Caught up in earthly matters, devotees nevertheless want to achieve nirvana, a state where there is no sorrow. One can term that state as self-realisation, wherein one lives in this world, but the world is not within one; akin to a boat floating in water and not the other way round. When one realises the real self, within one, then one has attained fulfilment, and there is nothing more to be gained. The entire process is succinctly summed up in the six verses of Nirvana Shatkam, said Swami Ramacharana Tirtha (Nochur) in a discourse.
One is sheathed in various layers and it is important to discard them in order to tap into the core, inner self which alone can offer complete peace. Our physique is the outermost sheath, with the functional organs forming the next. Further buried is the mind (manam), followed by intellect (buddhi). The innermost layer is that of bliss, of chit (anandham) of Sivam, which is another name for fulfilment.
The journey to the inner core is not easy, but it is possible to free oneself of the shackles of external gratifications, remove ignorance and find the limitless inner self. When one listens to music, one experiences sheer joy, but even that is not permanent or continuous. Similarly with the inner self. For example, in between two thoughts, one experiences a state of being where there is only the self and nothing else. One should separate the mind from the body. True bliss comes when one realises that atma is ever free: there is neither aversion nor attachment. What remains is complete equipoise. It is latent in everyone, and one should seek it and own it.
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