By Swami Chidananda
The wisdom of the Upanishads is not against anybody seeking happiness per se. It in fact wishes to bless us with true happiness in the largest measure. When we get attached to sense pleasure and when it becomes an addiction, the problem is that our sense of the self is strengthened. Expressed as strong identification with the body, we get neck deep into waters of worldliness. That is the field of death! In contrast, if we rise above body identification, we move towards immortality.
Those immature ones who follow external pleasure
get caught in the net of death that is spread far and wide!
parāchah Kāmān anuyanti bālāh,
te mrityor-yanti vitatasya pāsham
Katha Upanishad – 2.1.2
(Chapter 2, Valli 1, mantra 2)
