Happiness & Bliss

It’s rather simple to see & conclude that all human action is directed towards maximizing one's happiness. - right from the baby crying for milk, to the young boy striving for medal at the race, the young girl looking for a decent match, the mother leaving kids at school & driving off to work, the old parents longing to hear from kids that are on trip overseas!We see that happiness depends on external factors: interaction with fellow humans, rewards for ones efforts, the share market, interpersonal relations and ones health … A malfunctioning air-conditioner can send the temperature soaring: outside and inside!

Bliss on the other hand, does not depend on external factors at all. It’s like the TV screen that has all the programs, dramas, matches projected on to it, while remaining unaffected itself. Any program, however interesting, lively, fascinating or frustrating, will not affect the TV screen. Likewise, we are actually in a state of bliss, totally unaffected by the events around. To experience bliss, we need to get past the veil of ever changing “pictures”, probably through meditation, increased awareness and reflection within. Given that all our sense organs are directed outwards, it’s a matter of redirecting our attention inwards: to find, feel and then live with “bliss”. It’s actually the inside where peace, completeness (or incompleteness), fulfilment (or lack thereof) resides.

Human beings have all the basic needs, social and ego needs. Equally important is the need for “blissful existence”. As we need regular doses of sleep, food, fluids... we need regular doses of spiritual/blissful insights for our wellbeing. From meditation, to paining, to music, the sources of bliss are pretty interesting and varied, depending on our nature and nurture. Gradually we come to recognise our own “bliss” that’s independent of external factors, name and form. Just as a reminder to ourselves, we can use prompts like a picture, a song, a painting, even a mantra: the Bliss is ever present, formless and colourless.

It’s our own choice, resolve and understanding regarding “what’ and “how” one is seeking! More fundamentally “who” is seeking - no one can prompt you in this direction - water will evaporate of its own accord!! Steam will condense of its own accord & drizzle of its own accord: its all part of Bliss flowing!!

The real “fearlessness, desirelessness” will only be experienced once you reach the “core” where “bliss” resides. Your passage to your core is likely to be different to any one else, as we are all stationed at different points.