Chapter 37 offers a radical perspective on sensual pleasure, arguing there is no essential difference whether experienced in heaven or on earth. It uses a vivid comparison, stating that the pleasure Indra feels in the Nandana garden and the pleasure a donkey feels wallowing in a dung-heap are of equal weight. Therefore, the text discourages striving for heavenly pleasures, which are temporary. Instead, it advocates for a life on earth, even if fleeting, dedicated to devotion. The ultimate goal proposed is to offer every action to God, which leads to a place of fearlessness, and to be in places where there are devotees and stories of Hari and the Guru.
How does the text compare the pleasures of heaven and earth, and what is the ultimate goal it advocates for?
📖 Chapter 37