IndiaPost.com - Happiness not in sense-objects, it is your real Nature

Unless you know where you stand, it is never possible for you to have a correct knowledge of things. I say you do not know where you stand. You say, "I am stout," "I am lean," "I walk," "I sit," "I move," etc. Here you identify yourself with the physical body.

Where you say, "I see," "I hear," "I touch," etc., you identify yourself with the senses. Where you say, "I think," "I feel," etc., you identify yourself with the mind. Thus, you do not know where you stand and what you are. It is therefore necessary, very necessary, to know what you are and where you stand, in order that you may have a correct knowledge of things: in other words, to see things in the right perspective.

It is not enough that you examine the waking state alone for that purpose, because you have experiences not only in the waking state, but in the dream state as well as in the deep-sleep state. Therefore, let us examine the three states.

You find that the "I"-principle, whatever it is, is persistently present in all the three states, without a break. Body, senses, and mind are present in one state, are not present in another state. It follows then that this "I"-principle is falsely joined on to body, senses, and mind, and that it is really independent of them, as you see in the deep-sleep state, where it shines in all its glory. There you see that it is pure Consciousness and Happiness.

Coming out of the deep-sleep state, you say that you were happy. How is it possible for you to say it unless you were conscious of your happiness experienced in the deep-sleep state? Therefore it follows that Consciousness and Happiness were in the deep-sleep state, and that is your real Nature. Why do I say that that is your real Nature? Because, when it stands divested of body, senses, and mind, the "I"-principle alone is present.

And there you find Consciousness and Happiness. It is therefore that I say that the "I"-principle is Consciousness and Happiness. This Consciousness never parts with the 'I'-principle even in the three states which we have been examining. Consciousness is present with the "I"-principle in the deep-sleep state, as I have shown you now.

It is present with the "I"-principle in the dream state, it is present in the waking state, but only that the "I"-principle is joined on to something else in the dream state and in the waking state. But still, the Consciousness is there.

And it is this very Consciousness that expresses itself in the senses and in the mind. Not only that: when you closely examine your own experiences, you will find that occasionally-almost always I may say-it expresses itself as pure Consciousness.

Thus, for example, examine the interval between two states, between two thoughts, between two feelings, and between two perceptions. You will admit that there is an interval between two thoughts, otherwise one thought must be continuing.

One thought must end and another thought must commence. There is no denying the fact that there is an interval of time, call it a moment, call it an infinitesimal part of a second, but still, there is that time. In that time You were in your real Nature. It is never possible for you to have a life in this world, unless you get to your real Nature at every moment, in this manner.

Well, try to put emphasis there, and then again, when Consciousness is found joined on to objects, try to put emphasis there, instead of putting emphasis upon the material objects alone. That way, if you continue some time, you will find that you are unconsciously retreating your step right towards the Centre which you want to establish, and that is the real "I"-principle, which is Consciousness and Happiness. Now, you seek happiness.

Why? Because the urge comes from the deepmost level, your real Nature. But because your sense-organs are having outward-going tendencies, you seek that happiness in the outside world. You desire an object, you obtain it, and you get the happiness that you seek. But you have never examined where that happiness comes from.

If you will allow your mind to examine it in the right manner, I am sure you will find that that happiness which you suppose you derive from sense-objects is not derived from the sense-objects but it is your real Nature.