Shreya And Preya: The path of wisdom vs. The path of pleasure

The concept of Supreme Benevolence (Shreya) And Mundane pleasure (Preya) which are central to Indian spiritual and philosophical thought have been eloquently explained by Shri Anandmurtiji,

Shri Anandmurtiji emphasizes that the human mind is often torn between Shreya and Preya. While Preya is easier to choose because it pleases our senses and desires, on the contrary Shreya requires tremendous amount of self-discipline, discernment and understanding of our inner self.

The Object of shreya is limitless; It has neither beginning nor end, it is the one unbroken current of pure Bliss that has been flowing eternally, it is Brahma, the effulgent, indivisible essence of the Soul. There are many who could see, and yet do not seek to see Him – who could know, yet do not want to know Him. Without striving to see and know Him they try to remain in smug, oblivious to the darkness of sorrow and suffering.

It is only when the Eternal Entity that lies behind superficial charm and affectional feeling is recognized that really lasting attraction for divine love comes into being. In divine love the affectionate feeling is not merely enjoyed as an emotion but its essence is realized; Pará-vdyá that leads to shreya guides people towards perfection, towards the ultimate state of desire lessness;Thus, Shreya is the path of what is truly beneficial, virtuous, and aligned with long-term wellbeing. It represents wisdom, duty, and spiritual growth.

Preya is a matter of mental enjoyment only, not a means for the expansion of one’s soul. Suppose, someone is hungry; in such a case, Preya of food will help appease his hunger pains momentarily, but will they be appeased permanently? So, you see, preya is that which provides the means for apparent happiness. Even a wise man, in spite of his knowledge that such fleeting happiness is only short-lived, still runs after it, because human beings in general are not far-sighted. T

hey are concerned only with the near future. In spite of having a presentiment of some misfortune in the distant future they prefer to keep themselves absorbed in the oblivion of the present and the dreams of the near future. Such is the nature of human beings: they prefer to grab anything good or bad that comes their way, with the desire to attain permanent pleasure but what remains is still more unhappiness and distraught.

Then What do the wise people do? First, they judge within themselves with cool heads which is shreya and which is preya. This power of discrimination comes only when they have trained their minds to decipher what is beneficial for their spiritual progress and what comes in the way of attaining permanent Bliss and happiness.

Attraction for food is normal instinct for a human being, but choosing the right kind of food which is beneficial for the body is Shreay and choosing junk food which is harmful but pleasant to the taste bud is Preya. Humans are not inanimate but conscious beings. Their dominant feature is their mind, and through its power of judgement their intellect finds proper expression. It is not the dharma of human beings to run blindly after things regardless of whether they are shreya or preya; in every human action there should be the appreciable stamp of their intellect or Vivek.

So, you see, preya is that which provides the resources for apparent or temporary happiness. Even a wise man, in spite of his knowledge that such fleeting happiness is only short-lived, still runs after it, because human beings in general are not far-sighted. They are concerned only with the near future. In spite of having a presentiment of some misfortune in the distant future they prefer to keep themselves absorbed in the transitory happiness of the present and the dreams of the near future. Such is the nature of human beings: they prefer to grab anything good or bad that comes their way.

 Shreya and preya are totally divergent in principle – one is guided by vidyá or the introversive principle, the other, by avidyá or the extroversive principle; one leads to discrimination, the other to ignorance – one to light, the other to darkness. But in spite of their being at variance, their dual influence is sometimes discernible on the human mind at the same time.

The mixed influence of these two agitates the human mind simultaneously, and those who, without having discerned the implication of this agitation, get caught up in the allurement of preya distract themselves from their Paramártha or spiritual goal. “Artha” means that which causes the cessation of pain. This cessation is of two kinds – one is the momentary or temporary and the other is permanent. In temporary cessation, the possibility of the recurrence of pain has not been extinguished; with the removal of the temporary cause of the cessation, the previous state of pain comes back again. That which causes momentary or temporary cessation is called artha, and that which causes its permanent cessation, which destroys pain at the root or consumes it with seed, is called Paramártha. Preya or extroversive tendency gives human beings artha or temporary pleasure and relief, but keeps them away from paramártha, from spiritual bliss. But shreya is essentially benevolent, for it relieves pain forever and thus it is called Paramártha.

Humans  are mind-oriented beings – in this regard they are the greatest of all living beings, this  is substantiated by the facts of their day-to-day activities.

When foolish people fail to make proper use of their intellectuality, they do behave like animals to some extent, for they run after the readily-pleasing preya, instead of shreya, the true path of virtue.

1. priyabháva or endearing sentiment, and

2. priyarúpa or endearing features.

What is priyabháva or endearing sentiment? The paper-money or coin of aluminium and zinc of today has the same attraction as it had when money used to be of pure silver. An ungainly uncouth son arouses the same affection in his parents as a handsome son does. Does this attraction for money or son pertain to their features? No, this attraction is sentimental: it has nothing to do with external features.

Sensual objects are naturally crude and mean, and those who take these as their goals in life, naturally become crude and mean as well – they gradually turn into brutes. Attraction towards material objects is called káma or passion. There are some psychological causes behind the “endearing” attraction of one object for another, although the basis of all these causes is the desire for happiness and self-preservation.

Pará-vdyá that leads to shreya guides people towards perfection, towards the ultimate state of desire lessness; and Apara-vidyá that leads to preya propels them into dense darkness, the point of ultimate negativity and crudeness.

The reason is very easy to discern: it is due to their gradual evolution from animal life by which they have today attained the stage of the human species. But the accumulated saḿskáras of their past animal lives are still present in them, in spite of their attaining human status. These saḿskáras repeatedly superimpose animalistic tendencies on their minds; and it is due to the vibration of these saḿskáras that people are impelled towards animal propensities, towards preya; the irresistible attraction of crude gratification is leading them astray. In their human bodies they repeatedly reveal their animality through their thoughts and actions.

Preya is the path of immediate pleasure, sensory gratification, and short-term satisfaction. It is often tempting but may not lead to lasting happiness or fulfillment.

These two paths are constantly presented to us in every walk of life, but the choice between them defines our character and destiny. Thus, those who are on the path of preya weave a web of rationalizations in their minds to support their activities. With this mental attitude behind their tall talks, they produce their materialistic philosophy whereby shaping a life laced with sorrow and grief. Whereas people who choose shrey over Prey with their Self-discipline and spiritual awareness discern their actions which will lead to true and permanent happiness The struggle between these two paths is a universal human experience. As the mind is naturally inclined toward Prey, but the (Buddhi) intellect can guide us towards Shreya.

All people should have proper knowledge and understanding of what is shreya and what is preya, for lack of this knowledge causes their downfall. Human beings should choose to meditate (Shrey) and with its help, they progress onwards through proper sadhaná rather than indulging in distractions (Preya). Behind human desires the sweetly benevolent inspiration that the soul imparts, leads human beings to consciousness, not crudeness. That is why the wise try to develop their wisdom and intelligence more and more. This battle is not about rejecting all pleasures but about discerning which actions lead to permanent happiness and which merely fleeting.

Sri Anandmurtiji explains how Shreya and Preya are reflected in our onward journey of life. He teaches that how Shrey connects us and aligns us to our higher self while Preya keeps us entangled in the material world. It therefore becomes the bounding duty of every human being to transcend the duality of Shrey and Prey by realizing the self and attaining Moksh or liberation. By consciously choosing Shrey, we can lead a life of purpose, peace and spiritual growth.

Shri shri Anandmurtiji