By Gurudevi Nirmalananda

At the end of a busy day, you look for something pleasurable to do. You may even have sought out pleasure during your day. Your choice of foods and drinks, maybe going for a walk or taking a nap, filling your ears with music or your eyes with beauty – pleasure seeking is a dominant theme in most people’s lives. Why?

To find out why, simply refrain from pleasure when you feel the need. Notice how you feel without a sensory indulgence, including any discomfort in your body as well as your emotional state. You may also find that your mind is crazy-busy. No wonder you want something to distract you!

Pleasure is a pathway to happiness. When you do something pleasurable, you get happy for a short while. When the happiness ends, you need another indulgence to trigger a few more moments of happiness. Like a frog, you hop from one thing to another, seeking brief moments of happiness. Bliss is better.  It lasts longer than happiness.

Mystical bliss is hidden in every pleasure… (read more)