by Sri Bimal Mohanty
VOL No. 42
August. 2004

ATTEMPTS TO DESCRIBE BRAMHAN - Part 16

"Based on the lectures by Sri Bimal Mohanty"

What gives us Ananda? What gives us non-stop bliss?

Common sense tells us that the first cause of unhappiness for any one is when we are stopped or denied of a free will. Will unlimited is happiness and restricted will is unhappiness. When our will is put to work, it wants no obstacles or hindrance of any kind. Any obstruction raises the level of unhappiness.

So the happiness is associated with _expression of free will and freedom of the will at works.

If I encounter a denial to my free will or obstruction to my will at work, then inter-alia I must admit the presence of somebody or something or some power, besides me, who is responsible for restricting my free will. This is easily understood when we look at our day to day interactions at the worldly level.

But that relates to momentary pleasures, where as we are talking of a larger canvas and happiness or Ananda of a permanent nature.

If we visualize a second entity other than me who stands between me and my happiness, then I must understand and reconcile with that entity while searching for permanent bliss. Until I do that, and as long as I believe the presence of two adversaries, one will always remain unhappy.

Who then is this other one?

We have to now fall back upon what we have learnt from our scriptures. One thing, which has come loud and clear, is that in this entire creation, there is only one entity.

Ekam, dvitiyam naiva vidyAte. One and only one without a second. There is one and only Bramhan.

Only Bramhan has this unrestricted free will, because there is none else whose will runs in this entire universe.

Secondly, His will, in its working, has no obstacles or hindered by anything, because there is none who has the power to counteract His will. He is the only sarvajnya- the omniscient, possessor of all information and knowledge. He is sarvashaktiman, omnipotent.

So potentially, it is the Bramhan who becomes the only source of Ananda or permanent bliss, none else.

Now the jiva or the individual being, searching for bliss has two choices before him. The first choice is that, he can rise above Bramhan, for argument sake and vanquish Him, so that the greatest power of obstruction to his free will is eliminated.

But the jiva is too limited in its knowledge or power to overcome Bramhan. The absurdity is further emphasized on realization that the power of the individual being is only the reflected power of Bramhan Himself.

There has to be a solution.

So our wise seers, saw the possibility of a second and achievable alternative. Instead of being an ego driven adversary, it is wiser to surrender yourself to this Supreme power. Be one with Him. Harmonize your will with His will. Re-orient your work to His work.

This happens to be a wiser alternative and to act this way sounds more prudent.

This action by the jiva is further justified, when the jiva discovers, whom he thought of as an adversary, is indeed no adversary at all. He indeed is the supreme well-wisher and the source of all desirable things that the jiva wished for.

Once this is understood, the jiva plunges unto Him without harboring any doubts whatsoever. We call this sharanAgati- surrending of one’s self.

Once refuge is taken in Him, His free will becomes your free will. His actions become your action. His self bliss becomes your bliss. His Ananda becomes your Ananda.

The picture becomes clear. Ananda becomes yours, when you become one with the source of Ananda, merge and lose yourself in Ananda.

No other alternative exists.

More about AnandaBramhan follows next.