Bliss Is Within You

Devotion Is The Easiest Path To Attain God

Asthiram Jivanam Loke, 
Asthiram Yauvanam Dhanam, 
Asthiram Dara Putradi, 
Dharmam Kirti Dvayam Sthiram.

(Life in the world is impermanent. So are youth and wealth. Wife and children are also not permanent. Only righteousness and good name are permanent).

Students!

It is not long life that man should aspire for. Man should strive for Divine life. Eking out your livelihood is not the purpose of life. Life should be filled with happiness. Man seeks happiness in education, avocation and marriage. Right from a child to an aged person, all are seeking happiness out of this world, which is temporary and filled with sorrows and troubles. Man is ever engaged in the pursuit of happiness even without knowing what real happiness is. He is not caring to understand and realise true happiness, and is wasting life in this wild goose chase of worldly happiness.

Control Your Senses And Develop Prudence

Where is happiness available? It is available within you. But no one is making an effort to search within. Happiness derived from worldly objects is transient. The source or spring of bliss lies within one’s own being. The happiness that you derive from external sources is in reality a reflection of your inner feelings. You yourself are the source of bliss. Try to know who you are. But people search in the outer world to know who they are. To search yourself in the external world is nothing but a sign of ignorance. If you keep on asking people, “Where am I? Who am I”? Can anyone answer? Is it not foolishness to do so?

In order to know about himself, man must endeavour to know his Atmic principle that is everlasting. However, one has to face obstacles and challenges in this process of Self-realisation and knowledge. Here is a small example. There is a mansion belonging to a wealthy person. The mansion is protected by a strong wall, and is guarded by watchmen. When someone wishes to meet the owner of the mansion, he must make friendship with the watchmen and get their permission.

In the same manner, there are four watchmen who guard the mansion of bliss. It is impossible to get into the mansion without seeking their permission. The first one is known as Shama. Shama denotes the control of senses of perception. When you achieve Shama, you can control the sense of action also, which is called Dama.

The second watchman is Vicharana (prudence). It means discrimination between what is good and what is bad, what is evanescent and what is permanent, etc. It is by Vicharana that you can understand the difference between these dualities. In the Bhagavad-gita, you will find chapters with titles such as Daiva Asura Sampad Vibhaga Yoga; Kshetra Kshetrajna Vibhaga Yoga, Guna Traya Vibhaga Yoga, etc. One must analyse and discern what is Atma and what is Anatma, what is good and what is bad, what is desirable and what is not. Then only can one know the truth. It is possible to know the truth by means of dispassionate discernment. Philosophy means realisation of truth or the means to find the truth. It is a great irony that even though truth pervades all over, man is unable to realise it. It is said, Satya Darshanam Jnanam (realisation of truth is true knowledge).

Contentment Bestows Peace Of Mind

The third watchman is Trupti (contentment). Even after earning a lot of wealth and attaining high position, comforts, name and fame, man is not able to derive happiness. One without contentment stands to lose both ways. Such a one cannot remain happy either in this life or in the next. Undue desires are the cause of dissatisfaction. Due to dissatisfaction, you are unable to enjoy the fruits that are available before you. People crave for more and more, losing sight of what is already available. Thinking of the future, people are getting nightmarish. Why should you worry about future which is uncertain? Also, you should not brood over the past, because past is past! It will never come back. One should endeavour to make good use of the present. Results of the past and the forebodings of the future are both available in the present. Therefore, present is omnipresent. Seeds of the past and the fruits of the future are both contained in the sapling of the present. You will reap in future what you sow in present. You will have the belch of what you have eaten.

Therefore, cultivate the virtue of contentment. You can get peace of mind only through the quality of contentment.

When Swami asks, “What do you want”? People say, “I want peace”. ‘I’ stands for ego, and ‘want’ stands for desire. When you remove these two, peace stands by itself in its pristine form. Suppose Swami sends you a book by registered parcel. Before seeing the book, you will have to remove the wrapper first. Ego and desire are like the wrapper to the book of peace. Develop the discrimination to get rid of ego and desire to attain peace.

You are the embodiment of love. You are the embodiment of Divinity. There are three facets of your identity. You are not one person but three, the one you think you are – the body, the one others think you are – the mind and the one you really are – the Atma.

Looking at a tumbler that is half filled with water, an optimist says that the tumbler is half filled, while a pessimist says that the tumbler is half empty. Your understanding depends upon your vision. Good and bad exist in the world. One must use proper discrimination between good and bad, and between right and wrong. Dualities are inescapable in this world. There is a thorn attached to a rose. Pleasure is an interval between two pains. One must develop the quality of contentment by using proper discrimination.

Understand The True Meaning Of Unity

The fourth watchman which guards the mansion of bliss is Satsang (good company). While travelling in the darkness of night, a lantern can show you the right path. A log of wood also becomes fire when it comes in contact with fire. However, a partial contact may result in the formation of coal; and it remains as coal until it is burnt in fire. If you try to make the coal white by washing it with milk, will it turn white? On the other hand, the milk will become black. Only when coal is completely subsumed in fire, it becomes one with fire. One becomes Divine by totally surrendering to Divinity. Mere proximity will not help unless unity or oneness with Divinity is realised. That is the real purport of Satsang.

It is said, Ekatma Sarva Bhutantaratma (one Atma dwells in all beings). One must realise oneness in the creation. Then only can one realise Divinity. Jewels are many, gold is one. Beings are many, breath is one. Nations are many, earth is one. Stars are many, sky is one. Bulbs are many, current is one. Sweets are many, sugar is one. One can realise Divinity through proper understanding of the meaning of unity. The effect of Satsang can never be overstated. It is said in this context, Tell me your company I shall tell you what you are. Sugar and water have different qualities; but when mixed together, they produce syrup. Sharing of good thoughts with good people brings about your transformation. Therefore, Satsang is very essential to attain the goal of life.

Satsangatve Nissangatvam, 
Nissangatve Nirmohatvam, 
Nirmohatve Nischalatattvam, 
Nischalatattve Jivanmukti.

(Sanskrit Sloka)

(Good company leads to detachment; detachment makes one free from delusion; freedom from delusion leads to steadiness of mind; steadiness of mind confers liberation.)

Through Satsang, one progresses to a state of detachment. Through practice of detachment, one overcomes ignorance. One can attain unwavering mind when ignorance is destroyed. Liberation can be attained only by a person whose mind remains unagitated under all circumstances.

When you wrap an eatable in a paper, the paper acquires the smell of the eatable. If you wrap fish in it, the wrapper also smells like fish. If you put jasmine flowers in it, the wrapper also smells like jasmine. You acquire qualities in accordance with the company you associate with. Satsang has a great impact especially on young people. Is the transformation entirely due to Satsang? No. But Satsang has greater impact when it combines with your innate goodness. While the company impacts from outside, goodness of heart impacts from within. Both are necessary for a person to get transformed into an ideal being.

We use an air conditioner in a warm room and a heater in a chilly room on a hill station. But we use the same current to run both of them. Good or bad perceptions depend on the conditioning of the mind. The Upanishads say, Manah Eva Manushyanam Karanam Bandha mokshayoh (mind is the cause of bondage and liberation of man). Colour of the world changes in accordance with the colour of the glasses you put on. The world looks sacred when you look at it with sacred feelings.

At one place, the Upanishad says, Brahma Satyam Jagat-Mithya (Brahman alone is real, the world is unreal). In another context, the Upanishad says, Sarvam Vishnumayam Jagat (Vishnu pervades the entire universe). Vedanta promotes both these concepts. People who go to a cinema hall to see a movie are not bothered about the screen. But, in fact, there can be no picture without a screen. The scenes keep moving in and out, while the screen remains static all the time. That which comes and goes, and is impermanent is called Mithya (Illusion) in Vedanta philosophy; while the fundamental or the basic core of the cosmos is the Truth called Brahman. This is the real purport of the dictum, Sarvam Vishnumayam Jagat. Vishwam (universe) is the effect, while Vishnu (God) is the cause. Our life is the result of these two aspects; the result of their unification. Good and bad are also the result of association of different aspects. To achieve anything, sustained efforts are necessary. Even walking, talking, driving, etc., require proper practice. Mother at home and teacher at school strive to impart proper knowledge to children. The Bhagavad-gita says,

Shreyohi Jnanamabhyasat,
Jnanaddhyanam Vishishyate, 
Dhyanat Karmaphala Tyaga, 
Tyagat Shantiranantaram.

(Sanskrit Verse)

(Better indeed is knowledge than practice. Better than knowledge is meditation on God. But better than meditation is renunciation of the desire for the fruits of actions. For, there follows peace immediately.)

Our life starts in society, grows in society and ends in society. It is our duty to join a good society, as also to make society good. When one bad person joins 10 good people, he too becomes good. When one good person joins 10 bad people, he too becomes bad. When one cup of water is added to 10 cups of milk, the water becomes a part of the milk. When one cup of milk is added to 10 cups of water, the milk loses its value. Therefore, in order to make life happy, quality and quantity are required to be balanced properly.

Faith Is The Basis Of Love

One can enter the mansion of bliss only after befriending these four watchmen. Man is unable to enjoy bliss because of this lacuna. When a plane is flying, you cannot see its pilot from the ground. If you want to meet the pilot, you have to buy a ticket and fly with him. If you wish to enter a house that is guarded by a dog, either you should befriend the dog or shout the name of the owner until he listens. Friendship with dog denotes Karma Marga (path of action); calling the name of the friend is Bhakti Marga (path of devotion). In fact, the path of devotion is the easiest path to attain Divinity. Practices like Japa and Dhyana (chanting and meditation) are meant for your mental satisfaction.

Love is God, God is Love; Live in Love. Start the day with love, fill the day with love, spend the day with love and end the day with love. This is the way to God. But how can you imbibe love? First you should have faith. Before marriage, you had no special relationship with your wife as she was a stranger. But after marriage, you developed love towards her, as you considered her as a part of your life. Similarly, it is faith that makes a man love his mother. So, faith is the basis for love. Where there is love, there is the spirit of sacrifice. A mother is ever ready to sacrifice for the sake of her son or daughter. For the mansion of life, self-confidence is the foundation, self-satisfaction are the walls, self-sacrifice is the roof and Self-realisation is like living in the mansion of bliss. Life is a game, play it; life is a challenge, meet it; life is a dream, realise it; life is love, share it.

One has to recognise Divinity, experience Divinity and spread Divinity in society without making any distinctions of language, caste, religion, etc.

There is only one religion, the religion of love.
There is only one caste, the caste of humanity.
There is only one language, the language of the heart.
There is only one God, He is Omnipresent.

People suffer because they lack faith and love. They develop fear of each and everything – on the street, in the office, in a plane and what not. What is the reason of fear? The reason behind this fear is cruelty of man and lack of kindness.

It is said that proper study of mankind is man. Those whose thoughts, words and deeds are in perfect harmony are noble ones; those who lack harmony of these are wicked. There is no need for fear when your thoughts, words and deeds are in harmony. When your purse is not full of currency notes, you don’t have to fear about theft. One can easily overcome fear with faith in God. Faith in yourself and faith in God – this is the secret of greatness. Always have good thoughts, good words and good deeds. Know that you are ever surrounded by Divinity. Develop this strong faith. Then only will you have peace.

– Bhagawan’s Discourse in Sai Sruthi, at Kodaikanal on
24th April 1992.