least, it should) into your daily life.
One can stay in awareness while doing daily chores, most of which are mundane and done reflexively (like driving a car, hiking, etc.).
While practicing open-eyed meditation, deep-seated desires may sometimes still arise.