Understanding Joy and Sorrow

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About the Book

The cycle of joy and sorrow is perennial. It is a cycle that is largely of our own making. There is no market where we can go and buy either joy or sorrow. As their source is not outside but within us, it is possible for us to transform or control them too. This is a vastly complex subject that man has struggled with for aeons.

In Understanding Joy and Sorrow, Acharya Mahapragya, the tenth Acharya of the Jain Swetambar Terapanth sect and one of the most widely respected Jain thinkers of the world, outlines the causes, aspects and remedies of our unhappiness in twenty-one succinct chapters that address the role of anger, stress and desire in sorrow, as also that of detachment and fearlessness which enable us to stay happy. Drawing upon anecdotes and examples, the Acharya holds up a mirror to our innermost fears and concerns.

Alongside are five key exercises, such as kayotsarga and antaryatra that provide a pathway to reaching mental calm. Kayotsarga is the process of relaxation of all the muscles in the body which helps one to release stress; antaryatra is the focusing of attention on the body’s centre of energy to reach a state of balance and peace. Together with the other exercises given, these help make Understanding Joy and Sorrow one of the most accessible books available on the subject, one that any reader can keep handy and benefit from dipping into time and again.

About the Author

ACHARYA MAHAPRAGYA was the tenth Acharya of the Jain Swetambar Terapanth sect and one of the most widely respected Jain thinkers of the world. He got his education under the guidance of Acharya Shree Tulsi, who launched the Anuvrat movement in 1949 to rid the world of violence and hatred and free religion from sectarianism.

A multidimensional personality and a renowned scholar of Indian and Western philosophy and religion, Acharya Mahapragya traversed more than 100,000 km on foot over his lifetime and visited 10,000 villages to spread the message of nonviolence. He recently passed away at the age of eighty-nine.

He is the author of numerous books, including Transform Your Self (2011), The Happy and Harmonious Family (2009), and The Family and the Nation with A.P.J. Abdul Kalam (2008), which have been published by HarperCollins.

PREFACE

I went to the market in Kolkata but I did not find any shop where joy was being sold.

I went to the market in Mumbai. I continued my search for a place where I could buy joy, but with no result.

I went to the market in Surat, the diamond city. ‘There was no signboard indicating a place where joy was on sale.

I went to the market in Delhi, the capital of India. Not a single businessman did I find selling joy.

I could find no shops selling joy in any of the other metropolitan cities, such as Chennai or Bengaluru, either. There is no factory manufacturing it, nor has any high technology been discovered which can produce joy. ‘Then, the question arises: From where does joy come? From where can it be obtained?

Long research has revealed that neither joy nor sorrow can be produced or sold in the market. Joy and sorrow are the rays of consciousness that cannot be created.

The cycle of joy and sorrow is perennial. A man is joyful sometimes and at other times, sorrowful. Favourable conditions Stimulate joy, whereas unfavourable conditions result in sorrow.

The transformation of consciousness brings a change in the stimulation of joy and sorrow. A man with an enlightened consciousness remains calm and peaceful even in an adverse situation. A man with a dormant consciousness will remain tense and restless even in a favourable situation.

There are various causes that activate a feeling of joy or sorrow:

• Remembering joy or sorrow experienced in the past

• Imagining joy or sorrow

• Thinking of joy or sorrow

The theory of karma is a theory of subtle vibrations. Karma is the core of an individual’s internal condition. Sometimes, we become sorrowful without any external cause; this happens because of the intense force of karmic waves.

SPIRITUAL SORROW

Spirituality means that whatever happens takes place in the innermost layers of consciousness. Negative emotions, like anger, pride and greed, lie in pure consciousness and are termed spiritual vices. Positive emotions, like forgiveness, modesty and contentment, which also lie in pure consciousness, are called spiritual virtues. Spiritual vices cause sorrow while spiritual virtues lead to happiness.

A person who has faith in the power of action and effort can transform sorrowful moments into moments of happiness through a positive attitude. On the other hand, a man whose consciousness is dormant, through his negative attitude, will transform a moment of joy into sorrow.

We many ask hear, exists in larger quantities in this world joy or sorrow? The common reply would be that this world is full of sorrow. A man always finds himself surrounded problems.

I believe in the soul. I believe in the soul as the doer of everything. Therefore, a man himself is responsible for the joy and the sorrow he experiences.

In Yoga Darshan there is an explanation of the relation between sorrow and the fickleness of the mind. A steady mind can reduce a big incident to a small one. The less the fickleness, the less the sorrow. On the other hand, a man with an unsteady mind will magnify a small issue into a big one. The more the fickleness, the greater the sorrow.

Spirituality prescribes the following aphorisms to transform sorrow into happiness:

• The body and the soul are not identical. One who practices the science of the separation of body and soul transforms the consciousness of agony into the consciousness of bliss.

• Consciousness is free from all kinds of ailments. I reside in my consciousness. The disease occurs in the body and not in the consciousness. Therefore, I am not subjected to pain.

The sensation of sorrow can be reduced and terminated through e practice of meditation and contemplation.

The various aspects of sorrow and joy have been discussed in this book. Happiness and sorrow have been analysed in several of my books and lectures. Mukhya Niyojika Sadhvi Vishrut Vibhaji has selected some flowers of joy and sorrow from those books and lectures and, consequently, a beautiful garland has been woven. Sadhvi Vandanashree assisted her in this task.

The reader himself will reach the conclusion that joy is greater than sorrow. Joy is turned into sorrow by those whose world is confined to the materialistic approach. For such persons, there will always be more sorrow than joy.

The gist of this book is that a person should develop samyagdarshan—right vision and right attitude.

The translators deserve high praise for the good work done by them.

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