A person has to find a way to attain every goal of his. Cows go in search of pastures, because grass is their food. Lions go in search of prey. Devas wanted nectar and got it when the ocean was churned. Human beings need to work for their upkeep. But our occupations are to do with sustenance of the body. Is the body all there is to a human being? We identify ourselves by the names given to us. The name is given to the body that an atma inhabits. But the body is not what we call “I,” said Kazhiyur B. Devarajan in a discourse.
Our sense organs or the brain or manas do not constitute “I.” It is the imperishable atma which is important. The atma has ananda and jnana. What gives ananda (joy)? A child has pleasure in playing with a toy. That is not eternal joy. The child will soon tire of the toy, and seek something else. The old toy no longer pleases it. So, such pleasures cannot be termed eternal joy. At different stages in our lives, different things interest us. We can experience joy without a break only in Sri Vaikuntha. If something gave us permanent happiness, why would we move away from it? But we do move away from a lot of things we once enjoyed. We no longer find them appealing. One must aspire to reach Sri Vaikuntha to serve Him there. All atmas are Lord Narayana’s dasas, and must serve Him gladly.
