In plain words
All these are bonds. As long as there is bondage, Ānanda is not to be had. Only when there is release from bondage is Ānanda attained. As long as there is disease, sorrow torments you. When the disease is cured, joy comes. All that is done to cure it is Mukti. We do sādhanas. What is the reason? Sādhana means just this: to give up the bad and hold on to the good. To give up sorrow and gain Ānanda is sādhana. To reach light from darkness is sādhana. This is what they said in the Upaniṣads: "As long as you are in untruth, truth is not to be had. If you go into truth, you will take no notice of untruth." What is left out of account, take that very thing as your teacher. If we know the truth, we take no notice at all of untruth. So I want truth. That is "Speak the truth, speak what is pleasing; do not speak the truth that is unpleasing." There is a small example of this. Once the great king of the Kapila country called all the scholars and went on questioning them. Each one gave a different answer. But the king was not satisfied. But the great king of the Kapila country called one more, a scholar of his own country. The king did not understand. He asked, "Can you give the right answer to this?" "I am not sure whether I can answer it," said the scholar. He sent him back. Asking the scholars who came and sending them back went on in this way. Scholars? Those who have read great books, who have read the Vedas and śāstras, the itihāsas and purāṇas, who teach their meanings: these are not scholars. A cowherd came to know of the foolish things the king was doing. He put a big blanket over his shoulder and went to the great king. "Why have you come, fellow?" he said. "Great king! They say you are asking questions. Everyone who passes along the road goes on criticising you. I can give the answer," he said. "Can you answer?" "I can," he said. "If you do not answer, I will take off your head," he said. "Not only my head, take anything you like; I can answer," said the cowherd. He faced him boldly. He sat down. The king asked the question. "Great king, you are the one who asks. I am the one who answers. The one who answers is the greater.