The Infinite

Anecdotes

oi-Priya Devi

By Priya Devi

Tuesday, July 27, 2010, 18:15

The bliss of the infinite is ineffable while the joy arising out of the finite is momentary. A story from the Upanishads reveals the truth.

Sveta-Ketu was the son of a great Rishi called Uddalaka. One day he put forward a query, rather an eloquent one towards his father.

“Father, everyone is looking for happiness. What is actually meant by happiness?"

Uddalaka answered, “A significant sign for happiness is that, a person happy becomes active. A person who is not happy is gloomy and does not feel like being active. He has a weak will and a cramped mind. What is infinite and vast brings in happiness. There is no true joy, meaning, the joy is fleeting in what is small or finite. Hence you must want to know about the infinite, my son"
Sveta-Ketu expressed his intention of knowing the infinite.

Uddalaka said, “You will then have to listen carefully to what I say and contemplate on it" He continued to reveal the profound truth, “When a person understands that no one and nothing is separate from him, and that he recognises the oneness with all people, animals and objects in the universe and when he does not hear, see and know anything else, that is infinite. But when one feels a separation from things, it is then finite and he has still not found the infinite.
“The infinite stays for ever. It is not fleeting like the finite"

Hence the bliss of the infinite is eternal.