Basics of Vedanta Part 11

                       Atman The Bliss aspect 

Bliss is of the nature of Absolute Happiness.

Any thing or being is dear to us, only when it gives us a joy. Isn’t it?? A house is dear to me, as it gives me comfort. My family members are dear to me as they give me joy, pleasure, satisfaction.  Thus we love whatever is dear to me. That means, we are loving the things and beings for our own sake. Isn’t it true? I love myself the most, that’s why for my sake, I love others. Got it ?

I love others for my sake, but I love myself unconditionally.
We will understand this with few simple examples. 

Your house is dear to you….but if fire hazard happens,  you run away for your own sake.

You love the jewellery a lot….but if thieves come with heavy weapons, you throw away the jewelry for your own sake.

You love a person. But if he is proved to be danger for you, you leave him for your own sake.

People give consent to ampute the legs, to remove the organs , etc for own sake.

What does these examples prove? This I, your own Self must be the source of  Absolute Happiness.  That’s why very dear to you.
This I is the Self,  of the nature of the Absolute Bliss.

You have learnt in previous clips that this Bliss aspect of the Self is reflected in the clear and steady mind. Every joyful and happy moment is the reflected Bliss from the Self only. In deep sleep state, you enjoy long duration Bliss because of the Self getting reflected in the Bliss sheath/ causal body. You are so fond of this blissfull rejuvenating experience that to get it people consume sleeping pills. Even if you are in the midst of dearest things and beings, when you feel sleepy, you discard all those to enjoy the sound sleep.

But because of the ignorance of this fact, that I, myself is the source of absolute Bliss, i  run after this and that to get it.

Fragrance of the musk/ kastoori is dear to the musk deer( कस्तुरीमृग).  It’s source is its naval only. But being in ignorance of the source, it runs here and there to get the source. We are like that musk deer.

Things and beings are giving the temporary joy ( that is too the borrowed joy from  the reflected self in the mind calmed after getting the desired/ dear object). Instead of seeking the source, we are after finite and changing objects to get the joy.

The one who has experienced the Self, is joyful 24×7 in any state, irrespective and independent of the external world of things and beings. Let it be any scenario,  he is in absolute bliss/ happiness.
Thus this is all about the Self / Atman.

Which is the cause of the world  and of the nature of the Sat Chit Ananda.

Self is partless, Infinite. The three aspects indicates the nature of the Self from different standpoint. Otherwise they are one. To get liberated from all the sorrows, to be happy  forever, we have to know the Self. It should be known by listening,  reflecting and meditating on it. It is also true that even if one listens, reflects and meditates on it, the experience may still be at an intellectual level. Even if digested, assimilation is distant.
Solution for this is the preparation of the mind. The mind which is steady and clear is the must, and the best cleanser is karma yoga, bhakti yoga.

Doing the karmas good for all, with faith and devotion to the Lord surely cleans the mind. Knowledge gets firmly rooted in such pure mind and the Self is directly experienced.

In next part, we will learn about the Universe and Maya. 

                       Hari Om !