ON ANANDAM OR BLISS

We have heard the word “Ananda” several times and in fact use it on many occasions. We are so familiar with this word that we fail to realize its true significance! We take the word and its meaning very casually. What is the meaning of this word “Ananda”? Does it mean enjoyment? Does it signify happiness or does it point to pleasure that we very often feel? The enjoyment, happiness and pleasure that we have is transitory, momentary, and ephemeral! They remain for the time being and vanish after the experience is over. They are material pleasures and hence they cannot continue for ever. “Ananda or Bliss”is entirely different! It has nothing to do with the ordinary day to day experiences. It is a kind of indescribable divine elation beyond the comprehension of the common mortal. It cannot be narrated or explained in normal words. One has to experience to realize it. We mistake the usual pleasures and happiness  as “Ananda”. Is it possible for the ordinary mortal to experience this rare kind of divine experience? It is surely  not Impossible but requires  spiritual practices and a concerted effort on the part of the aspirant. Any thing, good and great cannot be obtained just like that!

“Ananda” or bliss is an inner treasure, won by detachment and discipline” remarks Bhagawan Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba. The Vedas and the Upanishads call this as Brahmananda- the Ananda of the Brahman! The tapas or penance and the discipline required for the attainment of Ananda is wonderfully brought out in the Bhrigu Valli of the Taittiriya Upanishad.The renowned sage Bhrugu approached his father Varuna with a desire for the knowledge of the Brahman. Pleased with his approach, Varuna instructs him on the six main gateways to the knowledge of the Brahman. They are food, Prana or soul, eyes, ears, Manas or mind, and speech. He explains to Bhrugu that Brahman is that object by which all the created beings live and thrive on and finally  merge into IT during the deluge. Varuna asked his son to “obtain this Brahman through these six gateways. Accordingly, Bhrugu performed tapas and found Annam or food as the Brahman since all living beings grow and thrive on annam alone and merge into the same Annam. But he did not accept it as Brahman as Annam is created by the Brahman and it is ephemeral whereas the Brahman is ‘nitya’ permanent and everlasting! “ annam brahmeti vyajanath”............................

“prano brahmeti vyajanath”......Asked by his father to perform penance again, Bhrugu found Prana as the Brahman since as creation, protection and destruction of the universe are dictated by it. But Prana is 'jada’- inert, without awareness while the Brahmin is full of awareness or chaitanya. Hence Prana cannot be equated with the Brahman! Varuna sent him back to do tapas once again and Bhrugu now found that Manas is the very Brahman as through its sankalpa all creation, protection and destruction take place. Once again doubt cropped in him and he could not equate Manas with the Brahman! Rigorous tapas he did again and thought vijnanam or knowledge is the Brahman since everything is done through vijnanam! His doubt did not leave him and he rejected it as the Brahma. Through Vijnanam bodies can be created but not elements like the sky or akasa. So Vijnana cannot be the Brahman! ”Vijnanam brahmeti vyajanath”........

“Anando brahmeti vyajanath”........In this manner sage Bhrugu, the pure souled, performed penance and found that  Anna, Prana, Manas, and Vijnana do not fully qualify themselves to be called the Brahman. At length, through his penance, he recognized the all inherent Ananda or Bliss as the real Brahman! One who performs tapas similarly and rejects Anna, Prana, Manas and Vijnana as Brahman is fixed in the Brahman! He becomes the Brahman himself!  “Brahmavid brahmaiva bhavathi”. This Ananda is thus the inner treasure and a serious attempt has to be made to attain that stage of Divine bliss! Jnanis and great yogis who meditate on the Supreme Reality always and forget everything in the world are those who are entitled to Ananda!

There are three dolls made of salt, cloth, and stone respectively. When they are immersed in water, the first, of salt, dissolves completely and loses its form; the second, of cloth, absorbs a large quantity of water but retains its form and the third, of stone, is impervious to water! The first doll represents the man who merges his Self in the universal and all pervading Self and becomes one with it after losing his identity! He is the liberated man! The second doll stands for the Bhaktha or devotee full of true love of God and knowledge! The third doll, of stone, is an example of the worldly man who will not admit even a true particle of true knowledge! Like the ant that tastes the sugar candy and loses itself in enjoying the sweetness, the aspirant loses and  merges himself into the Divine! The Jiva merges into the Deva and becomes Deva himself!  This rarest of the rare states where every mundane thing and all attachments are totally forgotten in the wonderful union with the Absolute Brahman is called “Ananda” and “ “Brahmananda”! Where is the comparison between our mortal enjoyments and pleasures and Ananda which is eternal Bliss!

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