Article sent from The Hindu

[Guest guest]

=============================================================

This article is emailed to you by Ram Chandran ( rchandran )

=============================================================

Source: The Hindu (http://www.hinduonnet.com)

 

Bliss, essential nature of man

 

CHENNAI, JULY 27. We accept joys and sorrows as facts of worldly

life but try to attain a state in which sorrows cease without

realising that our true nature is blissful. Joy is the intrinsic

nature of the Self (Atman) and it is sorrow which is alien to it

and comes from outside the Self. So the whole object of spiritual

exercise is to gain the knowledge of the Self as a result of

which sufferings of the material world will not afflict anymore.

Self-knowledge and bliss are one and the same, and are the two

sides of the same coin. Most of our problems arise due to the

transient nature of the source of our happiness. Even the

knowledge of a state in which it is possible to experience

eternal joy gives a sense of peace within when one embarks on the

spiritual quest.

 

It is essential to understand the difference between Self-

knowledge which is eternal and objective knowledge which pertains

to the material world which is not so. How do we acquire

knowledge? The senses bring a lot of sensory inputs to the mind

but they do not by themselves result in knowledge and it is the

mind which is responsible for it. When the Sun arises everyone

wakes up and goes about their activities; so also, in the

presence of the mind the sensations result in knowledge.

Empirical knowledge lasts only till the sense impressions last or

till the mind retains it in memory. So it cannot be eternal and

not pertain to the Self as the scriptures state that the Self is

eternal.

 

Then the next logical question that arises is, ``Who impels the

mind to function?'' This question is addressed in the

Kenopanishad right at the outset. In his discourse on the

Hastamaleekayam, Sri K.Srinivasan said that Sankara in his

commentary on this hymn has explained how it was due to the Self

that the senses and the mind get knowledge of the objective

world. The analogy of the Moon shining because of the light of

the Sun is apt to illustrate this. Just as when light and heat

are separated from fire then it is no more fire, if knowledge is

removed from the Self, then it is no more Self. This is the

reason why the scriptures describe that knowledge and bliss are

the essential nature of the Self.

 

The common mistake one makes while undertaking scriptural study

is to seek Self-knowledge as any other secular knowledge since

the familiar process of acquiring knowledge is related to objects

in the world. But spiritual knowledge is of the Self and hence to

get over this mistaken notion Guru's grace is essential; in the

presence of a realised person the mind acquires the capacity to

grasp Self-knowledge.

 

Copyrights: 1995 - 2001 The Hindu

 

Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly

prohibited without the consent of The Hindu