What is Bliss(Happiness-Ananda) and how to achieve it?

By B.E.Sampath Kumar, Sri Ramachandrji Seva Trust, Kadapa.

Bliss is a state of complete happiness or joy. It is real happiness, undisturbed joy, or contentment. It is a state of unity, never tedious, always new, broad and infinite. It is an eternal, forever unchanging reality that prevailed in the Universe. Hindu scriptures describe Brahman as Ananda(pure bliss) itself.

In the materialistic world happiness-ananda is a joyful state attained through the fulfillment of desires or acquiring some material gains. Possessing wealth and making use of it, having good health without diseases, possessing good educational qualifications, achieving good jobs, having a good family, etc., are examples of bliss-ananda in the materialistic world. It is not always possible to maintain positive values in the home of tolerance, sharing, respect and kindness. If one has a wish to possess a big house or landed property and even after possessing it after some hard work, the happiness will last only for a few days. After which once again unhappiness and dissatisfaction will certainly arise for possessing another thing due to so many reasons. So persons and objects and attachment with them in this materialistic world cannot keep us permanently happy i.e., Supreme Ananda-Bliss.

From taking birth, man is always hankering after desires till leaving this world with empty hands. The happiness he gets after fulfilling his desires is temporary or for some time in his life. For those who are caught in the phenomenal world, it is not possible to acquire everlasting Ananda-happiness by the above means.

In the spiritual world, it is the pure state of Paramananda attained through union with the Highest Self. Contentment with what we have, Renunciation, Devotion towards the Ultimate, Compassion, Love, Pious living etc., paves a way to achieve the Supreme Bliss. Hence the best means to experience ananda or happiness is liberation i.e Jeevan-mukthi or Kaivalya.

Bhagavath Githa tells us that from the activity of the senses arises attachment and from attachment comes anger and from anger comes delusion and from delusion comes suffering which is opposite of Ananda.

Lord Srikrishna through Bhagavathgitha chapter 6 verses 20, 21 and 22 taught us about bliss as follows:

“sukham atyantikam yat tad buddhi-grahyam atindriyam

vetti yatra na chaivayam sthitas chalati tattvatah”

“yatroparamate chittam niruddham yoga-sevaya

yatra chaivatmanatmanam pashyann atmani tushyati.”

“yam labdhva chaparam labham manyate nadhikam tatah

yasmin sthito na duhkhena gurunapi vichalyate”

When one practices Yoga and when his mind is completely restrained from material mental activities, and when his mind becomes still by the practice of Yoga, then the yogi is able to see the self by the pure mind and he rejoices in the inner joy.

It is stated in Yoga Vasista that when the mind is at peace and the heart leaps to the supreme truth, when all the disturbing thoughts wave in the mind-stuff have subsided and there is an unbroken flow of peace and the heart is filled with the bliss of the absolute, when thus the truth has been seen in the heart, then this very world becomes an abode of bliss.

In that joyous state of Yoga, one experiences supreme boundless transcendental happiness which is called samadhi-divine bliss, and thus situated one never departs from the Eternal Truth.

Having acquired that stage, one does not consider any attainment to be greater than what he gained. Being settled in such a stage, one is not shaken even in the midst of the greatest difficulty.

Now the question is can we achieve bliss-eternal happiness in this life itself and what are the means to possess it?

The teachings of Sri Ramchandraji Maharaj, founder of Sahaj Marg, are briefly narrated below as to how a person can attain higher spiritual elevation in this life itself and acquire higher stages in spirituality in the realization of the Ultimate(GOD).

All most of all agree on the point that the object of life is to achieve eternal bliss. For this people think that a life of virtue, sacrifice and devotion will bring them the eternal joy of the paradise or solvation or peace.

Having in view the determined goal i.e, to achieve eternal Happiness-Ananda, our next lookout must be to find out a capable person as our guide, who attained perfection or complete negation of self. When we surrender to such a person as our guide(Master) to reach our goal, the spiritual life is awakened and the higher powers of the soul are roused to help our growth.

A capable Guru should do this by his own effort exercising the power of transmission in order to create a permanent and deep-rooted effect. First He starts to clean or purify the Chakras which is the most essential work for the spiritual advancement of the aspirant. He directs the aspirant’s tendencies of mind towards God.

Whenever the aspirant’s mind is directed towards God, he naturally begins to feel himself in touch with the Supreme Power in all his actions and workings. When this state of mind is permanently established within, every act he does will then seems to be a part of devotion or Divine Offering and he shall thereby be in constant remembrance of God all the while. Thus the real spiritual training i.e meditational practices and constant remembrance of God makes our mind disciplined and regulated, restores moderation in senses and faculties and creates a lightness of spirit. Then alone internal peace and calmness(Ananda-Happiness) are ensured and a higher approach is possible i.e., to merge with the Ultimate.

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