Dharma was born out of our endless quest for happiness. One day, through experimentation, human beings discovered the true path of happiness. This was the starting point of dharmakarana, observance of dharma, the path on which people feel immense joy.
The joy of dharmakarana flows from one source; the mind cannot measure it. When an object is small, it can easily be measured. But when joy surpasses capacity of the mind, it becomes immeasurable. A person overwhelmed with joy may become senseless or may dance joyfully. That intense, immeasurable joy which leads one to infinity, is called ‘ananda’ or bliss.
Rasagollas are sweet. However, the pleasure derived from eating a rasagolla is limited: while it sits on the tongue it is satisfying, but as soon as it goes down the throat, the pleasure ends. A rasagolla is ephemeral; only Parama Purusha is infinite, immeasurable, infinite. When one connects with Him one attains infinite ananda, not the limited pleasure of a rasagolla. When one experiences just a little extra joy, one tends to forget oneself. One merges in the ocean of infinite joy thus attaining ‘savikalpa samadhi’.
When that flow of joy becomes so great that you lose your own identity and existence, it is called ‘nirvikalpa samadhi’. This happens due to extreme joy.
Bhakti is the embodiment of ananda. Ananda may also have an external manifestation. Those established in bhakti cannot indulge in any form of duplicity. Radiating deep love for humanity, they work tirelessly to establish an ideal social order free of all exploitation where human beings can stand up and fight against any type of injustice.
There is another expression of bhakti which occurs when devotees realise that all beings are created from ananda, exist in ananda and return to ananda. This realisation causes a radical change in their outlook – no longer can they differentiate between rich and poor, highborn and lowborn. They observe an ocean of ananda flowing within and around all created beings. All are flowing in the same rasa, the same ocean of bliss. In that divine flow, the devotees see Parama Purusha dancing with each entity.
In philosophy, this dance is called ‘rasalila’ or divine play in the flow of bliss. It means that all entities of this beginningless and endless universe are floating in the ocean of cosmic bliss. There is no place for sorrow since sorrow only exists where petty interests clash and vie with each other. When devotees understand this they become established in bliss.
When all humans are dancing in the same rhythm of Parama Purusha, when they are all moving in the same ideational flow, should there be any distinction between rich and poor, high-bred and low-bred? Certainly not. In this divine flow there is not even a distinction between devotee and non-devotee. Does Parama Purusha ever exclude the non-devotee from His infinite, endless cosmic dance?
Humans must keep such divisions and distinctions out of their minds. When all are dancing in the same flow of bliss what right does anyone have to discriminate against them? Everybody is dancing in that ocean of ideation, that ocean of bliss. Nobody can ignore this divine flow of bliss; nobody should be prevented from enjoying that bliss.
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