by Sri Bimal Mohanty
VOL No. 42
August. 2004

ATTEMPTS TO DESCRIBE BRAMHAN - Part 16

"Based on the lectures by Sri Bimal Mohanty"

So by sharpening the antahkarana, by yogasadhanA, the man continues his research to know more about this permanent bliss or Ananda.

At this stage, it is necessary that we first understand what is this Ananda.

We are all familiar with the word happiness which is translated as sukha. Is sukha same as Ananda?

Although these two words, sukha and Ananda are often used by us interchangeably, for the sake of clear understanding, we have to interpret them separately.

In life we get some happiness and some unhappiness all the time. Sukha or happiness and Duhkha or unhappiness follow each other like two opposite points of a wheel. When Duhkha comes, every one in his heart of hearts knows that this phase will pass. That is the greatest motivation at physical level that keeps us living life. Otherwise no one would be interested in living. And when Sukha comes, the only hope we cherish is to prolong this period and do not want this to end.

But this feeling being at the physical level, and being totally influenced by our sense organs and limited intellect, is subject to a serious disease of the mind.

When our senses are unsatisfied, we are very unhappy, looking for means to satisfy them. When that is done we feel satisfied. But as all very well know, satisfaction of senses is like a bottomless pit. No one has ever in this creation has achieved satisfaction of senses, nor any one ever will be. The disease of the mind has its root in this dissatisfaction. We simply can not help but ask for more, more and further more.

As it is said in the Bhagavat purana(9.11.14) The desires never get satisfied through their enjoyment. Fire is never doused by pouring clarified butter into it. It only increases.

That is the disease of the mind. Is there a remedy for this disease?

Fortunately there is. Otherwise we all would be permanently doomed to disaster.

The remedy for this mental disease is jnAna or knowledge. When mind acquires knowledge, it becomes stronger and wiser and we then call it higher mind. The higher mind realises that sukha is not what it is after.

The higher mind takes further steps in search of bliss or Ananda that will be sustainable. The seers made a distinction between sukha or temporary happiness or unreal happiness and permanent Ananda or real bliss.

Indeed every jiva or individual soul searches for happiness, but it is only man who searches this analytically by using his mind, discerning power and ego-self.

And what does he discover? He finds that there is a great difference between appeasement of senses and a sustainable bliss.