Discourse on Yoga Vasishtha
Day 124, April 27
Sri Sadgurubhyo namaha
Om Santissantissantihi
Santosha niroopana is the topic we are discussing. Yesterday we learned that the source of all despair and difficulties is lack of happiness. Those who are happy and view the world equipped with spiritual wisdom, will have a mind that is like a freshly blossomed flower which never fades.
What is the nature and attribute of a happy man? What gives happiness? We are given answers today. The mind generates heat with desires. A mind filled with excessive desires gets scorched by them. When the mind gets cool with happiness, it feels relaxation. One must never dwell in grief. Grief repels the Goddess Lakshmi. Genuine happiness is mentioned here, not foolish laughter. One must perceive the world with spiritual awareness. The mind of such a man will never wilt or fade. His lotus-like mind never fades. In the dark night called ignorance, the Sun of happiness must rise and shine to make the mind-lotus bloom.
We sometimes get lost in the despair caused by unfulfilled desires. At such times the face fades and we lose our glow and radiance. The face appears dull and unattractive.
Even in dire poverty, a happy man will be radiant and joyful.
Don’t have excessive joy upon getting what you desire, nor excessive sorrow upon losing or not getting your desires fulfilled. Also, do not feel or show pride in possessing what you have, what has come to you either by your effort, or otherwise.
Rama is described as ‘Jagadanandakaraka’ (one who grants happiness to the Universe), by Saint Tyagaraja.
The happy man’s face is radiant as the moon that rises from the Ocean of Milk. Give up greed to remain happy. Develop equanimity of mind to attain happiness. After beautiful descriptions, we are given these secrets today in this discussion of how to acquire happiness.
ajnana ..
In the night, it is dark, especially so when it is new moon. Those who are ignorant spiritually, always live in darkness. That is why one should pray to Sadguru for Light. It is pitch dark. It is midnight. It is raining. We are in the middle of a forest. There are venomous and dangerous animals around. The roof of our flimsy shelter is leaking. Who will help us? Who will rescue us from danger? How will the sun rise? When will this treacherous predicament end? When will it be dawn? We become anxious and impatient.
Even in such a situation, if a man must remain fresh and confident, then, happiness must arise in his mind like the Sun. Just by lighting lamps, you cannot make it become day.
Man, who is like a lotus, will bloom when the sun of happiness rises and casts his radiant rays upon his mind. One must keep reminding oneself to be happy.
Strangely, some people forget to be happy even in the presence of Sadguru, because their mind is still absorbed in matters elsewhere. One must remind oneself to be happy. If the sun called happiness is shining, the man, like a lotus will remain fresh and glorious.
verse
Happiness is the root cause for attaining spiritual knowledge. When one becomes obsessed with greed and becomes a slave to it, then his mind goes out of his control. Excessive and selfish desire is implied here, where one disregards the needs of others and wants everything just for himself. From such a mind, happiness will depart. When you are hungry, if only chutney is available, be contented with it and fill your stomach. Out of excessive desire for curry and other preferred dishes, if one starves himself, he will become dizzy with weakness and will collapse.
The man who does not know how to enjoy himself with what is available, will keep a dull and morose face. Just as a reflection is not seen in a dirty mirror, the mind of such a man will not gain knowledge. Give up greed and excessive desires to be happy.
verse
With happiness, diseases will get cured. Doctors say so. God has told the doctors through the Vedas. Sadguru conveys this knowledge to the doctors that a happy mind helps heal faster.
One is nothing. Adi Sankara confessed to Mother Goddess, “O Mother, I am the most worthless of all creatures. Please offer me alms. I have come to you as a beggar.” A man so great, expresses such humility and absence of pride.
In the world, there is a general feeling that one who lacks money is poor. But a man who lacks spiritual knowledge is the poorest of the poor. One who has spiritual wisdom will enjoy the greatest happiness. He has complete contentment. He may be a rickshaw puller and may wear a torn shirt, as you find in Haridwar and other places. He is totally unconcerned and at peace even though he may be a street or pavement dweller.
Mental diseases, and physical diseases are cured by happiness. A happy man is a healthy man. Happiness is most important. Mental ailments get cured only with happiness and relaxation. People go on a holiday, visit ashrams, seek Sadguru’s guidance, or worship at temples to gain happiness and peace of mind.
One who is wise has no desires, and no feeling of dissatisfaction. He is happy with what he gets. Whether something comes either by effort, or by merit earned in past lives, it should be properly and wisely used for enjoyment. There is a method for enjoyment. One should not gobble up food in haste just because it has come your way and it is something that you cherish. Show restraint, even if what you get is your most desired item, like a favorite sweet. Eat only moderately and slowly, with control. Otherwise, it will cause sickness.
A happy man is sweet and gentle in his nature. One who is in his presence feels pleasant and comfortable. Saint Tyagaraja composed a Ghana Raga Pancharatna Kriti, that describes Rama as Jagadanandakaraka.. It is sung during the Tyagaraja and Venkatamakhi Aradhana function held at the ashram the night before Sivaratri.
A man who is happy, contented, and sweet natured, has a manner which appears very attractive.
verse
The names of Mother Goddess given in the Lalita Sahasranama are Tushti, and Pushti. The two go together – Satisfaction and Strength. Without satisfaction, strength is not gained. Food must be treated and considered as Parabrahman. One must eat with deliberate awareness that it is sacred and sustains life and strength.
There is no greater state of mind than that which is contented.
Ocean of Milk is white. The white full moon is rising from it. It is a calm and serene ocean. Lord Maha Vishnu resides on it. Imagine the sight of the white milky ocean and the white full moon emerging from it. How beautiful it is. The happy man’s face is as beautiful and glows with the enchantment of Lakshmi. The pure and pristine mind expresses itself in the smiling face. If a person is discontented, Mother Goddess Lakshmi will go away from such a person. Only if you recognize and acknowledge your blessings and express your gratitude to Mother Goddess repeatedly in your prayers, she will remain happily with you. Otherwise, if you keep complaining, she will get fed up and will leave you.
How to give up Thrishnaa, excessive greed, which wishes good fortune for oneself and misfortune upon all others? For many, it is their inborn nature. How to overcome it?
Poorna ..
If you understand what ‘niratishaya’ means, then you will understand that the happiness granted by spiritual wisdom is something that endures permanently. One must obtain and enjoy that kind of happiness. That supreme bliss is indescribable and incomparable. ‘Na guroradhikam’ .. one must praise Sadguru that none either equals or excels him. All others are lesser in status than Guru. Parabrahman is absolutely pure and unblemished. The happiness that He grants is Supreme.
Such supreme divine bliss should be contemplated upon and prayed for. Those who enjoy such bliss do not depend upon any outside entity for their inner happiness. They revel in themselves constantly. Self-entertaining is a great avocation.
People are on the battle front, in snowy mountains or under deadly heat in scorching deserts, under a flimsy shade. Not even a radio or television are there to entertain them. But they are given training in self-entertainment. No one is there to speak to. No animal, no other creature. At least in a forest you find animals and birds. Here there is unbearable breeze, storms, and they still withstand the situation. How long can they endure that silence and loneliness? They entertain themselves with memories and thoughts. How long can they listen to the same recorded music or speeches?
A spiritual seeker is required to enjoy his own company and not to seek the company of others. One must learn this skill, this art of being happy within oneself. While doing penance, and austerities, even if one is amidst people, one must keep the attitude as if one is alone and in solitude. One must not be distracted by the presence of others.
The first step is to dwell only upon thoughts of Sadguru and the Paramatman, and to ponder over spiritual truths. One must practice being happy while alone. The next step is to overcome and chase away any negative thoughts, without allowing them to remain in the mind, causing disturbance.
Be courageous that you are there. Do not fret that no one or nothing is there to entertain you. Have the faith that this is the beginning of all your great acquisitions. Just turn over a new leaf. Begin writing on a new, clean, fresh page, when it appears as if everything is lost.
santoshamrita ..
A mind that is filled with happiness is free from rage and regret.
Anger and grief should be given up. Those whose minds are free from anger and sorrow remain cool and comfortable. It is as if one gives himself a shot in the arm. It is like self-medication.
You may ask: How can one live without any desires in the world? Without desire, how would one make any effort to earn a living? It is an ignorant question. People argue that if one sits still, nothing would come their way.
Sadguru does not tell one not to have desires at all. But he tells us not to have excessive or selfish desires.
verse
santosha pushta manasa..
What gives strength and vigor to the mind? Happiness strengthens the mind. Feed the mind with happiness as its food. Those who do so will acquire the greatest riches. The way servants rush to serve the king, riches will come to serve such a person.
There are four degrees of desire. Wanting something for oneself. Wanting for oneself what others have. Wanting something only for oneself and not for others. Wanting things only for oneself, and wanting others to be deprived of those same good things. The last one is the worst and should never be entertained.
santosha pushta ..
Those whose minds are nourished by happiness, are those with the strongest minds. Great riches go searching for them to serve them. If you chase after riches, riches will elude you. But if you conquer your greed, then riches will come chasing after you to serve you. Wealth will come seeking you. As long as you have greed, you will be running after it, as if you are running around a tree endlessly.
What did Kuchela do to acquire riches? He had no desire for wealth. He held the feet of Lord Krishna humbly at the compulsion of his wife. He decided to give up his shame and got ready to ask for riches. But he did not ask. He merely offered to Krishna with devotion, a fistful of parched rice. By the time he returned, he was drenched in riches. Those who suffer from poverty should study the story of Kuchela to get over their difficulty.
verse
It is said that we should give up greed. But how to control and conquer the mind? Just remain calm. Keep the mind at ease. If you do so, your mental disturbances will subside. Suppose it rains. Then the dust will not rise any longer. Similarly, when greed is replaced with calmness and contentment, the disturbances in the mind will not rise to the head.
verse
The moon has a stain that appears like a rabbit. The moon is hence called Shashanka. Although the moon has a stain on it, we do not notice it on a full moon night.
Swamiji has told us that every full moon night at least, we must view the moon. He nourishes our minds. It is very important. The moon keeps our mind clean and calm. The man who is happy, has a mind that is without any stain.
On new moon we do not see the moon because the earth blocks the sun’s rays from falling on the moon. Similarly, if Sadguru’s guidance does not reach us to illuminate our thoughts, our minds will remain dark in ignorance.
verse
The moment we see Sadguru, we feel very happy. When he leaves, we wish that he would have remained longer. Why do we feel like that? Sadguru shows no distinction between living beings. He treats and considers all as equal. He is ever beautiful.
An earthquake occurred in Nepal. We say that Nature got angry.
But God has neither favor nor disfavor towards anyone. It is the same with Guru. When we see anyone like that, who is always even-minded and impartial, we feel happy. If we see a heap of treasure that does not belong to us, would we feel happy? No.
Recently it was reported that 13 crore rupees of cash was kept by a man in Mumbai in his living quarters. We may feel surprised at that great amount of treasure possessed by one individual, but we do not feel happiness. How was he trying to protect all that treasure? The sight of money does not give the same happiness as the sight of Sadguru.
Yudhishthira, after winning the battle, and seeing the immense wealth that was now his, asked, “Where is Bhishma? Where is Krishna?” Seeing their faces alone will give me happiness, not the sight of this kingdom,” he said.
Those who give up greed and discontentment are the greatest amongst people. Rama’s ornamentation is his happiness. Smile is the best jewel that one can wear at any times. Not only people, but even the deities are attracted to a happy being. The gods will prostrate to one who is genuinely happy. Even the greatest souls will acknowledge the greatness of such people and will offer obeisance.
Now we have been taught what happiness is, and how to acquire it.
Once Buddha was approached by a disciple.
Ego, which means forgetting Sadguru and God, is the cause for unhappiness. Pride of self-importance then takes over. If one is really all that powerful, can one prevent an earthquake? No. Our strength is extremely feeble.
The disciple said: I want happiness.
Buddha opened his eyes. He is very reserved in his speech: He said, give up ‘I’ and ‘want’.
I is ego. Want is desire. Once these two are given up, Happiness alone remains. You yourself are happiness.
It is a simple, but very great advice.
Sadguru gives us such guidance. We must develop the habit of being happy. That will lead to Liberation. Enlightenment does not come by weeping.
Sadhu Sangama is the fourth gatekeeper. Swamiji’s bhajan, ‘Dattamashraye’ mentions Sadhu Sangama.
We will continue tomorrow.
Swamiji is on His way back to Mysore. He will be here shortly. The Hanuman Chalisa chanting will go on now. Please participate.
Jaya Guru Datta
Sri Guru Datta
Om santissantissantihi