Sachchidananda 'The Life Divine' Book I,Ch.9, 10, 11, 12 - Track 901

You know last time I told you the pressure of materialism towards the seeking of pleasure and then mentioned that the Tattiriya Upanishad speaks of levels of ananda or bliss. Normally the materialist argues that if he is not allowed to go to the extreme end of seeking pleasure something will be missed by him and in that train of argument he appeals that he should be left free to go right to the end of that experience of seeking of pleasure so that he does not feel regret afterwards that he had missed something. Now here is a description of the kind of bliss that is still available which materialist is any case going to miss. However much he may try to gain through his process of seeking pleasure. Now what are the levels of bliss which are available which have been experienced by the Rishis now these are described here and which are available to one who has gone into his soul and entered into soul experience and this is what is to be presented to whoever wants to know what are the kinds of happinesses which are available and then having seen it this is only what is called shruti. You just listen to this experience. It is not meant for converting anybody. It is only to present to him that here is an experience of the Rishi of the extent of the bliss that is available if one pursues the experience of the soul as against the materialist who says that if he does not pursue his method of seeking pleasure may be that he will miss something out, therefore he says allow me the freedom to pursue my own method and go right up to the end of it. So that I do not have regret afterwards that I missed out something which was available to me and I couldn’t get it, so here is the description of a bliss that will never be available to him even at his best, even if he tries it utmost. This is the kind of bliss which is described which surely is absent he will never be able to get it, so let us read what Tattiriya Upanishad says about it. I omit the first two lines, you start with behold, third line in the middle. “..Behold this exposition of the bliss to which you shall hearken let there be young man, excellent and lovely in his youth.  a great students. Let him have fair manners and a most firm heart and great strength of body and let all this wide earth be full of wealth for his enjoying. That is the measure of bliss of one human being. Now a hundred and hundredfold of the human measure of bliss is a one bliss of man that have become angels in heaven and this is the bliss of the Veda wise whose soul the blight of desire touches not. A hundred and a hundred fold of this measure of angelic bliss is one bliss of Gods that are angels in heaven and this is the bliss of the Vedawise whose soul the blight of desire touches not. A hundred and a hundred fold of this measure of divine angelic bliss is one bliss of the fathers whose world of heaven is their world forever and this is the bliss of Veda wise whose soul, the blight of desire touches not. A hundred and a hundred fold of this measure of bliss of the fathers whose worlds are forever, is one bliss of the Gods who are born as Gods in heaven and this is the bliss of the Veda wise whose soul the blight of desire touches not. A  hundred and a hundred fold of this measure of bliss of the first born in heaven  is one bliss of the Gods of work, who are Gods for by the strength their deeds they depart and are Gods in heaven and this is the bliss of the Veda wise whose soul the blight of desire touches not. A hundred and a hundred fold of this measure of bliss of the Gods of world is one bliss of the great Gods, who are Gods forever and this is the bliss of Veda wise whose soul the blight of desire touches not. And a hundred and a hundred fold of this measure of divine bliss of Indra, the king of heaven go in heaven and this is the bliss of the Veda wise soul whose the blight of desire touches not. A hundred and a hundred fold of this measure of Indra’s bliss is one bliss of brahaspati who taught the Gods in heaven and this is the bliss of the Veda wise whose soul the blight of desire touches not. A hundred and a hundred fold of this measure of brahaspati bliss is one bliss of prajapati the all mighty father and this is the bliss of the Veda wise whose soul the blight of desire touches not. A hundred and a hundred fold of this measure of prajapati’s bliss is one bliss of the eternal spirit and this is the bliss of the Veda wise whose soul the blight of desire touches not. The spirit who is here in a man and the spirit who is there in the sun, it is one spirit and there is no other. He who knows this, when he has gone away from this world passes to this self which is of food, he passes to this self which is of prana, he passes to the self which is of mind, he passes to this self which is of knowledge, he passes to this self which is of bliss wherefore of this is a scripture. The bliss of the eternal from which words turn back without attaining and mind also returns baffled who knows the bliss of the eternal he fears not for aught in this world or elsewhere. Verily to him comes not remorse and her tormenting saying why have I left undone the good and why have I done that which was evil. For he who knows the eternal knows these and delivers from them this spirit. Yeah! He knows both evil and good for what they are and delivers his spirit who knows the eternal and this is the Upanishad, the secret of the Veda. Together may he protect us, together may he possess us, together may he make..and virility. May our reading be full of light and power, may we never hate. Aum Peace, Peace, Peace.” So this is the charter of the discovery of the soul and this is the bliss. You need to be Gods yourself to go into heaven to have that bliss, even here if by learning the Veda, by knowing the true knowledge, if the soul attains to a stage where desire does not touch him then all his bliss is his.