Levels of Happiness - Part 2 of 3
Ānanda Mīmāṁsā ─ Inquiry into Happiness
In part 2 of this blog, we shall list 11 levels of ānanda that can be attained by human beings and devas - the celestial beings in the heaven.
Please listen to Swami Paramarthanandaji's talk on Taittriya Upanishad here.
Viṣayānanda
We shall use the term viṣayānanda to include all pleasures and some are listed in the following.
- Ānanda that one can get in this world by getting some object, such as a toy, balloon, car or money.
- Ānanda that one can get in the heaven by enjoying a heavenly feast and such.
- Ānanda - happy moments that you get due to someone's love and affection either in this world or in the heaven.
- Ānanda that one enjoys with the human or celestial body, mind and intellect. This includes the intellectual pleasure that you get in listening to music, solving a puzzle and so on.
- Satisfaction that one gets by doing any dharmic action such as charity, helping others, relieving somebody's pain is also viṣayānanda.
- Ānanda that we enjoy by academic and scholarly achievements either in this world or in the heaven.
- The basis of this teaching is dharma. While technically ānanda experienced by asura, rākṣasa and adharmic actions are also viṣayānanda, any pleasure through actions which are against dharma or sāśtra is out of scope.
We are terming viṣayānanda as any experiential ānanda. We are
including any kind of ānanda that one can experience under the single
broad category of viṣayānanda.
Instead of translating viṣayaḥ as
worldly sense-object, we are expanding the scope of the word viṣayānanda
to include every possible pleasure - ānanda that any sentient being
can get. Viṣayānanda is
called as prati bimba ānanda.
Ātmāndanda
We were introduced to brahman and ātmāndanda in In Search of Happiness ─ Part 1 of 3.
Ātmāndanda
also called as bimba ānanda or brahmānanda is the original and the only
source of any ānanda.
| Ātmāndanda can never be experienced. And viṣayānanda is always finite and never long lasting. |
When ātmāndanda is reflected in our mind due to favourable and conducive
conditions, we get viṣayānanda- experiential ānanda. Viṣayānanda is
called as prati bimba ānanda, because it is a reflection of the original
source.
| Taitrīya Upaniśad ते ये शतं मानुषा आनन्दाः॥ स एको मनुष्यगन्धर्वाणामानन्दः। श्रोत्रियस्य चाकामहतस्य। ते ये शतं मनुष्यगन्धर्वाणामानन्दाः। स एको देवगन्धर्वाणामानन्दः। श्रोत्रियस्य चाकामहतस्य। ते ये शतं देवगन्धर्वाणामानन्दाः। स एकः पितृणां चिरलोकलोकानामानन्दः। श्रोत्रियस्य चाकामहतस्य। ते ये शतं पितृणां चिरलोकलोकानामानन्दाः। स एक आजानजानां देवानामानन्दः॥ श्रोत्रियस्य चाकामहतस्य। ते ये शतं आजानजानां देवानामानन्दाः। स एकः कर्मदेवानां देवानामानन्दः। ये कर्मणा देवानपियन्ति। श्रोत्रियस्य चाकामहतस्य। ते ये शतं कर्मदेवानां देवानामानन्दाः। स एको देवानामानन्दः। श्रोत्रियस्य चाकामहतस्य। ते ये शतं देवानामानन्दाः। स एक इन्द्रस्याऽऽनन्दः॥ श्रोत्रियस्य चाकामहतस्य। ते ये शतमिन्द्रस्याऽऽनन्दाः। स एको बृहस्पतेरानन्दः। श्रोत्रियस्य चाकामहतस्य। ते ये शतं बृहस्पतेरानन्दाः। स एकः प्रजापतेरानन्दः। श्रोत्रियस्य चाकामहतस्य। ते ये शतं प्रजापतेरानन्दाः। स एको ब्रह्मण आनन्दः। श्रोत्रियस्य चाकामहतस्य॥ te ye śataṁ mānuṣā ānandāḥ || sa eko manuṣyagandharvāṇāmānandaḥ | śrotriyasya cākāmahatasya | te ye śataṁ manuṣyagandharvāṇāmānandāḥ | sa eko devagandharvāṇāmānandaḥ | śrotriyasya cākāmahatasya | te ye śataṁ devagandharvāṇāmānandāḥ | sa ekaḥ pitṛṇāṁ ciralokalokānāmānandaḥ | śrotriyasya cākāmahatasya | te ye śataṁ pitṛṇāṁ ciralokalokānāmānandāḥ | sa eka ājānajānāṁ devānāmānandaḥ || śrotriyasya cākāmahatasya | te ye śataṁ ājānajānāṁ devānāmānandāḥ | sa ekaḥ karmadevānāṁ devānāmānandaḥ | ye karmaṇā devānapiyanti | śrotriyasya cākāmahatasya | te ye śataṁ karmadevānāṁ devānāmānandāḥ | sa eko devānāmānandaḥ | śrotriyasya cākāmahatasya | te ye śataṁ devānāmānandāḥ | sa eka indrasyā(a)nandaḥ || śrotriyasya cākāmahatasya | te ye śatamindrasyā(a)nandāḥ | sa eko bṛhaspaterānandaḥ | śrotriyasya cākāmahatasya | te ye śataṁ bṛhaspaterānandāḥ | sa ekaḥ prajāpaterānandaḥ | śrotriyasya cākāmahatasya | te ye śataṁ prajāpaterānandāḥ | sa eko brahmaṇa ānandaḥ | śrotriyasya cākāmahatasya || |
Nature of Viṣayānanda
Viṣayānanda is never long lasting. It is always finite in terms of time, space and the measure. On the first day of purchasing an expensive toy, we are thrilled. In due course, the charm fades away. Experiential ānanda is āgamāpāyi - comes and goes and has gradations. Because any reflection will have gradation depending upon the surface of the reflecting medium. When the reflecting medium is very bright and clean, the reflection is intense, meaning that when the mind is relaxed and more contented, the level of pleasure is higher.
Vairāgya Ānanda
Upaniśad says that there are two methods to get experiential ānanda. Both methods make the mind conducive enough to reflect ātmāndanda in varying degrees.
- Happiness through acquisition: Get contentment by acquiring the sense objects.
Make the mind is relaxed and contented by providing favourable external conditions. The conditions are made favourable, by acquiring viśaya - objects. We do not want many items in this world either because we do not know about it or it is beyond our means. Suppose we come to know of an expensive toy through an advertisement or from somebody. The moment I decide that it is worthy of possession its absence will cause disturbance. Because I do not have something that I consider worthy. That was my decision. I am missing that object or person. I am dissatisfied with myself as long as that object or person is not available to me.
This discontentment, self-dissatisfaction is generated by me because of my intellectual conclusion that a particular object is worthy of possession. The fact that I do not have so many other things does not affect me. The absence of that particular object or person starts corroding the mind. This leads to desperation by dwelling upon that absence. When I get that object, the discontentment which I suffered for long gets released. And I jump with joy, attributing happiness to that particular object.
All this started with my intellectual conclusion that a particular object is worthy of possession. Me minus that object = I am apūrnah. Me plus that object = I am pūrnah.
Swamiji narrates the story of a person who always wore ill fitting, very tight shoes. He wore it during the whole day with pain and got immense pleasure when he went home and removed those shoes. Our lot is exactly like this. We generate discontentment by wrong thinking. Then we struggle to fulfill the desire and the discontentment. When the discontentment goes away we are happy. - Happiness through vairāgya: Get contentment through viveka - discrimination.
Vedanta says if you can start feeling discontentment by a particular type of thinking, by changing the pattern of thinking you can avoid the discontentment. If the discontentment is generated by a particular way of thinking, Vedanta calls it mohaḥ. By right thinking called vivekaḥ, the moha can be avoided or eliminated.
Samsāri chooses viśaya. Jnani chooses vairāgyam. Vairāgyam is born out of vivekam. Both viveka and viśaya give contentment. Both viveka and viśaya give pratibimba ānanda.
That is why jñāni also have experiential ānanda because of their contentment, even though they do not have any of the external sources of happiness.
11 Levels of Ānanda
Experiential ānanda gained through viśaya has gradations. Experiential ānanda gained through vairāgya also has gradations. These gradations are listed and compared in the ānanda mīmāmsā portion of taittrīya upaniśad.
Chart showing levels of pratibimba ānanda
Note: Start from the bottom in this chart.
- mānuṣa ānanda (1 Unit)
Ānanda experienced by a human being, who "has everything" is 1 unit of ānanda in the above chart. It is mānuṣa ānanda. For that person everything is going right, and the external conditions such as wealth, family, friends are abundant and the internal resources such as health, youth, mind are in a very good condition.
1 Unit of mānuṣa ānanda will also include all pleasures and satisfaction which are derived through dharmic actions such as scriptural study, scriptural teaching, charity, pilgrimage, social service and such performed by this ideal person.
Scriptures tell about various higher lokas - where the setup is superior and the body is also better. We are going to see 10 levels where each level is better than the previous level. - manuṣyagandharvāṇām ānandaḥ (100 Units)
Manuṣyagandharva ānanda is available in manuṣyagandharva loka. It is the experiential ānanda enjoyed by a manuṣyagandharva.
1 unit of manuṣyagandharva ānanda = 100 units of manusha ananda.
śrotriyasya ca akāmahatasya - A śrotriya with sufficient dispassion for mānuṣa ānanda can get this 100 units of mānuṣa ānanda.
This ānanda is not available in this bhū loka. Even though it is not available in bhū loka, a human being can attain the same level of manuṣyagandharva ānanda, through vairāgya for mānuṣa ānanda. That vairāgi whose vairāgya is born out of viveka, rejects the entire mānuṣa ānanda. This rejection is not because of frustration, inability or not knowing about mānuṣa ānanda. This person has mānuṣa ānanda available, but chooses not to pursue and obtain them. An example is Nachiketas of Katopaniśad. That person is called shrotriyah - indicating that the dispassion is out of maturity - viveka. That viveki knows that all objects of mānuṣa ānanda are subject to destruction and the level of joy diminishes with repeated usage. That person does not seek kama, artha and dharma which has the three fold defects - dośa as we saw in another blog.
śrotriya - smart person. akāmahatasya - He is not disturbed by discontentment. He is not afflicted by desire or craving. Not because of his incapacity. Even when it is available he can say no to them.
śrotriyasya ca akāmahatasya
A person who has vairāgya for mānuṣa ānanda enjoys the same level of manuṣyagandharva ānanda. - devagandharvāṇām ānandaḥ (10000 Units)
1 Unit of deva gandharva ānanda = 100 X manushya gandharva ananda.
Deva gandharva ānanda is available for Deva gandharva. Sankara says - Manushya Gandarva is one who migrated to Gandarva Loka by doing punya karma. Deva Ganadrva is a native of Gandarva Loka from śṛśti kāla itself. Upansihad says that Deva Gandarva Ananda is available for human beings.
How? śrotriyasya cākāmahatasya. A śrotriya with sufficient dispassion will also get Deva Gandarva Ananda provided he has a greater vairagyam. He will get this Deva Gandarva Ananda in bhū loka itself. Measured by rejecting Manushya Ananda as well as rejecting Manushya Gandarva Ananda because of greater vairagyam.
śrotriyasya ca akāmahatasya
A person who has vairāgya for 1. mānuṣa ānanda + 2. manuṣyagandharva ānanda enjoys the same level of devagandharvāṇām ānanda. - pitṛṇāṁ ciraloka lokānāmānandaḥ (1000000 Units)
1 Unit of Chira Loka Loka Ananda = 100 X deva gandarva ananda
People in Pitr Loka have a longer period of existence. Chira Loka and Pitr Loka are synonymous. The environment is still superior.
I reject out of maturity and my contentment level is higher.
śrotriyasya ca akāmahatasya
A person who has vairāgya for 1. mānuṣa ānanda + 2. manuṣyagandharva ānanda + 3. devagandharvāṇām ānanda enjoys the same level of ciraloka lokānāmānanda. - ājānajānāṁ devānāmānandaḥ (100000000 Units)
1 Unit of ājānajānā deva loka ananda = 100 X chira loka ananda.
Their ananda comes because of sense pleasures and not by contentment.
Deva Loka - svarga loka. ājānajānāḥ - residents of svarga loka. Ajana - Name of the loka. Ajanaja - name of people. Celestials of the heavenly world
śrotriyasya cākāmahatasya
A person who has vairāgya for 1. mānuṣa ānanda + 2. manuṣyagandharva ānanda + 3. devagandharvāṇām ānanda + 4. ciraloka lokānāmānanda enjoys the same level of ājānajānāṁ devānāmānandaḥ. - karmadevānāṁ devānāmānandah (10000000000 Units)
1 Unit of karmadevānāṁ devānāmānanda = 100 X ajanajana deva loka ananda
Karma Deva. Previous ones are Ajanaja devas (like Lower Income Group). Karma Devas have better facilities (like Middle Income Group). There are radation in heaven as well.
Sankara - Ajanaja devas became devas by smartha karmani. Religious activities based on smritis - puranas, itihasas etc. An example is Chandi Homa, which is a smartha karma.
Karma Devas became devas by shrouta karmani. Religious activities prescribed by vedas. Examples are agnihotram, vaaja seya yaaga etc.
Karma devas enjoy better facilities. Like different classes in the train. Some have no curtain. Some have curtain. In some classes in the train, you can close the door and lock.
śrotriyasya cākāmahatasya
A person who has vairāgya for 1. mānuṣa ānanda + 2. manuṣyagandharva ānanda + 3. devagandharvāṇām ānanda + 4. ciraloka lokānāmānanda + 5. ājānajānāṁ devānāmānanda enjoys the same level of karmadevānāṁ devānāmānanda. - devānāmānandāḥ (1000000000000 Units)
1 Unit of devānāmānanda = 100 X karmadevanam devanamananda
Devas are superior to even karma deva. bṛhadāraṇyaka upaniśad (1-9-2) mentions 33 Devas - who have the right in receiving oblations in yaaga. They are called havir bukh devas.
They are 8 vasu. 11 rudra 12 aditya, Indra and Prajapati
śrotriyasya cākāmahatasya
A person who has vairāgya for 1. mānuṣa ānanda + 2. manuṣyagandharva ānanda + 3. devagandharvāṇām ānanda + 4. ciraloka lokānāmānanda + 5. ājānajānāṁ devānāmānanda + 6. karmadevānāṁ devānāmānanda enjoys the same level of devānāmānanda. - indrasyā(a)nandaḥ (100000000000000 Units)
1 Unit of indrasyā(a)nanda = 100 X devanamananda
Indra is the ruler of the heaven who has - airaavatham - extraordinary elephant as his personal vehicle.
śrotriyasya cākāmahatasya
A person who has vairāgya for 1. mānuṣa ānanda + 2. manuṣyagandharva ānanda + 3. devagandharvāṇām ānanda + 4. ciraloka lokānāmānanda + 5. ājānajānāṁ devānāmānanda + 6. karmadevānāṁ devānāmānanda + 7. devānāmānandā enjoys the same level of indrasyā(a)nandaḥ.
Number of things I want is decreasing in spirituality. In materialism it is increasing. - bṛhaspaterānandaḥ (10000000000000000 Units)
1 Unit of bṛhaspaterānanda = 100 X indrasyananda
Bṛhaspatii is Indra's guru. Indra will give all the best facilities to his guru.
Bṛhati means vedaḥ. Bṛhaspatii is vācaspati - the lord of all scriptures.
śrotriyasya cākāmahatasya
A person who has vairāgya for 1. mānuṣa ānanda + 2. manuṣyagandharva ānanda + 3. devagandharvāṇām ānanda + 4. ciraloka lokānāmānanda + 5. ājānajānāṁ devānāmānanda + 6. karmadevānāṁ devānāmānanda + 7. devānāmānandā + 8. indrasyā(a)nanda enjoys the same level of bṛhaspaterānandaḥ. - prajāpaterānandaḥ (1000000000000000000 Units)
1 Unit of prajāpaterānanda = 100 X brihaspaterananda
prajāpatih - virāt. samaṣṭi sthūla prapañca abhimāni caitanyam virāt
śrotriyasya cākāmahatasya
A person who has vairāgya for 1. mānuṣa ānanda + 2. manuṣyagandharva ānanda + 3. devagandharvāṇām ānanda + 4. ciraloka lokānāmānanda + 5. ājānajānāṁ devānāmānanda + 6. karmadevānāṁ devānāmānanda + 7. devānāmānandā + 8. indrasyā(a)nanda + 9. bṛhaspaterānandaḥ enjoys the same level of prajāpaterānanda. - brahmaṇa ānandaḥ (100000000000000000000 Units)
1 Unit of brahmaṇa ānanda = 100 X prajapaterananda
brahma (not brahman) - father of virat. Hiraṇyagarbhaḥ - samaṣṭi sūkṣma prapañcaḥ.
This is the highest possible pratibimbananda. The theoretical maximum experiential pleasure is hiranyagarbanandah.
śrotriyasya cākāmahatasya
A person who has vairāgya for 1. mānuṣa ānanda + 2. manuṣyagandharva ānanda + 3. devagandharvāṇām ānanda + 4. ciraloka lokānāmānanda + 5. ājānajānāṁ devānāmānanda + 6. karmadevānāṁ devānāmānanda + 7. devānāmānandā + 8. indrasyā(a)nanda + 9. bṛhaspaterānandaḥ + 10. prajāpaterānandaḥ enjoys the same level of brahmana ānandaḥ.
You can get this ananda by doing karma and travelling through the lokas or alternatively use your viveka and develop vairagya.
Note: These are only indicative and not exact mathematical equations. Chart shows very large, but finite numbers to emphasize that this theoretical maximum happiness is also finite.
The purport is that a vairagi - person of dispassion gains the theoretical maximum happiness in this world itself. Atmananda is infinte, but you cannot experience it.
Both types of ananda, (1) enjoyed in various lokas by the residents and rulers of these lokas and (2) a human being with sufficient vairagya are pratibimbananda.
Advantages of vairagya ananda over vishaya ananda is listed below. One should evaluate the advantages and choose vairagya ananda over vishaya ananda.
- You need to use only your intellect: Vairagya ananda is inexpensive and better because you have to use only your buddhi. Viṣayānanda is expensive in terms of resource needs and maintenance. Viṣayānanda is very competitive. Whereas each one of us can have our own vairagyam without competing with others.
- Under our control and predictable: Vishayananda depends on external factors over which we do not have much control. Some old prarabdha can spoil things. Vishayananda is unpredictable. Vairagya depends on my own viveka only.
- Conducive for atma jnanam: Vairagya is one of the essential qualifications for atma jnanam. Viveka leads to vairagya. Vairagya needs to be repeatedly practiced as we saw in the previous blog. Vairagyam will directly help one in getting pratibimbananda and Vairagyam will indirectly help later in gaining bimbananda - one's own nature. Atmananda is gained later because only a spiritual person will come to vedanta. There is no bonus in vishayananda, which will not lead to atmanana. Vishayananda is subject to loss later - காதற்ற ஊசியும் கூட வராது. You cannot carry even a broken needle at the time of death. Vishyananda makes one an extrovert and a materialistic person who will never come to vedanta.
| Second chapter of Taittriya Upanishad contains the statement - सोऽश्नुते सर्वान् कामान्सह so(a)śnute sarvān kāmānsaha. Jnani acquires all ananda - saha aśnute sarvān kāmān saha. Jnani will get bimbananda because of jnanam and pratibimbananda because of vairagyam. So jnani will have sarva ananda - both kinds of ananda. |
Part 1 and Part 2 of the blog on Ananda Mimamsa deals with pratibimbananda - which is subject to gradation.
Part 3 of the blog on Ananda Mimamsa deals with the mahā vākyam part of ānanda mīmāmsā.