Miscellaneous - Religion

The Self, source of infinite joy

CHENNAI MAY 22 . It is obvious that all human pursuits in the world are undertaken with the intention of finding happiness. Whatever a person does he thinks he will derive joy from it. It is the same with human relationships. One's happiness depends on others as for example in the case of husband and wife relationship. Similarly, wealth is desired for the material pleasures that one can command with it. All that one acquires are dear because they are useful; otherwise they will not be sought after. It is the utility of an object, which is instrumental in giving joy to its owner. On the contrary, the object does not have any use for the person who owns it. Hence man's dependence on material things and relations is because he feels they are essential to his happiness. It is the flaw in this assumption that the Upanishads point out to drive home the fact that man must find the source of true joy and seek it.

The oft-quoted dialogue between Sage Yajnavalkya and his wife Maitreyi that occurs in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad illustrates this truth. When the sage expressed his wish to renounce family life to become a recluse, to Maitreyi, and said he would divide his wealth between her and his other wife, Katyayani, Maitreyi who had always shown inclination for spiritual life asked him, "If this whole Earth filled with wealth were mine, do I become immortal by it or not?" The sage replied, "No. As the life of people who have plenty of things will your life be, but there is no hope of immortality through wealth."

In his discourse, Sri Goda Venketeswara Sastri said Yajnavalkya was pleased when Maitreyi asked him to show her the way to immortality saying that she did not have any use for that (wealth) which was not going to be instrumental in her becoming immortal. The sage then expounded the scriptures to her in a manner she could grasp with examples from day-to-day life. He pointed out that in human relationships as in the case of husband and wife, the husband was dear to the wife for the sake of the Self (Atman). This is true of all relationships and also of one's possessions.

The Self (Atman) is the source of man's happiness and it is infinite. It has to be realised through study of the scriptures and by reflecting on its teachings. The Self cannot be known by the senses and the mind as it is not intellectual knowledge but has to be experienced. By the grace of the Guru Self-knowledge gained by study of the scriptures can be experienced for oneself.

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