In quest of that state of utter bliss

While each one tries to attain that goal of bhakti in his or her own way, the scriptures offer a number of margams . One of these is offered by Lord Krishna Himself. In Chapter 12 of the Bhagavad Gita, He says, “You can reach me if you follow the ananya bhakti margam,”says Krishna. “One who surrenders to my is ananya,” He further explains. 

When a person is born, he is endowed with two characteristics: vidya and avidya. When vidya is more pronounced in one, such a person spends his life mostly in quest of knowledge and is largely dispassionate. Those with a predominantly avidya characteristic tend to lead a life given to desire, greed for earthly possessions and emotional attachment, in varying degrees. “ I put both traits in good proportion in a human being, but it is up to each individual to strike the right balance,” says Krishna. He also goes on to acknowledge in that chapter that it is an uphill task for men and women to embrace vidya. So, how does one overcome this stumbling block to attaining spiritual bliss? 

Practice makes perfect, says Krishna. Abhyasa or constant practice alone will help a person attain the desirable mental balance which is key to attaining moksha, He says. It is also a well nuanced step-by-step process. As a first step, one must go in search of knowledge. Read good books, question everything, debate on good versus bad practices. In order to mull over the knowledge gained, one has to develop the ability to keep the mind free of clutter. Meditation is the key here. A mind where thoughts come and go will help one overcome selfishness, He says. Only when one stops thinking of oneself and one’s needs can one attain selflessness, which is essential if one wants to enjoy peace of mind.

In order to be selfless, one has to consciously get rid of greed. There was once a king who was extremely upset that he was losing hair and heading towards complete baldness. Unable to bear the thought of his ‘good looks going bad’, he summoned his health minister and instructed him to find a cure for his baldness within two weeks. “If you fail to deliver, I will have your head chopped off,” thundered the king, who was otherwise a just ruler. 

The panic-stricken minister threw together all the herbs he could find and prepared a concoction. Wanting to save his head, he happily told the king, “Here is a magic cure. Apply it daily for five days, after which your hair will grow again.” The pleased king thanked his minister, thinking, “Poor fellow. How I pressurised him.” The minister interrupted his thoughts and said, “However, there is one condition, my lord. At the time of applying the magic potion on your scalp, you must not think of a rat. If you do so, the power will be negated.”

The king was confident he could control his thoughts. However, each time the oil was placed on his scalp, his first thought was of a rat, and he pushed away his helpers and walked away from the scalp treatment. After a week of such hits and misses, the king realised that it was his wavering, greedy mind that needed to be chopped off, not the minister’s head. “I was foolish in wanting earthly pleasures, forgive me my God,” he prayed. His wisdom helped him to not only govern well on earth but also commanded him a place in heaven. 

When we learn to control our emotions and mind, heaven is within our reach.