The Nature Of Happiness

(Talk By Swami Paramarthananda On Gurupoornima Day-Edited Version)

In the Upanishads Atma is mainly discussed as Sat,Chit, Anandaswarupa and Swamiji Started the Gurupoornima talk saying that he would like to enjoy sharing this topic of Ananda with all as analyzed in the scriptures. Ananda is not an object in the creation and not available as an ingredient purchasable in a super market, as such there is nothing called happiness in the outside world. It is a feeling experienced now and then in one's own the mind and not connected with the mind.

Vedanta gives the five features of this Happiness via 1) Of consciousness that is not a part, product, property of the mind, 2) An independent entity that pervades the mind and makes the mind happy. 3) It is not limited by space and time. 4) Continues to exist even after the destruction of everything including the mind. It is eternal and known as Atmaananda/ Brahmaananda. 5) This happiness survives even after disintegration of everything and not available for want of a medium to manifest. It only seems to belong to the mind like the moonlight on pournami that is only sunlight reflected by the moon.

Similarly mental happiness is but Atmaananda appearing in the mind -a first lesson given by vedanta. Therefore it is the one desire to attain/find this Brahmaananda, a natural instinct to seek, even in animals and plants. Not only that, one wants this happiness to remain permanently, limitless all the time. When one seeks this, vedanta gives the second lesson that wherever one searches, this is not available in the world as an object nor does it belong to the mind inside. Also none of the various types of meditation would give this happiness at anytime. Does that mean that it does not exist?

Vedanta gives the next mind blowing reason/lesson that it is only one, the very subject who is the observer of all objects inside and outside, is that very brahman. It is never experienced just like the eyes cannot see itself. It has to claimed only through one's own jnaanam and never as an object any day. It is also called Vidyaananda .

Vedanta gives the the third lesson that is the benefit of this knowledge. Once one knows this truth ,all the struggles to find this happiness through various objects, relationships etc. comes to an end. The mind is now relaxed and is able to reflect the Atmaananda fully. This ananda is called viragaananda (Brahmaananda reflected in the mind). A jnani enjoys both Vidyaananda and Viragaananda. Therefore our prayer is for this jnana vairagya Ananda. otherwise one remains in vshayaananda, a samasri all the time. Swamiji quoted Swami Dayannda saying that one doesn’t have to buy the Raymond’s suit to become the complete man. Discovering this Atmaananda is moksha and one can enjoy vishayaananda without ever depending on it. In Vidyaananda, Viragaananda and Vishayaananda the first two together is moksha and the third alone is samsara when you run after it endlessly.

P.S.: Any mistake in the above version is mine and should not be attributed to my Guru Swami Paramarthananda.