The Nature of Happiness and Enlightenment: Understanding the Source's Impersonal Grace 2008-01-13

*Title:* "The Nature of Happiness and Enlightenment: Understanding the Source's Impersonal Grace with Ramesh Balsekar"

*Summary:*

In this satsang, Ramesh Balsekar explores the nature of happiness, enlightenment, and the relationship between the individual and the Source (or God). The discussion begins with a question about whether the Source desires happiness for individuals, which seems to imply a personal nature to an otherwise impersonal concept. Balsekar clarifies that while the Source is impersonal, happiness is an inherent state that is always present, only obscured by the ego's identification with doership.

Balsekar explains that real happiness, which is a state of peace of mind, is not dependent on external circumstances but is the natural state when the ego's sense of doership dissolves. This dissolution of ego is often misunderstood as enlightenment, a term that Balsekar critiques for being laden with misconceptions. Enlightenment, he suggests, is simply the realization that everything in life happens according to God's will or Cosmic Law, and that the human being is merely an instrument through which the Source operates.

The satsang delves into the illusory nature of free will, emphasizing that actions are not truly under individual control but are the result of genetic and environmental conditioning. Balsekar asserts that understanding this can lead to a profound acceptance of life as it is, resulting in peace of mind. He also discusses the role of the guru and the concept of surrender, noting that the relationship with a guru or deity is part of one's predetermined path and not a personal achievement.

The conversation highlights the importance of acceptance in achieving peace. Balsekar encourages participants to engage in personal investigation to see through the illusion of doership and to realize that happiness is not something to be attained but something that has always been present, masked by the ego's desires and attachments.

Through this satsang, Balsekar challenges the commonly held beliefs about enlightenment and happiness, urging a deeper understanding of life's impersonal nature and the acceptance of one's role as an instrument of the divine. This acceptance, he concludes, is the key to living a life of true peace and contentment, free from the burdens of guilt, shame, and the illusion of control.