Nature of Bliss
By Sri.R.Krishnamurthy Sastrigal
By Sri.R.Krishnamurthy Sastrigal
Courtesy The Hindu
The invocations in the Upanishads run thus: “Lead me from the unreal to the real, from darkness to light, from death to immortality; may there be happiness, peace, well-being and contentment everywhere.” These prayers seek the grace for enlightenment, and the focus is on the need for us to understand the true nature and purpose of life.
The Supreme Brahman is described to be the embodiment of consciousness and is in a state of eternal bliss. When trying to define the nature of bliss, the Upanishads indicate it as something that far excels the state of bliss that is attainable in this world, or that of the celestials or even that of Brahma. It is shown that the state of liberation is the realisation of the truth of the Self as the very essence of the eternal (Sat) consciousness (Chit) that is the supreme bliss (Ananda) and is not any physical journey that one undertakes to reach a particular destination
In many instances, the Upanishads visualise the human being as multi-layered and these are described as sheaths or Kosas, constituting the gross and subtle aspects of human nature. This includes the body, mind and intellect complex of a human being within which resides the Self.
The outermost layer is the gross physical body (Annamaya Kosa) that envelops other subtle layers such as the breath (Pranamaya), mind (Manomaya), wisdom/intellect (Vijnanamaya) and bliss (Anandamaya). The Self is believed to be residing in the innermost reaches of these sheaths, the Anandamaya Kosa, which is the most subtle and spiritual layer veiling the Atma.
The individual is instructed to discriminate between the Self and the Kosas, which are mere transitory appendages to the Self. If an individual identifies himself with these sheaths, he is missing the wood for the trees. While all else is bound to perish, the Self alone remains everlasting.
To describe the bliss that the Self is entitled to, one has to make a leap from the gross and the physical to the metaphysical and the spiritual level. The analogy used to describe this bliss is that state of dreamless sleep that is beyond words and senses.
The Supreme Brahman is described to be the embodiment of consciousness and is in a state of eternal bliss. When trying to define the nature of bliss, the Upanishads indicate it as something that far excels the state of bliss that is attainable in this world, or that of the celestials or even that of Brahma. It is shown that the state of liberation is the realisation of the truth of the Self as the very essence of the eternal (Sat) consciousness (Chit) that is the supreme bliss (Ananda) and is not any physical journey that one undertakes to reach a particular destination
In many instances, the Upanishads visualise the human being as multi-layered and these are described as sheaths or Kosas, constituting the gross and subtle aspects of human nature. This includes the body, mind and intellect complex of a human being within which resides the Self.
The outermost layer is the gross physical body (Annamaya Kosa) that envelops other subtle layers such as the breath (Pranamaya), mind (Manomaya), wisdom/intellect (Vijnanamaya) and bliss (Anandamaya). The Self is believed to be residing in the innermost reaches of these sheaths, the Anandamaya Kosa, which is the most subtle and spiritual layer veiling the Atma.
The individual is instructed to discriminate between the Self and the Kosas, which are mere transitory appendages to the Self. If an individual identifies himself with these sheaths, he is missing the wood for the trees. While all else is bound to perish, the Self alone remains everlasting.
To describe the bliss that the Self is entitled to, one has to make a leap from the gross and the physical to the metaphysical and the spiritual level. The analogy used to describe this bliss is that state of dreamless sleep that is beyond words and senses.
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