Tripura Rahasya

Hemalekha continued,

• That cannot be happiness, my Lord, which is tinged with misery. Misery is of two kinds, external and internal. 
• The former pertains to the body and is caused by the nerves etc.; the latter pertains to the mind and is caused by desire.
• Mental distraction is worse than physical pain and the whole world has fallen victim to it. Desire is the seed of the tree of misery and never fails in its fruits.
• Respite gained by the fulfillment of one desire before another takes its place, is not happiness, because the seeds of pain are still latent. Such respite is enjoyed by the insects also (which certainly do not typify perfect happiness).
• Yet is their enjoyment distinctly better than that of men because their desires are less complex?
• If a man, scalded all over, can find happiness by smearing unguents on himself, then everyone must be happy.
• Beauty is only a mental concept, as is evident from the similar feeling in similar enjoyments of lovers in dreams.
• What pleasure you have in your apprehension of beauty in me, is sometimes even exceeded by others in their love of their dear ones - be they fair or ugly. I will tell you what I think of it.

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Excerpts from Chapter 4, Tripura Rahasya