Manah Sodhanam - Verse 1

PARAMATMA'  DVAYANANDAH  SARVABHUTASTHITO'  PI  HA
AJNANENAVRTO  DRSTAH  TATHAIVA  CA  MANOMALAIH

That sounds pretty straight forward eh? The Paramatma is non dual and full of bliss...present in all beings. But then, we don't get to experience the Paramatma due to our own ignorance and impurities of the mind.

The thing that really stumps me is this truth -stated over and over and over in all scriptures -that we are beings of bliss. Our true state is that of happiness. If we can actually get to experience that bliss, won't our lives be just fantastic? Our happiness is strongly associated with what we have and don't have. A good job, a steady income, health, love, children, new car, own house, vacations -we run behind all these things and much more - just for the sake of some imagined, temporary happiness. While we undoubtedly feel happy when we get what we want, our mind immediately creates another void. Then we run to fill that void to experience our next dose of happiness. This makes it sound as if we spend our life on some imagined treadmill that just would not stop.

It is true that so many little things do make us happy - like a glorious sun rise, a job well done, good food, a kiss from a loved one, the smile of a baby and let me stop here before you all throw up. But even that joy is very fleeting. It is not strong enough to sustain us throughout the day. Also the major sources of happiness that I have mentioned above -aren't they more like a double edged sword? You develop so much attachment with that source of happiness. This attachment in turn fills you with fear of loosing that thing which makes you happy. For example, I love my parents to bits. We all do. They are a source of great joy and happiness to me. Knowing that my mom and dad are there to catch my back is such a big emotional support. But then, I just break out in cold sweat at the thought of living my life without them in the distant future.

Then how can we experience this pure, unadulterated bliss that is independent of everything? How do we realize that we are the part of the whole? How to come to the realization that we are beings of joy and we don't really need anything or anybody to keep us happy?

 We can very easily say that contentment is the key to happiness. But really, if we are truly honest with ourselves, we don't get content that easily -especially in today's consumer driven world. If not things, then we attach our happiness to our emotions and ego. How to really end this? Won't it be wonderful if only we can be in our true state of mind -the one of bliss and awareness of the Brahman? Hari Om!




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