One will be truely blissful, when he reaches the topmost level of sukha
Yes, this is a reality. Lower levels of pleasure are not sufficient in themselves to give us happiness; we have to go to higher levels. When I mean different levels of pleasure, I am referring to pleasures of the senses, of the mind, of the intelligence and of the soul. And they are in this order only, with the pleasures of the senses at the bottom of the ladder and pleasures of the soul at the apex. We need to climb to the top.
I will begin with pleasures of the senses, which almost everyone is aware of. Eating pleasure is the most common because eating is a necessity also. Our tongues play a major role in this. They dominate to such an extent that one is ready to sacrifice one’s health for tasty foods. The next pleasure is of eyes. We spend a lot of time pursuing this pleasure by watching television and now getting addicted to our cell phones. The third pleasure is of hearing music, appreciation, etc.
Talking is similarly pleasant if we can talk intelligently and convince others of our points of view. Comforts also give good feelings, as does smelling nice perfumes, etc. Playing games, especially if one is good at them gives a lot of joy. Meaningful work makes one feel good. And lastly, the sexual pleasures attract mostly everyone. Unfortunately, all these pleasures only give a semblance of happiness. Pleasures of the mind occupy the next level. The first one, which comes to my mind, is self-control or more specifically mental strength. I felt good whenever I was able to deal with a tough situation without losing my poise. Accomplishments naturally occupy the next position. All successes please especially big ones. One gets a feeling of satisfaction, which in turn makes me momentarily peaceful. I have found that purity of emotions also gives me satisfaction, as does simplicity. All these give a taste of the real thing, which is ‘sukha’, described as bliss in English. The next level of pleasure is intelligence. The capacity to learn well and quickly is highly pleasing; one gets the feeling of being superior. Then comes the ability of problem-solving. I get very excited when a problem comes and I can find solutions thanks to my Lord. The same is true about value judgement in different situations as stated in the Geeta verse # 18.30, “Intelligence by which one knows attachment and relinquishment; and what is worth doing and what is not; what is to be feared and not be feared; what is bondage and liberation.” One makes intelligent choices, and the direction of life is right. Isn’t the direction all-important in any journey, especially the biggest of our lives?
Still, our pleasures are not at the highest level; they are there but not quite there. For this, we have to reach the level of soul and God. It is a steep climb beginning with becoming good in all respects. Lord Krishna has guided the Geeta on how this can be effectively done. Simultaneously, the purification of the self must go on. This relates to body, mind and words. We have to be extra careful in what we do, think or say. Yogis practice this throughout their lives. (5.11) We must serve others; this creation has been designed this way. Now we are in a good position to approach God for everything desirable. This can be easily done by doing spiritual practices, which suit our natures. God takes notice of all of them. He begins responding when He feels that we are serious in our attempts. Such responses may come as intuitions, minor miracles, fulfilment of our desires, etc. Sometimes, God communicates in our dreams. Such responses show support of the Almighty, which in turn gives us a sense of security. This otherwise is impossible to gain no matter how many material objects we may accumulate. We will begin to become quite hopeful about our future because God has taken note of us. Peace will descend, which is pleasant and lasting. One will become increasingly blissful, that is really ‘sukhi’. One will have reached the topmost level of sukha, which is required to be happy, yes, very happy.
(The writer is a spiritual teacher)