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Source: The Hindu (http://www.the-hindu.com)

 

Contentment, key to happiness

 

CHENNAI, NOV. 9. Cultivating the company of saints (Satsangh) is

an important constituent of the path to salvation. Satsangh

connotes being in the company of the Self (Atman) and in the case

of the spiritual aspirant till he realises the Self he has to

find all possible ways to get the benefit of those who have

attained oneness with the Self as their company is spiritually

beneficial. In the spiritual tradition many saints have shown by

personal example the importance of Satsangh by devising certain

procedures for deriving benefit from such association.

 

Swami Sivananda's life and teachings are a standing example of

how he advocated a practical approach to spirituality which can

benefit all sections of society. He grouped Satsangh under four

practices: prayer, Bhajan, Mantras and meditation. Such an

integral approach involving Karma (action), Bhakti (devotion) and

Jnana (knowledge) ensures all-round development of the

individual.

 

In his discourse, Swami Vimalananda said that exposition of the

scriptural texts was a sure method of deriving spiritual benefit

from the saints and sages who had composed them. The Yoga

Vasishta is a work which has been discoursed upon by saints.

Originally it was part of the Maha Ramayana but came to be

treated as an independent treatise in course of time. It is a

philosophical text which expounds subtle truths through parables.

 

Rama once became very dejected and Dasaratha became worried that

he was unable to answer the question He raised as to why there

was so much unhappiness in the world. So he approached the family

preceptor, Sage Vasishta, and asked him to enlighten Rama about

the doubts He had about worldly life. This dialogue between the

sage and Rama touches on fundamental philosophical concepts to

explain which Vasishta related several stories to engage his

young disciple.

 

The teachings focus on the important issue of why there is

suffering in the world. Vasishta explained that there was no

suffering per se and it was only a state of mind. Joy and sorrow

are only an individual's reaction to a given situation. So

ultimately it is the mind which perceives a situation as

sorrowful and when the mind is subjugated it can transcend joy

and sorrow.

 

Satsangh enables the spiritual aspirant to control the mind. The

Bhagavad Gita says that desire and anger are the greatest enemies

of man. Desires drive the mind to a state of restlessness and

when the desires are not fulfilled there is anger. So the key to

happiness in worldly life is contentment. Company of saints will

help one to develop this virtue.

 

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