Mahaperiyava Teaching and My Understanding
Jambunathan Iyer
Teaching: Mahaperiyava explains that when seen through wisdom, everything is bliss. Bliss is infinite, wisdom is infinite—two infinities cannot exist separately. Hence bliss and wisdom are one. The Upanishads affirm: Bliss itself is Brahman.
Understanding: Ordinarily, we see with our physical eyes—rose as rose, thorn-apple as thorn-apple. But through the eye of wisdom, both are bliss. Our restless and impure mind prevents us from seeing this truth. Just as a shaky, dirty mirror distorts reflections, our mind distorts reality.
Examples from Tradition:
A saint sees gold and mud as equal, because both are Brahman.
A devotee sees temple bells not as noise, but as divine resonance.
A farmer sees rain as nourishment, while another may see it as inconvenience. Wisdom reveals bliss in both.
My Own Examples:
When we look at a candle, one person sees wax melting, another sees light spreading. Wisdom sees the flame as bliss.
In a crowded street, one may see chaos, another may see life’s vibrancy. Wisdom sees the pulse of Brahman’s bliss.
Even in sorrow—like losing something dear—wisdom whispers that the essence behind it is eternal bliss, beyond appearances.
Punchline: When the mind becomes pure and steady, the whole world shines only as Brahman’s bliss.
" What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals. If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things "