How to leave the lower joys of flesh for engagement with the higher transcendence and attain bliss?

 

इन्द्रियसुखस्य परित्यागात् परानन्दस्य प्राप्तिः

(Indriya-sukhasya parityāgāt parānandasya prāptiḥ)
"By renouncing sensory pleasures, one attains supreme bliss."

In the pursuit of true fulfillment, one must rise above the fleeting joys of the flesh and orient life toward higher transcendence. Sensory pleasures — while intense — are temporary and often leave behind a sense of emptiness. Like a scientist leaving behind classical physics to explore the deeper, more subtle truths of quantum mechanics, the seeker abandons gross pleasures to engage with subtle inner realms. In physics, what is visible is only a fraction of reality — the unseen quantum field governs the true nature of matter and energy. Similarly, behind the senses lies consciousness, the unchanging observer.

This conscious shift from pleasure to presence, from consumption to contemplation, opens the gateway to ānanda — bliss not based on conditions but on essence. Such a person doesn't suppress pleasure but transcends it — exchanging the thrill of the moment for the eternity of the soul.