Door of Happiness: तत्त्वमसि
The door of true happiness is neither open nor closed. It appears open or closed when looked through the lens of likes and dislikes. Vedānta explains it clearly: In deep sleep, we are not aware of our body, name, fame, status, wealth etc., and yet when we wake up, we feel so exhilarated and peaceful. This proves that happiness is our very nature. Our seers and sages have called this natural state as Sat-chit-ānanda.
Sat is a Sanskrit word for ‘existence’ or ‘being’ and chit means ‘consciousness’ or ‘awareness.’ And ānanda means abiding ‘joy’ or ‘happiness.’ So Satchitānanda means Existence, Consciousness, Bliss Absolute. Although we are clearly familiar with the Sat-chit part of our existence, i.e., we “exist” and we are “aware” that we exist, yet the ānanda part is not so obvious. That is why Vedānta invokes the analogy of sleep to demonstrate the ānanda part of our being.
If we only had waking state (jāgrat-avasthā) and Nature had not given us the gift of sleep, we would have never known the following two vital things about ourselves:
1) That this world (jagat) is like a dream, or mind-stuff, mano-maya, or an “appearance.” This fact becomes very clear in our dream-state, svapana-avasthā, since we know that dream objects are “projections’ of our thoughts, mere creations of our mind.
2) That ānanda is our very nature, since in deep sleep, suṣupati, devoid of the knowledge of our body, mind, possessions, wealth etc., we still feel blissful and happy.
Now, who experiences these three states, avasthā-traya?
Upon reflection, we come to know that it is the “one” who remains unchanged throughout the waking-dream-deep sleep states and, therefore, observes them. It is called turiyā, the “fourth,” the witnessing consciousness, sākśi chaitanya.
That is our real nature. This is the self, ātman, which is identical to Brahman (absolute). This self, sākśi chaitanya is svayam-prakāśa, self-illuminated, and illumines our three states of waking, dreaming, and deep sleep.
As the Śruti says: j̄agrat-svapan–suṣupati adi parpancam yat prakāśatey, tad Brahma: “That by the light of which the play of waking, dreaming, and deep sleep becomes illuminated, is Brahman.” That you are: Tat tvam asi: तत्त्वमसि
This understanding is the door to real abiding happiness.
The following excerpt from one of the most important wisdom texts, Upaniṣads, succinctly presents a brief resume of the entire Vedānta:
In the beginning, there was Existence alone—
One only, without a second.
It, the One, thought to Itself:
“Let Me be many, let Me grow forth.”
Thus, out of Itself, it projected the universe,
and having projected the universe out of Itself,
It entered into every being.
All that is has its self in It alone.
Of all things It is the subtle essence.
It is the truth. It is the Self.
And you are That! ~Chāndogya Upaniṣad
No more loftier universal spiritual teachings exist anywhere.
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