The secret to a blissful life is simple: find what makes you happy and do more of it. But it’s not always that easy. Life can get busy and stressful, and it can be hard to make time for the things that bring us joy. But it’s important to make an effort because when we do, our lives are richer and more fulfilling. Here we are discussing this in detail.
Live in the Present Moment
People are generally more concerned about what happens after death rather than the life they are living. Sometimes this appears very strange. If a person is given a mango to eat and relish, and he just thinks about it and neglects to relish it – such is the situation with the man today.
Life is a boon and is such a precious gift that is very difficult to achieve. Instead of enjoying it to the fullest, if one thinks about what will happen after I die – whether I will go to heaven or I will go to hell – it is sheer waste of the opportunity.
Can’t we think of enjoying peace and tranquility while living in this world and continuing even after leaving it? People just wonder about it but yes, it is possible! We can make it. This is our secret. Let us explore it.
अन्तकाले च मामेव स्मरन्मुक्त्वा कलेवरम् ।
यः प्रयाति स मद्भावं याति नास्त्यत्र संशयः ॥ ८-५॥
antakāle ca māmeva smaranmuktvā kalevaram
yaḥ prayāti sa madbhāvaṃ yāti nāstyatra saṃśayaḥ
Shrimad Bhagwat Geeta Chapter 8, verse 5
Meaning:
And whosoever, leaving the body, goes forth remembering Me alone, at the time of his death, he attains My being; there is no doubt about this.
यं यं वापि स्मरन्भावं त्यजत्यन्ते कलेवरम् ।
तं तमेवैति कौन्तेय सदा तद्भावभावितः ॥ ८-६॥
yaṃ yaṃ vāpi smaranbhāvaṃ tyajatyante kalevaram
taṃ tamevaiti kaunteya sadā tadbhāvabhāvitaḥ
Shrimad Bhagwat Geeta Chapter 8, verse 6
Meaning:
Whosoever, at the end, leaves the body, thinking of any being, to that being only he goes, O Kaunteya (O son of Kunti) , because of his constant thought of that being.
In the 5th and 6th shlokas under chapter 8 of Geeta, Bhagwan Krishna says he who remembers me while departing from this body, he reaches me. And there is no doubt about it.
And whatever one remembers while leaving this body, he attains to that because all along he was full of that very thought.
Remembering God:
Now, it is clear that if one wants to live happily and contented here and reach out to Him after leaving the body, he must know Him. Without knowing Him how can one remember? Where He can be found? Within your own self. He clearly says that I am within you. And you can know me within. Merely learning that He can be found within, will not serve the purpose. He must be known. After knowing Him one can remember Him. Knowing and remembering Him, he will be happy while living this life.
Now, come to the another point He talks about. This is rather tough. If one remembers Him while leaving this body, he will attain to Him. The toughest question is: how you are going to remember Him while leaving this body? Normally, what you remember throughout the day, you dream that very thing during sleep. To remember in that trying time while leaving this body, it is only possible when you remember Him throughout your whole life.
And that’s why Shri Krishna says in the next verse: that’s why remember me, O Arjun, all the time and fight.
See Also: Beyond Wealth: The Quest for True Knowledge and Human Prosperity
How can we Remember God at all times?
We live in this world; we have our families and lots of responsibilities. How can we remember Him all the time?
He is within you as infinite. But how to know? Uttering any word won’t be possible while leaving this body as the tongue will cease to function. You won’t be able to call anyone at that point in time.
Things must be clear. He is within you. You don’t have to go to Himalayas to find Him.
Arjun had three works to do simultaneously: while fighting save oneself from the onslaught, kill the enemy and remember Him.
While Arjun had to do three things, we have to do only two: fight the battle in the form of your responsibilities in this world and remember Him. Can it be done? I hope so.
The biggest hurdle in it here is to know Him. He is within you as infinite. But how to know? Uttering any word won’t be possible while leaving this body as the tongue will cease to function. You won’t be able to call anyone at that point in time.
Shri Krishna says that He is there within you as Avyakto Askhar (A word that cannot be uttered).
As regards how can we know the infinite within, He says in the Geeta (4/34) that to know that Knowledge, go the saints who know it, who are well-versed in it and request for its revelation. Go to him with great reverence. Once pleased they may reveal that Knowledge to you.
Here lies the key. The process will start once you know the infinite within. Then only you can remember Him all along your life even while fighting the problems we create for our lives. Both things now can go hand in hand – fight the war and remember Him.
This way we can make our existence in life happy and peaceful by remembering it and it would be easy to remember while departing from this world as one has remembered all along this life. Thus, we can make both worlds happy and peaceful.
This is our own secret. It can be known and put into practice. There are many such secrets in Geeta that we shall keep on explaining in our coming articles.
