Where Lies True Happiness?

Whatever may take place in the world, Atma sukha, the Self-contentment should never be lost. In fact, objective-pleasures are tiny particles of Atma-sukha. This means that any pleasure is always an evolute of the Atma and not a derivative of action. All actions are prompted by the mind. That relationship is never lost even while performing an action. The actions also end in the mind. And memory arises because the mind records everything that happens. Though the actions cease, their memories remain.

All the sense of pleasure seeming to arise from world objects, is not external, but internal. So the objective-pleasures are the external manifestations of the inner happiness, outflow. The objective-pleasures are a mere speck of the subjective happiness, which the Upanishads and Vedas promise.

The Atma is brilliant and blissful. Mind is its expression, in fact, its glory. But due to delusion and confusion, the mind feels attracted or repelled by the shadows of the objects formed in it. Then it gets dislodged. When the inner personality becomes pure and enlightened, the mind and intelligence, displaying the bliss of the Atma, will show its true colours and glory. Krishna is the personification of such a state of bliss, exhilaration of nirvana, the beautiful form.

Yoga is the harmonious dissolution of the mind, intelligence and ego into the inner soul, Atma.

Uddhava said: svadhaama naya maama api – do take me along to that abode to which you are going. Do not forsake me. I too want to live with you! I cannot think of anything else.”

Devotees! This is the touchstone for the minds of devotees. By the practice of devotion the mind should reach such a level that it is unable to separate itself from God. Only such an attitude will make it true bhakti. If on the one hand you rely on the alluring though transient world, and on the other claim that you have devotion to God, how can such an adulterated mix be true devotion?

Bringing about sufficient regulation in the senses and the mind, is the redress for all the ills of our worldly life. Never give any independent status to the multifarious and multi-faceted external world. Your own inner Atma comes first, and then follows experience of the world. The entire world should be viewed as the expansion of your mind, display of your Atma . There cannot be any differentiation like ‘inside’, ‘outside’, ‘internal’, ‘external’ in that unique Truth. Atma is neither a ‘subject’ nor ‘object’ in the usual sense. This inner presence, which is beyond both, beyond the senses, is the supreme Truth.  – Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha, [Excerpts from Poojya Swamiji’s book “Krishna as 24 Teachers”](c) Narayanashrama Tapovanam, 2012

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