Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Ch.2 4.1-5 Lecture 57 on 08 August 2026 Q&A

Q&A: On the Self, Happiness, and the Quest for Brahman

The Self as the Source of Love and Happiness

Question: Maharaj, in this Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad, when Yājñavalkya says that everything and everyone is loved for the sake of the self, is it right to understand that it is the lower self, and then ultimately the understanding goes to the capital 'S'?

Answer: It is only – in both senses it is the... you are correct. Because when a person gets enlightened, he understands that Ātman is the only source of happiness, okay? No seeking is there?

Question: Ah, yes.

Answer: But whatever – until even in our deepest state of ignorance, what is it we want?

Question: Happiness.

The Deepest State of Ignorance and the Desire for Deep Sleep

Answer: Ahh, that is why if happiness is lacking in the waking and dream state, what do you think the person wants to do?

Question: He wants to somehow obtain – seeking.

Answer: No, he desires deep sleep.

Question: Oh, like that?

Answer: Yeah, because that is a common experience. You can't say whether there is happiness in the deep sleep or not. That is true. One form of terrific suffering is called boredom. If someone is boring you, what happens to you?

Question: Sleepy

Answer: Correct – your mouth goes on opening. You must understand why you are boring me: because boring brings a big hole. But there are people who totally don't pay attention to what is happening to other people. And as I jokingly referred, you know the biggest bore in the world is God. That is why He wanted to show: "I am the biggest bore." (Varaha Avatara). Literally, it is true. Most people, 99.99%, they want God, or they want what God can give ?

What People Really Seek

Answer: What God can give. Not only that, another point you remember. Suppose a person gets quite a good amount of happiness from eating a sweet. Now, what should we call that sweet?

Question: God.

Answer: God. Yeah, He has given the biggest happiness. So only it doesn't last long. That is why after many, many a birth, we seek. So people drink – another example. What do they want to do? They want to enter into an altered state of consciousness where he wants to forget his body, his mind, the world, circumstance. Forgetting himself, he says yes, but he doesn't understand what he means by the word "forgetting myself". Forgetting myself means forgetting the causes of unhappiness. Because if he forgets himself, who is going to enjoy?