The Infinite Alone Is Bliss
The Infinite Alone Is Bliss
by Swami Jyotirmayananda
Once Narada approached Sanatkumara and said, “Teach me, Sir.” Sanatkumara enquired, “Tell me what you know already.” Narada replied, “Oh Lord, I know the four Vedas, Itihasas (history), the Puranas (religious stories), Sanskrit grammar, and all the scriptures. But, Lord, I am merely a knower of words. I do not know the Self. I have not overcome grief.” Sanatkumara taught him step by step, and concluded with the Truth that the Infinite alone is Bliss; there is no Bliss in the finite.
The finite is revealed through the senses, mind and intellect, and is the source of all misery. True Bliss, on the other hand, lies beyond the senses, mind and intellect. It is the nature of the essential Soul, the Soul of all souls, the Mind of all minds, the Fountain of all life, joy and power.
Everyone wants to attain unalloyed Bliss; but that Bliss is sought in the shadows of the Self — through the finite objects of the world. Fully aware that there is no joy in objects, the great Sages have adopted the path of renunciation and taught the life of detachment and humility. Buddha renounced the physical world. Christ embraced crucifixion declaring, “My kingdom is not of this earth, but of Heaven.”
Such truth is more luminous than a thousand suns. But the individual who is enmeshed in various Karmas and subconscious Vasanas (inclinations) does not see the Truth. Deafened by the clamor of the senses, he does not hear the melodious music of the Soul, even though it is ever ringing right within his own heart. Due to ignorance, what is immediate is considered far away, and what is remote is considered immediate.
Aspirants are often puzzled about how a serene and detached mind can be acquired and maintained while living in the world. How can Yoga be practiced in day-to-day life? How can Yoga and this world be reconciled? How can the finite be given up for the infinite when one continues to work with the finite?
Born of ignorance, ego causes defects in one’s vision by inducing the erroneous sense of separation between the individual, the world, and the Absolute. Very few understand that the body they inhabit is really not theirs — it belongs to the world. The very air you breathe has traversed the world many times. Food grown in various parts of the world is eaten by you and becomes part of your body. Radio waves encircling the world and cosmic rays from around the vast universe continuously pass through your body. The same force that lets you see twinkling starlight sustains the movements of mighty celestial bodies. The same force that surges in the oceans is responsible for the functioning of your own heart. Even on the mental plane, a thought leaves one mind and influences another. Life, therefore, must be properly understood. Every soul is a channel of Divine Will, Power and Beauty. The universe is one organism, a Being having millions of heads, millions of hands, millions of feet, millions of thoughts. It is Virat Purusha — the Cosmic Being.
This being so, every condition an individual faces is not just a personal condition, but a universal situation. No one can escape the results of his actions. Yet there is no cause for disappointment, for every soul is the architect of its own destiny. Although you are a product of the past experiences of your inward soul, you will add the present to that past for your future state of being. Thus, each individual has infinite possibilities to direct the course of his own life.
Yoga, therefore, should be practiced in daily life. Every effort should be made to bring about the expansion of consciousness by discipline, culture and integration of such diverse factors of the personality as will, emotion, reason and action. Discipline and integration of the mind is achieved by practicing Vairagya (dispassion) towards the objects of the world and Abhyasa (repeated effort) in reflecting upon the immortality of the Soul and its identity with the Absolute.
Such reflection, combined with persistent practice of concentration and meditation, brings about the control of mind and the removal of the impressions of Raga (attachment) and Dwesha (hatred). When you no longer harbor attachment or hatred in the innermost depths of your heart, you realize that you are one with the entirety of existence. Your intellect becomes sharp and subtle, and you realize that One Truth pervades this world, manifesting as much in an old sick man as in a young healthy child. The Self is in all.
Thus, realize the unity of existence through the practice of Yoga. Be persistent. Nothing is infallible except persistent self-effort. Go beyond the finite and realize the infinite and blissful Self in this very life.
“International Yoga Guide” Vol. 21, NO.5, January 1984
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