51 - The Spiritual Psychology of Happiness | Swami Tattwamayananda

-5th chapter: verses 19, 20, 21, 22, 23<br />-The lecture was given by Swami Tattwamayananda on September 4, 2020.<br />-19th verse: “The highest spiritual seeker has already transcended the relative and sensory temptations in this life itself. To him, spiritual sameness is a fact of everyday life and experience, as his mind is established in Brahman who is the ideal of sameness.”<br />-20th verse: “He, who is Brahma-jnani, who is established in Brahman, who experiences his unity with the entire existence in every micro-moment, whose mind, intellect and attitude is steady, who is free from delusion – he is fully established in even-ness. He is neither jubilant on getting what is pleasant nor depressed when getting what is unpleasant.”<br />-A tiny boat being tossed around by mighty waves, becomes steady when it is anchored to something stable. Similarly, we achieve real equanimity of mind, when we focus our mind on Brahman, who is the highest ideal of steadiness. We then develop a refined sensitivity, and we maintain poise even in unpleasant situations.<br />-21st verse: “When our mind is not attached to external objects of the senses – rather it is tranquil through absorption in Brahman, then we experience Akshayam-Sukham – happiness that is undecaying, eternal and imperishable.”<br />-Happiness from contact with external objects is of a fleeting nature, and it takes us away from our inner support. Empirical happiness is only the temporary absence of unhappiness. It is not Sukham (happiness) in the highest sense.<br />-Shankaracharya uses examples from the animal kingdom to explain how the blind pursuit of happiness at sensory level brings destruction - Deer (sense of hearing), Elephant (sense of touch). Moth (sense of seeing), Fish (sense of taste), Bee (sense of smell). Each of these creatures reaches death as they are guided by one of their senses. What to speak of humans who have five senses active all the time.<br />-We achieve Akshayam-Sukham, when through spiritual practices and devotion, we identify with