Gita 18.36
Moksha Sanyasa Yoga
सुखं त्विदानीं त्रिविधं शृणु मे भरतर्षभ । अभ्यासाद्रमते यत्र दुःखान्तं च निगच्छति ॥३६॥
sukhaṃ tv idānīṃ tri-vidhaṃ śṛṇu me bharatarṣabha | abhyāsād ramate yatra duḥkhāntaṃ ca nigacchati ||36||
In essence: Now hear of threefold happiness—that in which one learns to rejoice through practice and which leads to the end of all sorrow.
A conversation between a seeker and guide to help you feel this verse deeply
Sadhak-Guru Dialogue
Sadhak: "Why does true happiness require practice? Shouldn't happiness be natural?"
Guru: "The capacity for happiness is natural; the wisdom to access it requires cultivation. We are conditioned to seek happiness in sense objects and external circumstances—this conditioning must be unlearned. Like a palate trained on junk food must be retrained to appreciate subtle, nourishing flavors, a mind accustomed to rajasic pleasure must be trained to enjoy sattvic happiness. The practice is necessary to undo conditioning, not to create something artificial."
Sadhak: "What does it mean that happiness 'ends sorrow'?"
Guru: "Most happiness is mixed with sorrow: we achieve what we wanted, but fear its loss; we enjoy pleasure, but it ends and we grieve. Sattvic happiness, culminating in Self-knowledge, transcends this cycle. When you know yourself as the unchanging witness of all experience, what can cause sorrow? Experiences come and go, but you remain unmoved. This is the 'end of sorrow'—not absence of events but absence of identification that makes events sorrowful."
Sadhak: "Can the threefold division of happiness be seen in everyday experience?"
Guru: "Yes, constantly. The happiness from a sugar rush versus the happiness from a deep meditation. The pleasure of gossip versus the joy of serving others. The satisfaction of proving yourself right versus the peace of understanding. Each day offers examples of all three types. The teaching helps you recognize what you're actually experiencing and choose accordingly."
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🌅 Daily Practice
Set an intention: 'Today I will observe what brings me happiness and notice whether it comes through practice and leads toward or away from sorrow.' This observational stance begins to reveal the three types in your own experience.
When experiencing pleasure, ask: 'Is this abhyāsa-based—deepening with practice—or is it instant gratification that will leave me wanting? Does this lead toward peace or toward more craving?' This discrimination develops naturally with attention.
Review your happiness experiences of the day: 'What felt good but left me emptier? What felt difficult but led to deeper satisfaction? What brought genuine peace that remains even now?' This reflection gradually reorients the pursuit of happiness.