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Source of eternal bliss

CHENNAI: Human beings, whether consciously or unconsciously, seek eternal bliss and the pursuit of happiness in the world is a sign of this quest. The Upanishads, while explaining the nature of the Self (Brahman, Atman), make a distinction between the Self and the non-Self to drive home to the spiritual seeker that except the Self all others fall under the category of non-Self. This categorisation is essential to understand that the Self alone is the nature of eternal bliss. Discrimination of mind to distinguish between the Self and the non-Self is the primary prerequisite of spiritual life.

In her discourse, Swamini Satyavratananda said the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad explained the logic behind why one loved oneself most—the Self is of the nature of lasting infinite bliss. It says, “This Self is dearer than a son, dearer than wealth, dearer than everything else, and is innermost.” The Chandogya Upanishad illustrates that except the Self anything else cannot give permanent joy as they are all finite. It is a caution against depending on anyone for one’s happiness as the fear of losing one’s dearest will always be there. On the other hand, when one identifies with the Self in all there will not be grief over loss of what is understood as non-Self. This is true of all sources of happiness in the world on which a person becomes dependent, as they compromise his freedom.

In relationships a spiritual seeker must learn to relate to the Self in all so that there is no attachment. A man of wisdom (Jnani) is ever joyous because he abides in the Self, and he is endowed with the vision to see the Self in all. His love alone is unconditional. When the Upanishad says that the Self is the dearest of all it does not amount to saying that loving oneself is selfish because the spiritual seeker must identify only with the Self within his personality (and not with the body-mind-intellect). It is for this reason that in the Bhagavad Gita Lord Krishna has stated that of the four types of devotees who worship Him, the Jnani is the dearest: “I am extremely dear to the wise man (who knows Me in reality), and he is extremely dear to Me. Indeed all these are noble, but the man of wisdom is My very self; such is My view.”

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