Divinity is at the root of our very existence and is the
source of infinite Knowledge and Bliss. Man is not conscious of his divinity because
of ignorance (avidya). It is this ignorance which prompts him to desire (kama) enjoyment
and seek lasting happiness in the world. And desires are not merely those
directed towards gross objects; there are desires for wealth, prosperity,
progeny and, to cap it all, name and fame. Desires, in turn, goad man to action
(karma) towards their fulfillment.
Our search for happiness in the external world is through
the five perceptions: hearing, touch, sight, taste and smell. And the
instruments for these perceptions are our five sense organs: ears, skin, eyes,
tongue and nose. The sense organs are so constituted that they are ever outward
directed and tend to come in touch with their respective sense objects.
Life in the world is beset with dualities: pleasure-pain,
praise-blame, heat-cold and so on. Unmixed pleasure is thus impossible in the
world. It is a package deal: you have the one and the other comes in uninvited. Says Swami
Vivekananda,
‘Happiness presents itself before man, wearing the crown of sorrow on its head. He who welcomes it must also welcome sorrow.’
That desire is the cause of all misery, Buddha discovered
long back and declared it as one of the Four Noble Truths.
A life of unbridled sense enjoyment has to necessarily end
up in misery and frustration.
The Upanishads also make it clear that lasting happiness is
possible only by realizing the Infinite (Spirit); there can be no happiness in
the finite things of the world.
Source – Prabuddha Bharata May 2005