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supreme status the former should also be abjured like the latter. 38 The highest state of the Paramātman transcends both good and evil; and such persons as have realised Him within themselves go beyond the vicious circle of Saṁsāra or the reach of good and bad.
ATTAINMENT OF BLISS AS THE HIGHEST GOOD : Fifthly, Kundakunda pronounces that the realiser of the highest good experiences unprcedented bliss which originates from the inner most being of self and which is supersensuous, unique, infinite and interminable."9 Pūjyapāda and all others speak of the Ātman as full of excellent bliss. “0 In the Istopadeśa he tells us that a supreme kind of happiness is experienced by the Yogi who is established in his own self."' The Yogasāra of Yogīndu recognises that those engrossed in great meditation after renouncing all conceptual thinking enjoy ineffable bliss which is equivalent to the happiness of liberation.42.
The Taittirīyopanişad says, “Brahman is the delight of life and mind, the fullness of peace and eternity.”:43 It compares Brahmanic bliss with other type of physical blisses and after enumerating a number of blisses enjoyed by men, gods etc., concludes that hundred blisses of Prajāpati constitute the bliss of Brahman. Such an Ananda is experienced by the sage who is free from all desires. “4 The Chāndogya Upanişad also lays stress on the pursuance of immortal happiness which consists in seeing, hearing and meditating upon the Ātman to the utter exclusion of the radically different kinds of perishable happiness experienced in seeking things beside the Ātman.45 It may be pointed out here that the spiritual bliss which is experienced in realising Paramātman in course of meditation is impossible to be had in the mundane life. Even Indra in the
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Spiritual Awakening (Samyagdarśana) and Other Essays
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