Pleasure is an interval between two pains. This is a phrase Bhagawan has used so often in His Discourses to drive home the fact that we live in world that is dual. It is impossible to get joy without sorrow or profits without loss. Duality is the very nature of this creation. It is not without reason that Bhagawan states, “Pleasure is an interval between two pains” and not “Pain is an interval between two pleasures”. This conveys the truth that life is essentially full of difficulties and challenges. That is why Lord Buddha too, after all his spiritual investigations, came to the conclusion that – Sarvam Dukham Dukham, Sarvam Kshanikam Kshanikam – Everything is sorrow and ephemeral. But then, what is life all about? The goal of life is to transcend these opposites and acquire bliss which is permanent and everlasting. Bhagawan gives us several prescriptions about how to lead our life in this world of duality and how to go beyond the opposites.
This blogpost is presented in two parts. Part-I with seven audio clips deals with the Underlying Philosophy and explanation of the context in which Bhagawan uses the statement, “Pleasure is an Interval between two Pains”. In the six audio clips of Part-II, Bhagawan gives simple prescriptions of how human beings can transcend the duality of life and go beyond joy and sorrow to experience everlasting bliss. In all the thirteen audio extracts in this blog post, spanning across Discourses delivered in the last 2 decades, Bhagawan refers to the phrase, “Pleasure is an interval between two pains”, and highlights different aspects about the same. The seven audio excerpts in Part-II have been taken from the Discourses delivered by Bhagawan during the years 1990, 1995, 1999, 2000 and 2003.
In Clip-1 Bhagawan states that whatever happens in our life is for our good only. In Clip-2 Bhagawan explains how we need to draw the water of bliss from the well of sorrow, just like a bee sucks the sweet nectar from a bitter flower. Clip-3 talks about how good people always face more challenges, whereas Clip-4 describes how Mother Kunti prayed to Lord Krishna to always giver her difficulties, so that she could keep her mind on Him at all times. Clip-5 talks about how we must welcome everything that comes in our way, with Love. Clip-6 reminds us that the true goal of life is to transcend all dualities. Finally in Clip-7 Bhagawan concludes giving His own example of how He is always happy irrespective of situations and circumstances in life.
Each audio clip has a name that adopts the following code: Serial number, Title appropriate to the key content, Duration of the clip, Year-Month-Date of the Clip. Below the title is the translation in English of the select excerpt of the Discourse, followed by the audio player. The post ends with a short quiz that would help you evaluate your assimilation of Bhagawan’s Message from these extracts.
Note: Those receiving this blog by email may see words bunched together due to a technical glitch. That is beyond my control. Please click on link at the top of the email to read the blog directly. Sorry about this. If anyone has a solution to this please help me out.
SIMPLE PRESCRIPTIONS
01-Consider all that happens is for our good-Develop desire for God-2.34-2000 November 23
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| Whatever happens is for our Good |
Today, in the world, qualities like hatred, jealousy and ostentation are on the rise. To get rid of all of them, it is enough if we have Love. We must recognize the truth that whether our desires are fulfilled or not, it (whatever happens) is for our good; and we must act accordingly. I desired for a task, but that did not materialize. So, why should I hate somebody for that? Because of that hate, we will lose the positive results too. (We must think) “Oh! These difficulties are for my own good. There is something good even in this”. Whatever we come across, there is something good in it. Good and bad always go together. There can be no effort, without these two.
Therefore, good cannot come without bad. Bad cannot take place without good. There is bad in good and good in bad. We must see the unity in the two.
Sukhaduhkhe Same Kritva Labhalabhau Jayajayu (Bhagavad Gita, 2.38)
Treat pleasure and pain, gain and loss, victory and defeat with equanimity.
The pleasure is an interval between two pains. We get happiness only between two difficulties. Therefore, we must not keep multiplying our desires. If we reduce our (worldly) desires and increase Divine desires, we will get so much comfort and happiness. As you take up more worldly responsibilities, they will keep increasing continuously. We think that we are taking up these worldly responsibilities to reduce our difficulties. No, that is very wrong. The more you increase your desires, the lesser will be your happiness. The lesser your desires, the happier you will be. If you feel that I have no happiness, I have no happiness, then what is the reason? You are going on increasing your desires, increasing your desires. That is why happiness is decreasing. You reduce your desires and your happiness will increase.
02-Draw water of bliss from the well of sorrow-See good even in bad-1.35-1999 July 28
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Draw Water of Happiness from the Well of Sorrow
Image Source |
What great luck is it for the bee to suck sweet nectar from a bitter flower! We must see good even in bad. That is the true form of Love. Draw the water of bliss from the well of sorrow. The pleasure is an interval between two pains. God created the world with these two (opposite) aspects. Recognize your own physical form. God kept the Divine face that is beautiful, happy and smart; in front. The face is very attractive. But behind this, He created pitch black darkness. The black and dark hair behind gives beauty and happiness to the white face in front.
Therefore, good and bad is intertwined in everything. However, today man sees only the bad but does not attract good unto himself.
03-Good people always face challenges-Life is a challenge-Meet it-0.59-1995 May 20
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| Good People always face Challenges |
Good people will always have many obstacles. The pleasure is an interval between two pains. Difficulties are more for good people only. Nobody will even look at bad people with their eyes. It is only a good diamond that gets the cuts. It is only the good gold that is put into fire and heated. The more the gold is heated in the fire, the more pure it becomes. The more the cuts in the diamond, the greater is its value. Therefore, when difficulties come to good people, their value always increases and never comes down. But we need to face those difficulties.
Life is a challenge – meet it. Life is a dream – realize it. Life is a game – play it. Life is love – enjoy it. Life is awareness.
04-Good acts always face obstacles-But it is for our good-Mother Kunti-2.48-2000 January 14
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| Mother Kunti to Lord Krishna – Give me difficulties always |
Therefore, have firm faith in God. Anyone may create an obstacle in the way, but you must move forward unmindful of that. Good acts always face lots of obstacles, but nothing comes in the way of bad things. Therefore, when many obstacles come your way, you must understand that it is for your own good. At time, some students fail in the class. Just because they have failed, do they leave the class and go? No; they must study sincerely the second time and pass the same. It is said that the pleasure is an interval between two pains. You get joy only between two pains. Vyasa declared, “Na Sukhaat Labhyate Sukham” (you cannot get pleasure out of pleasure). You cannot experience happiness out of happiness. Only through difficulties you can experience happiness. Without difficulties, happiness has no value. Without darkness light has no value. Hence, difficulties must be considered as very natural to man.
At one point of time, when the Pandavas were preparing for the war, mother Kunti bowed to Lord Krishna, and prayed, “Krishna, I want you to fulfill my one desire”. Krishna asked, “what do you want?” Kunti replied, “I want to have the devotion that will never allow me to forget You and the body that will be able to experience all difficulties. Give me difficulties all my life. It is possible to remember You only at times of difficulties. In happiness, I will not think of You. I experienced all happiness when king Pandu was there. In those days I never remembered You. After king Pandu passed away, rearing the children by my side and watching all the difficulties they went through, I felt that it is good to have difficulties only. In these difficult times, I was able to remember You several times. I am ready to bear any amount of difficulties. But my Love for You should not waver even a little bit”. Thus, she (Kunti) had her whole life centered around Krishna.
05-Welcome everything in life with Love-1.39-2000 May 30
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| Welcome everything with Love |
We must utter words with Love. We must perform all our actions with Love. Whatever loss or difficulties come your way, experience them with Love. Just by saying “No” to them, they will not go away. Welcome everything – welcome-welcome-welcome. Sorrow comes – welcome it. Happiness comes – welcome it.
Sukhaduhkhe Same Kritva Labhalabhau Jayajayu (Bhagavd Gita, 2.38)
Treat pleasure and pain, gain and loss, victory and defeat with equanimity.
The pleasure is an interval between two pains. If there is no pain, there is no pleasure. If there is no darkness, there is no value for light. So whatever we get, it is for our good only. Criticism also comes for our good only. Without criticism, how can you get happiness? Because of criticism, you will get happiness. This world is full of duality. It is not possible to have one without its opposite. This duality leads to half blindness. A man with dual mind is half blind. You are half blind. This is the world. It is full of duality. It cannot be non-dual. Therefore, we must derive happiness even in non-dualism.
06-The goal of human life is to transcend all dualities-1.51-2003 January 01
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| Transcend all Duality |
Purnamadah Purnamidam Purnaat Purnamudachyate
(Ishavasya Upanishad, Shanti Mantra)
That is complete, this is complete. From that completeness comes this completeness.
This Divine completeness is present in every man. But he is not making an effort to recognize this. Who is protecting this body when man sleeps closing his eyes? How does the principle of this body go on? No one knows that. God is the cause for creation, sustenance and dissolution. Inspite of having this power within himself, man is buckling down under difficulties and troubles. He gets elated when there is happiness. The true goal of man is to go beyond this elation and depression. What is the origin of happiness and sorrow? Nobody is able to determine that. Human life exists at the point where both happiness and sorrow take birth. The pleasure is an interval between two pains. Happiness lies only between two difficulties. We do not need to search for happiness anywhere. Happiness is with us, behind us, in front of us, above us and below us.
07-Swami is always happy-Never worry about anything-After pain there is joy-3.08-1990 August 14
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| Swami is always Happy!! |
Lord Krishna was always blissful. Whether it was a burial ground, a safe place or a battle field, He was always happy. Or else, (just imagine) a war was going on, on one side 11 lakh soldiers and on the other side 40 lakh soldiers had assembled. Krishna was standing right between them and singing a song! That is Gita. Gita means a song. Can there be an opportunity for anyone to sing at such times? Only when we are very happy, we sing a song. When we are happy, we sing a song in the bathroom. Happiness is the cause for singing. Because Krishna was always blissful, He could sing a song even in the battle field. That is why, happiness is union with God. Divinity lies in happiness. For everything God is happy.
You may or may not know the principle of Swami. When someone says, “Swami my stomach is paining a lot, I am not able to bear”, Swami says, “Anandam, Anandam”. When someone says, “Swami, I lost my husband”, Swami says, “Chaala Santosham (very happy)”. Swami is always happy. Therefore, happiness is the nature of the Divine. By merely crying what is it that we can achieve? All these are passing clouds. There is not even one cloud which is permanent. Therefore, it is not necessary to worry about this. We should not worry at all. This is the message of the Avataar. We must not be troubled by anything. If there is some problem, there will be happiness later. The pleasure is an interval between two pains. Therefore, after this (problem), happiness will come. We should carry out our life with this firm faith.
A Short Quiz
01-What are the various prescriptions that Bhagawan gives us to help us transcend happiness and sorrow?
02-According to Bhagawan, what is the relationship between desires and happiness?
03-What is the analogy that Bhagawan gives using the example of a bee sucking nectar from a bitter flower?
04-What does the bright face in the backdrop of dark black hairs convey?
05-What lesson does the diamond teach us?
06-Give the four line quote about life, given by Bhagawan Baba.
07-What message does Bhagawan convey to us through the example of the student who fails in an examination?
08-What was mother Kunti’s prayer to Lord Krishna? Why did she make such a strange prayer?
08- Purnamadah Purnamidam Purnaat Purnamudachyate – Where is this phrase sourced from and what does it mean?
09-What is the primary message of the Avataar?
