Samkhya Yoga - Part 4 - Controlling Senses

Chapter 2 /part 4

Happiness and Sorrow in life

Controlling five senses and Eternal Bliss

Through Bhagavad Gita, Krishna teaches the true nature of sense pleasures and gives a way to overcome it. Krishna continues to say that if it is overcome then that person can achieve permanent happiness and avoid sorrow in life.

The senses and sense objects are those which give feelings of cold and heat, happiness and sorrow. They come and go and it is transitory. The only way to overcome it is to tolerate courageously. Senses and sense objects are those which produce opposite and dual experiences like heat and cold, sorrow and happiness. Sometimes heat gives us happiness. Sometimes heat gives us sorrow. Similarly the senses and sense objects give different experiences that may be contradicting and with a dual nature. It is their habitual nature. No one can change it. The senses cannot be experienced in the absence of sense objects and the sense objects cannot be experienced in the absence of senses. Above all, if there is no consciousness or soul then the senses and sense objects cannot be experienced.

So Krishna urges Arjuna to tolerate everything courageously. Krishna tells that there is only one way to overcome sorrow in life and that is practicing life tolerance. There is no point in showing anxiety and lamentation. If so, that may create likes and dislikes which in turn produces karma vasana. By practicing tolerance one can develop mental equilibrium. This enables us to face life situations courageously.

He continues to say that to whom the contradicting and dual sense experiences does not give agony and who he considers happiness and sorrow equally and withdraws intellect from sense matters, that person becomes deserving the eternal bliss or brahma-ananda.

Brahmananda or eternal bliss. This is the supreme state of joy. Every human being is searching and trying for this bliss or true happiness throughout life. He thinks the pleasures he enjoys through senses is the true happiness. We saw that sensual pleasures can only give temporary happiness. This happiness comes and goes as it is its nature. The fifteenth verse of the Bhagavad Gita says that to whom the contradictory sense experiences do not gives agony that person is entitled to experience the eternal bliss. One should consider happiness and sorrow equally. Do not feel anxiety or lamentation towards agony of life. One will be known courageous or bold when he withdraws his intellect from sense subjects. Here the emphasis goes to the senses and sense matters. By practicing life tolerance one can gain true happiness. By running after worldly pleasures no one can achieve true happiness. Control the senses and achieve the eternal bliss. There lies peace and ananda.

The Bhagavad Gita: As I See

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