"Even this shall pass"
A mantra that cheers
Is there anyone among us who does not wish to be happy? That’s unlikely. However, happiness and sorrow do not drop from the skies. Your thoughts are the cause of happiness and sorrow. Even if you are in a happy state, and a sad thought enters your mind, you suddenly feel unhappy, isn’t it? If you want to be ever cheerful, remember the following mantra: “Even this shall pass.” Let this be inscribed indelibly in your heart. With the practice of this mantra, you can remain alert in the event of both pleasure and pain and stop yourself from getting engrossed in them. Then, you can establish yourself in the supreme bliss of equanimity. Pairs of opposites such as pleasure and pain, honour and insult, joy and sorrow affect the body. They will come and go in a greater or lesser degree so long as the body exists. Do not be overwhelmed by them. You are the absolute Self, imperishable Atman while pleasures and pains are fleeting. How can they ever affect you? They have no existence of their own. In fact, they appear on the ground of your existence. You are distinct from them. Hence witness them, withstand them, and let them pass away. Be ever blissful and peaceful. There is no object that brings pleasure or pain. They are creations of your mind, your thoughts and feelings. With the help of these thoughts be absorbed in your own eternal Being, the Truth absolute and be always peaceful. You are the Supreme Bliss, Brahmn personified. It is your Self that dwells in all. The happiness that appears in the world is in fact just a glimpse of Self-bliss. It is your inner bliss but because of your ignorance, you think it is obtained from external objects of sense pleasures. Just as the sun’s reflection in the water is not the real sun but is merely an illusory appearance thereof, so also is the pleasure experienced through sense-enjoyments – it is not real bliss. It is an illusion, not real. Supreme Brahmn alone is existence, consciousness and bliss absolute. It is the One absolute reality which appears as existence, consciousness and bliss in different beings. But one who has a pure heart beholds the Lord as the One, non-dual Reality. A person prayed to Swami Ramatirtha, “Swamiji! Bless me that I become king of the world.” Swami Ramatirtha asked him, “What will you do if you become so?” The man replied, “I will be pleased and happy.” Swami Ramatirtha said, “Suppose you become a king, you will still come across many miseries in your life since the things through which you seek pleasure are themselves transient. They never remain with anybody forever, then how will they stay with you? Better than that, if you renounce the desire for seeking pleasure from transient things you will attain supreme bliss right now. That would be greater than the happiness you can derive from your dream kingdom.” The mind becomes peaceful when it overcomes desires; then you can experience imperishable bliss. True peace lies only in the renunciation of desires. A content person alone can remain happy. Even a millionaire is bankrupt without contentment. A content person is the wealthiest of all. He alone attains peace. Appreciate the present. Overcome greed and be content with what you have. Give thanks to God. Then you could help others achieve bliss.
