The Truth

Author(s): O P Jain
Publisher: Veer Nirvan Granth Prakashan Samiti

Page 11

THE TRUTH
constant dread of calamity, disease, old age and death. If the sensual pleasures were real happiress, it shouli be so for all, at all times and in all circumstances. But it is not so. Different individuals feel differently to the same food, same wealth, same family etc., and one may feel happy while the other may feel miserable under the same conditions. Thus, these external objects by themselves do not produce happiness. An iced drink may be a cause of pleasure for a healthy man on a hot day, but not for a sick man or in cold weather. Similarly, an ordinary man may be happy to have an income of Rs. 1 lakh, while a millionaire may be sad on such a 'meagre' income. Similar instances can be quoted with respect to status, power, family and knowledge. It is thus clear that source of real happiness lies elsewhere than in material objects and sensual pleasures.
1.2 What one really wants is the happiness which the Gods are said to enjoy—undying, unabating, soul enrapturing happinessnot the temporary gratification of lust, but the exhilerating rhythm of ecstasy, delight or bliss. The so-called scientific revolution and the accompanied industrial and cultural developments have not helped man to be happy in the real sense, even though his knowledge of the power of matter has considerably increased and he has much higher resources for sensual pleasures. In fact, this has increased his desires so much that he has less peace of mind now than before. The difficulty lies in his ignorance about the nature and source of real happiness. His concept of happiness is the same as that of a person who enjoys the rubbing of a ringworm on his body, resulting in still more unhappiness. Passions and desires are like the ringworm and lasting happiness can be obtained only by rooting them out and not by feeding them.
1.3 The ecstatic delight which is neither evanescent nor the source of sorrow or pain, like the gratification of sensual lust, is really the nature of soul itself, though through ignorance one is unaware of this attribute. The proof of this is to be found in the fact that the pleasure one experiences on the successful performance of some task, comes from within and is independent of the senses. What prevents the soul from the enjoyment of its natural joy, is ignorance. Hardly one man in a million has any idea of the nature of pure joy and everybody tries to extract it from his surroundings which are by nature utterly incapable of yielding it. Hence true knowledge is necessarily the road to bliss.