Seeking For a Foretaste

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The main difficulty with most people, however, is that men try to have foretaste of the bliss of Nirvana while they are still tied up with their little self. Their main worry actually is in regard to what they imagine to be their "self". They are mainly concerned to know what happens to this little "self" of theirs when it passes into Nirvana.

What are the experiences that are in store for it in this life as last in life hereafter, after it tastes of the bliss of Nirvana. All these matters should in fact be of no consequence to a sincere and selfless wayfarer on the path, for so long he is growing into righteousness and wisdom he has little need to worry about the future states.

Virtue is truly its own reward and every step on the path brings the foretaste of the external bliss. It is for these men that it was said "take no thought of the tomorrow".

Many people and amongst these are including many mystics, confuse Nirvana with ecstatic-al experience and supernormal powers. The Buddha has, however, clearly mentioned that these experiences are only stages on the path and do not represent the final goal. A very vivid description of ecstatic experience is given by the Buddha and he has also clearly affirmed that they fall far short of the peace which comes to the man who has fully grown into wisdom and in whose life righteousness has been fulfilled.

The Buddha has mentioned that a stage in meditation is reached when it becomes purely subjective, when mind ceases to depend on all external aids, and when having become fully disciplined and completely purified, he has no use for crutches and finally abandons them completely. At this stage, man begins to have ecstatic experience.

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