Q. Is contentment just a mental feeling?
A. Happiness and
sadness are in the mind, correct? And are therefore said to be anatma. They're
not atma since they can be observed. They're known. But then can we not also
say that contentment is also in the mind and therefore contentment is not atma .
Perfect contentment is the nature of atma. Contentment is
indeed a mental state. Happiness is a mental state that comes and goes. And
generally what we call contentment, even inner peace is a mental state that
comes and goes. But what we're seeking here is not a particular mental state.
If you gain a state of contentment or inner peace through spiritual practice,
that's great. But no mental state is permanent. It will come and it will go.
So we seek something more steady, more reliable. And what
we're seeking is the discovery that your true nature as pure consciousness is
utterly unaffected by whatever happens in your mind. If peace is present in
your mind or disturbance is present in your mind, when you discover that
your true nature as pure consciousness remains utterly unaffected, then it
doesn't bother you.
The word contentment is misleading. It sounds like a mental
state. So let me instead of saying contentment, try this. The recognition
that you are okay no matter what. That perspective. That world view that
you are okay no matter what. That's what we mean by the word
contentment to be. Regardless of the situation to be absolutely okay to
be at peace with the situation. That's what we mean by contentment not a
passing state of mind.
