The mind is the cause of happiness and unhappiness

November 13, 2008

A person is happy when other living beings or inanimate objects are favourable to him, and unhappy when they are unfavourable. A thing or person is considered favourable when that thing or person responds in the way desired. If a son obeys his father, the father is happy; if he does not, the father is unhappy. A person is happy with his car or any other object as long as it functions well; if it does not, he is unhappy and wants to get rid of it. It is thus clear that happiness and unhappiness are only states of the mind, but are wrongly thought to be caused by external objects. Happiness is the result of the mind becoming calm. The mind becomes calm temporarily when a particular desire is fulfilled, and then happiness is experienced. But soon another desire crops up and agitates the mind, causing unhappiness. Thus it is clear that lasting happiness cannot be attained by the fulfilment of desires.

Detachment is the key to lasting happiness

True and lasting happiness can result only if the mind is permanently kept calm. This can be achieved only if desires, which are the cause of mental agitation, are completely eliminated. We are therefore led to the conclusion that total detachment towards all worldly pleasures (Vairagya) is the only means for the attainment of true and lasting happiness, which is Brahmananda.

Vairagya is the most essential requisite for a person who wishes to attain Self-knowledge, which alone will lead to eternal bliss. It is said by Shri Shankara that one who attempts to attain Self-knowledge without cultivating dispassion is like a person trying to cross a river on the back of a crocodile, mistaking it for a floating log of wood. He is sure to be eaten up by the crocodile midway.

The essential requisite for a spiritual aspirant is purity of mind. There are six enemies of the spiritual aspirant and all these arise in the mind These are desire, anger, greed, infatuation, pride, and jealousy. Of these, the first, desire, is the cause of all the other five. That is why so much stress is laid on rooting out of desire from the mind. The chandogya upanishad explains how the mind can be made pure.

ch. up. 7.26.2 says: AhArashuddhau sattvashuddhiH—---

"From purity of food follows purity of the internal organ (mind). From the purification of the internal organ unfailing memory results. When memory is attained, all the knots of the heart are cut asunder".

Shri Shankara explains this passage thus in his bhAshya: By food is meant all that is enjoyed through the senses. What is meant is that all enjoyments should be free of all defects such as attachment, repulsion or delusion. When all enjoyments are pure, the internal organ becomes pure. From the purification of the internal organ there arises continuous memory of the Infinite Self. Then follows the destruction of all the bonds born of nescience which had become hardened by the vAsanas accumulated over innumerable lives. Therefore one should ensure that everything that he enjoys is pure.

S.N.Sastri

November 13, 2008

Krishna Guruvayoorappa,

Dear Sastriji,

Namo Nama.

Wonderful explanation of the tru knowledge in very simple language. Looking forward to more such kind of invaluable postings which will be beneficial for one and all.

Thanks very much, God bless. Hare Krishna.

G. Hari Prasad

Krishna Guruvayoorappa

--- On Thu, 11/13/08, S.N. Sastri <sn.sastri wrote:

S.N. Sastri <sn.sastri[Guruvayur] The mind is the cause of happiness and unhappinessguruvayur Date: Thursday, November 13, 2008, 8:48 PM

The mind is the cause of happiness and unhappiness

A person is happy when other living beings or inanimate objects are favourable to him, and unhappy when they are unfavourable. A thing or person is considered favourable when that thing or person responds in the way desired. If a son obeys his father, the father is happy; if he does not, the father is unhappy. A person is happy with his car or any other object as long as it functions well; if it does not, he is unhappy and wants to get rid of it. It is thus clear that happiness and unhappiness are only states of the mind, but are wrongly thought to be caused by external objects. Happiness is the result of the mind becoming calm. The mind becomes calm temporarily when a particular desire is fulfilled, and then happiness is experienced. But soon another desire

crops up and agitates the mind, causing unhappiness. Thus it is clear that lasting happiness cannot be attained by the fulfilment of desires.

Detachment is the key to lasting happiness

True and lasting happiness can result only if the mind is permanently kept calm. This can be achieved only if desires, which are the cause of mental agitation, are completely eliminated. We are therefore led to the conclusion that total detachment towards all worldly pleasures (Vairagya) is the only means for the attainment of true and lasting happiness, which is Brahmananda.

Vairagya is the most essential requisite for a person who wishes to attain Self-knowledge, which alone will lead to eternal bliss. It is said by Shri Shankara that one who attempts to attain Self-knowledge without cultivating dispassion is like a person trying to cross a river on the back of a crocodile, mistaking it for a floating log of wood. He is sure to be eaten up by the crocodile midway.

The essential requisite for a spiritual aspirant is purity of mind. There are six enemies of the spiritual aspirant and all these arise in the mind These are desire, anger, greed, infatuation, pride, and jealousy. Of these, the first, desire, is the cause of all the other five. That is why so much stress is laid on rooting out of desire from the mind. The chandogya upanishad explains how the mind can be made pure.

ch. up. 7.26.2 says: AhArashuddhau sattvashuddhiH— ---

"From purity of food follows purity of the internal organ (mind). From the purification of the internal organ unfailing memory results. When memory is attained, all the knots of the heart are cut asunder".

Shri Shankara explains this passage thus in his bhAshya: By food is meant all that is enjoyed through the senses. What is meant is that all enjoyments should be free of all defects such as attachment, repulsion or delusion. When all enjoyments are pure, the internal organ becomes pure. From the purification of the internal organ there arises continuous memory of the Infinite Self. Then follows the destruction of all the bonds born of nescience which had become hardened by the vAsanas accumulated over innumerable lives. Therefore one should ensure that everything that he enjoys is pure.

S.N.Sastri

November 25, 2008

Hariom.Pujya Gurudev Swami CHINMAYANANDA has devised a formula to find the quantum of happiness:

H(quantum of happiness=No of desires fulfilled

-----------------------------

No.of desires entertained

Reduce denominator wilfully,happiness is more.Numerator, depends on various factors, so no scope for enhancement.Wonderful?prabhakar.prabhakarji, C/0 GUruvayurappan,gvr.--- On Thu, 11/13/08, S.N. Sastri <sn.sastri wrote:

S.N. Sastri <sn.sastri[Guruvayur] The mind is the cause of happiness and unhappinessguruvayur Date: Thursday, November 13, 2008, 8:48 PM

The mind is the cause of happiness and unhappiness

A person is happy when other living beings or inanimate objects are favourable to him, and unhappy when they are unfavourable. A thing or person is considered favourable when that thing or person responds in the way desired. If a son obeys his father, the father is happy; if he does not, the father is unhappy. A person is happy with his car or any other object as long as it functions well; if it does not, he is unhappy and wants to get rid of it. It is thus clear that happiness and unhappiness are only states of the mind, but are wrongly thought to be caused by external objects. Happiness is the result of the mind becoming calm. The mind becomes calm temporarily when a particular desire is fulfilled, and then happiness is experienced. But soon another desire

crops up and agitates the mind, causing unhappiness. Thus it is clear that lasting happiness cannot be attained by the fulfilment of desires.

Detachment is the key to lasting happiness

True and lasting happiness can result only if the mind is permanently kept calm. This can be achieved only if desires, which are the cause of mental agitation, are completely eliminated. We are therefore led to the conclusion that total detachment towards all worldly pleasures (Vairagya) is the only means for the attainment of true and lasting happiness, which is Brahmananda.

Vairagya is the most essential requisite for a person who wishes to attain Self-knowledge, which alone will lead to eternal bliss. It is said by Shri Shankara that one who attempts to attain Self-knowledge without cultivating dispassion is like a person trying to cross a river on the back of a crocodile, mistaking it for a floating log of wood. He is sure to be eaten up by the crocodile midway.

The essential requisite for a spiritual aspirant is purity of mind. There are six enemies of the spiritual aspirant and all these arise in the mind These are desire, anger, greed, infatuation, pride, and jealousy. Of these, the first, desire, is the cause of all the other five. That is why so much stress is laid on rooting out of desire from the mind. The chandogya upanishad explains how the mind can be made pure.

ch. up. 7.26.2 says: AhArashuddhau sattvashuddhiH— ---

"From purity of food follows purity of the internal organ (mind). From the purification of the internal organ unfailing memory results. When memory is attained, all the knots of the heart are cut asunder".

Shri Shankara explains this passage thus in his bhAshya: By food is meant all that is enjoyed through the senses. What is meant is that all enjoyments should be free of all defects such as attachment, repulsion or delusion. When all enjoyments are pure, the internal organ becomes pure. From the purification of the internal organ there arises continuous memory of the Infinite Self. Then follows the destruction of all the bonds born of nescience which had become hardened by the vAsanas accumulated over innumerable lives. Therefore one should ensure that everything that he enjoys is pure.

S.N.Sastri