Are Thoughts Barriers To Natural Happiness?

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Visitor: I suffer in both body and mind. From the day of my birth I have never had happiness.

Bhagavan: If there should be unrelieved suffering all the time, who would seek happiness? That is, if suffering be the natural state how can the desire to be happy arise at all? However the desire does arise. So to be happy is natural; all else is unnatural.

- Talks 633, Pages 593-594

In sleep we are happy for there are no thoughts to disturb our happiness. Surely one does not wish to sleep through even the day let alone throughout one"s life itself. What is sought is happiness when one is wide awake. But sleep is certainly a pointer to the link between happiness and absence of thoughts. Ramana says that misery is only the presence of the unwanted thoughts. A weak mind is unable to push out the thoughts which haunt it. One is forced to stay with the thoughts that cause sorrow. Sometimes the turmoil of thoughts is unbearable.

Thoughts are our ancient legacy following on our heels from life to life. Every action leaves a memory residue which is stored up in the Heart in seed form. Its hold, though latent, is potent for it can become alive at any time, often unexpectedly. The desired objects and circumstances keep changing but the past in the form of tendencies often pulls us in counter directions. Let us suppose that we now want to move God-ward. Our thoughts in that direction would be countered by the opposite set of thoughts, arising from past sensate experiences which have been stored up in the memory. So a royal battle follows filling us with disgust and sorrow at our inability to make headway or even to make the full use of the time set apart for meditation. This extends all along the line. A dear one passes away but our attachments do not end. So, even if we want to forget, our thoughts about that person would not let us do so. This is equally true of its opposite, happiness, which is felt at other times when pleasant thoughts come, when the desired object is near or the memory of it is strong. Happiness and sorrow thus keep fluctuating and it is always a mixed bag. In the world of thoughts there can only be pain-tainted pleasure and not unalloyed happiness.

The question arises whether it is possible at all to move from transient pleasure to lasting happiness within the mind"s framework? It is possible but only to a very limited extent. Through association with the wise, worship of the Supreme, breath-control and other means which are suited to one"s temperament, the mind becomes purified and strengthened. It acquires the capacity to ward off thoughts which cause sorrow, either by early detection of their surfacing or by a quick counter-attack of injecting the opposite thoughts. On the positive side, one is able to stay with the desired thoughts for longer spells and enjoy the happiness which flows from them. When desires are fulfilled the mind is stilled for the time being and it then reflects the inherent happiness of the Self.