TheValue ofDevotion. 105
attractsthem,drawsthem towardsitself, which
seemstothemtomake forhappiness. Happi-
nessisthefeehngwhichaccompaniestheincrease
of life, and true and permanent bliss lies in
union with the Self, the All-life, in consciousSelf-identification with and expansion into the
All; all efforts after happiness are efforts to
unitewith objects in orderto absorbtheirlife,
thereby expanding the life that absorbs them.Happiness results from this union, because
therebythefeelingoflifeisincreased. Funda-
mentallytheimpulse to seek union comesfrom
theSelf,seekingtooverpass thebarrierswhich
separateitsselves on thelowerplanes,andthe
attraction betweenselves is the seeking bythe
Self in each of the Self in the other, "Lo,notforthe sake of the husbandisthehusband
dear,butforthe sake of the Self thehusband
is dear. Lo! not for thesake of the wifeis
thewifedear,but forthe sakeof the Selfthe
wifeisdear." And so alsowithsons,wealth,
Brahmanas, Kshattriyas, the worlds,the gods,
the Vedas,the elements,until: "Lo! not for
thesakeof theAllistheAlldear,butforthe
sakeof theSelf the All isdear."* TheSelf
seeks the Self,and thisisthe universal search
for happiness, ever frustrated by the clash of
*"Brihadaranyakopanishad,"VI.v.6.