When you rise above joy and grief, Bliss is absolute, independent, full. (GV, p. 32)
‘Bliss is the nature of Atma, your own innermost Reality’. (SSS Vol. 6, p. 93)
Faith In God Is The Basis Of Bliss. mp3
Every man aspires for bliss. In order to attain everlasting bliss, he studies sacred texts, listens to the discourses of noble souls, undertakes pilgrimages and performs various spiritual practices like penance, meditation, etc. But none of these confers bliss on him. There are five sheaths in every human being, namely, annamaya kosha (food sheath), pranamaya kosha (life sheath), manomaya kosha (mental sheath), vijnanamaya kosha (wisdom sheath) and anandamaya kosha (bliss sheath). Though man has bliss sheath in him, he is unable to experience bliss. There is no trace of bliss in him. The happiness that man derives out of worldly comforts is limited. It is utter foolishness to think that wealth and property, comforts and conveniences can bestow unlimited joy on him. None of these can give true happiness. True happiness has no limits. How can it be attained? It cannot be attained from outside. It originates from the heart. The heart is the dwelling place of God. To experience true happiness, man should develop firm faith in God. Where there is faith, there is love. Only when man has love in him can he practise righteousness. Righteousness leads to truth which in turn leads to God. God alone is the source and basis of bliss. Truth is the basis of God. Righteousness is the basis of truth. Love is the basis of righteousness. Faith is the basis of love. (SSS Vol.35, pp.78-79)
Through deep detachment, the craving for sensual pleasure must disappear; that will cleanse the I or consciousness. So God will be reflected clear and the Reality can be recognized; this results in equanimity, which is the highest bliss. (SSS Vol. 6, p. 225)
He who does not attach himself to the ‘scene’ but who is engrossed in his own Atmic bliss; it is he who attains Satya,Nitya, Nirmala and Shanti. Or even if he attains one, it is enough; for one includes all. (PraV, p. 291)
Man’s very nature is bliss. He is indeed the embodiment of happiness. If sugar were to lose its sweetness, it ceases to be sugar. If a rose were to lose its fragrance, it would no longer be a rose. Likewise, if a man loses his natural condition of happiness and bliss, he has forfeited his human state. (ICS , p. 98)
Bliss is the goal for which you undertake any activity - mundane or spiritual. Bliss is the goal of all religions. The paths may be many, but the goal is one, just as jewels are many, but gold is one, and cows are many but milk is one. Therefore, you should never criticize any religion. Along with your education, try to develop equal-mindedness and universal love so that you can experience the unity in diversity. (ICS , p. 154)
You complain, ‘Swami has not softened towards me’. Well; melt His heart, Yearn! Show Him the warmth of repentant heart, of a sympathetic heart anxious to alleviate distress. Through deep detachment, the craving for sensual pleasure must disappear, that will cleanse the consciousness. God will then be reflected clear and the Reality can be recognised; this results in Peace, Equanimity, which is the highest bliss. (Sens.SS, p. 74)
There are two categories of bliss in the world: Acquired bliss (Sadhana Janya ananda) and Self-generating bliss (Swatas-Siddha ananda). Acquired bliss is associated with sensory objects. It arises and vanishes from tune to time. It does not endure. For instance, when hunger is appeased, there is happiness for the moment. But it ceases after a time. This applies to all objects in the world. What is experienced when they are enjoyed is evanescent. This type of joy has been described as acquired or derived happiness. As it is got and lost by human effort, it is not true bliss. Man, however, seeks lasting bliss (ananda). He is, in fact, filled with bliss and is the embodiment of bliss. Bliss constitutes his very nature and being. It exists sui generis in him. Why, then, does he not experience it? This is because; even though he is the embodiment of bliss, unaware of his true nature he is obsessed with the external world and fails to experience the bliss within him. He imagines that the source of joy lies in Nature (the phenomenal world). This is wrong. The bliss that is all pervasive in the cosmos is also within man. But, as in the case of butter which is present in every drop of milk but which can be seen only after the milk is curdled and the buttermilk is churned, this inner bliss can be experienced only after the right effort is made. The mind is filled with various kinds of joy. It is only when the appropriate enquiry is made and one’s true nature is ascertained there the divineSat-cit-ananda inherent in one will be manifest. (SSS Vol.22, p. 8)
I do not know whether you are aware of Swami’s nature. When someone comes to Swami and
Man struggles like a fish in a dry bowl, frantically, to return to God, which is his home, and ananda (divine bliss), which is his element. He seeks God or ananda, which is but another Name of God, up in space, down in the bowels of the earth, alone or in crowded congregations, in silence or in noise. But all the time the spring of ananda lies in his own heart. He can tap it if only he knows how to delve into the poise of deep meditation. (SSS Vol.8, p. 71)
Today s man, who claims to know everything and engages in exploring space, is unable to experience bliss. If one acquires the ability to explore the stars or walk on the moon, but is unable to understand his own true nature, he misses his integral consciousness. This consciousness is not related to Knowledge of the external world. It can be experienced only by turning one s vision inward. Only when he has samagrata bhavam (integral awareness) will he have the right perception of a sage. Only such integral vision can confer bliss.
What is the greatest cause of bondage? When people speak about man s bondage, what is it that binds man? Man can liberate himself only when he knows what it is that binds him. Are wife and children the bonds? No. Is it property? No. Are they sensual desires? No. The greatest cause of bondage is the failure to know himself. An individual who is not aware of his true self cannot escape from sorrow. As long as sorrow is there, bliss cannot be experienced.
As long as man does not give up what he ought to renounce, he will not experience bliss. As long as he is not aware of what he ought to know he cannot get bliss. Bliss will elude man until he reaches the goal he should aim at. (SSS Vol.25)