Features of Pleasure and Sorrow

What are the features of pleasure and sorrow? What are the sources and reasons that enhance our pleasures or inflict pain on us? What are the symptoms, indications and definitions of pleasure and sorrow? Is there anyone who wants more sorrow and less pleasure? What resources make us happy? What are the items absence of which make us sorrowful? Is it possible to enhance pleasure and decrease sorrow? Are there any methods to control grief and enhance happiness? These are interesting questions. In fact, when analysed minutely, every effort made by us is to prevent sorrowful events and usher in happy hours. Anything that makes us succeed in these efforts is welcome. Anything else that makes us unhappy is be to kept away as far as possible, if eliminating them is not in our control. 

An example of three persons going to sleep after a long day may throw some light on these issues. The first one is poor and does not have a roof of his own. He does not have a bedroom and a bed. A dilapidated roadside structure gives him refuge. Hard floor is his bed. His own folded hand becomes his pillow. The second one is more lucky. He has his own small house and a normal bed. He is much better off than the first. There is some safety and security for him to enjoy his sleep. The third one is even more blessed. He has a wonderful bungalow and spacious bedroom. A decorated cot with soft bed and pillows await him. All the three go to sleep at the same time and get up the next morning. What was the pleasure that a night's sleep gave them? Was it in proportion to the physical facilities they had or did not have? 

The physical aids like bed, cot or pillow and their relative softness or otherwise are relevant till they fall asleep. Once they fall asleep, the pleasure of deep sleep is the same for all of them. One sleeping on a hard surface may be rejuvenated next morning whereas the one on the soft bed may be spending the whole night shifting sides. The qualities of amenities do not make any difference once sound sleep engulfs them.

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Let us consider the example of a sweet dish. A Jamoon or a Rassgulla for example. If you do not like them, substitute it with your own favourite sweet. The first piece is very tasty and consuming it gives a wonderful feeling. The second may give the same feeling or may feel even better. The third would not taste as good, even though it is from the same bowl or sample. The fifth would make you push it aside. An hour later, the same item may appear disgusting if earlier food is not digested and stomach has turned into a gas chamber. 

Jamoon, Rassgulla or the other sweet are the same. Our liking them or not is not dependant on their qualities. The decision to eat or not is based on the mental state and desire to eat, and not due to the qualities of the items per se. Decision is driven by the mind's like or dislike.

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Many houses are burgled everyday. Some houses are burnt down. Someone dies in an accident. These are mere news items on the newspaper or TV channel. It does not evoke much sorrow or grief. When the burgled or burnt house belongs to someone known to us, it indeed becomes sorrowful news. Except for those who derive pleasure when a enemy's house is burnt down. Then the same news item brings lot of pleasure!

A house is put on sale. A member of the family is away when the sale process is on. On his return he finds that the house is on fire. His sorrow is uncontrollable and he starts crying. Just then someone informs him that the house was sold last week and full sale consideration was received by his family members only three days ago. He is now looking at the same burning house. But the sorrow is gone. The grief was not due to the burning of the house. It had more to do with the house being owned by him. Once the self interest was delinked, the attachment was gone and the grief too vanished.

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These examples make it amply clear that one's pleasure or sorrow does not depend on the tools, resources and their qualities. It is basically linked to the mental state of the person. People are extremely active at times. They are also indifferent at some other times. They even become vengeful and cruel at yet another time. These are all indeed due to mental state and mind's likes and dislikes.

This verse from Vishnu Purana has summed all this thousands of years ago:

नास्ति दुःखात्मकः किञ्चित् न च किञ्चित् सुखात्मकम् |

मनसः परिणामोयं सुख दुःखादि लक्षणः ||

Naasti dukhaatmakam kinchit na cha kinchit sukhaatmakam

Manasah parinaamoyam sukha dukhaadi lakshanah

There is nothing in this world which is pleasurable or sorrowful. 

Mental state decides the qualities of pleasure or sorrow in all objects.

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Does this provide any clue to answer the original question? Are there any methods to control grief and enhance happiness? It indeed answers the same emphatically. Having proper control over the mind enables controlling the grief as well enhancing the pleasures of life. Controlling the mind is not easy. It is worse than a wild horse. Continuous efforts to control the mind and developing an attitude of detachment, but not neglect, is the key.