Yoga for Health, Happiness and World Peace-14. - Swami Chidanananda

21/08/2018
14.

The psychological aspect of Yoga is both connected with happiness as well as world peace. All the great religions have got a concept of a supreme state. What is this concept? It is always, invariably, no matter by whatever term they call it—Paradise; Heaven, their concept of that supreme state is happiness, where there is no disease, no pain, no suffering, no sorrow, no weeping, no grief, and it is all happiness, delight and joy.

The very fact that all religions in their own terminology, in their own manner, have this ultimate concept of a state where there is no sorrow and there is only happiness and joy, and that this is pointed out as the desirable ultimate state to attain, shows clearly that joy, happiness, delight, and bliss is not here. It is not here in this world.

So man finds that this life on earth is accompanied by a lot of sorrow, a lot of grief. Why is there pain? This suffering? Work is sorrow and pain; death is sorrow; old age is sorrow; disease and suffering is sorrow.

Of the four noble truths proclaimed by the great Buddha, the first truth is the existence of suffering. There is suffering—Duhkha.

Then he goes on to the second, the third and the fourth truths, explaining the cause of suffering, the possibility of the cessation of suffering, and the way to the cessation of suffering. But the first basic truth, which made necessary the discovery of other truths, is that in this world there is suffering, and very strangely, no one wants to suffer.

The very urge of the human nature, the aspiration, is the avoidance of suffering. "I do not want suffering". "What do you want?" "I want to be happy. I want joy. I do not want sorrow and suffering. I do not want pain".

All the great mystics have found out that in this world there is only suffering; Sarvam duhkham vivekinah.

To be continued ...