Material happiness means your bliss will be decreased. Suppose if you want a good cake or good foodstuff, you want to eat. Now, suppose you take two cakes or three cakes. Now, the fourth cake you will refuse, "No, no more I want. No more. I don't want," because that, I mean to say, pleasure now has decreased. Decreased. But here He says, Lord Caitanya says, that your ānanda, bliss, will be increased. Increased. That is spiritual. That is the test of spiritual life. When you engage yourself in spiritual function, the test will be that you will not feel tired. You will not feel tired. Suppose if you are engaged in some spiritual function, you will find more activity, more activity. More you do, more you find activity. That is spiritual. That is spiritual. So these things are there.
Material happiness means
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Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Canto 3
There is no question of happiness in this material world, either individually or in terms of family, society or country. If something is going on in the name of happiness, that is also illusion. Here in this material world, happiness means successful counteraction to the effects of distress. The material world is so made that unless one becomes a clever diplomat, his life will be a failure. Not to speak of human society, even the society of lower animals, the birds and bees, cleverly manages its bodily demands of eating, sleeping and mating. Human society competes nationally or individually, and in the attempt to be successful the entire human society becomes full of diplomacy. We should always remember that in spite of all diplomacy and all intelligence in the struggle for our existence, everything will end in a second by the supreme will. Therefore, all our attempts to become happy in this material world are simply a delusion offered by māyā.
SB Canto 5
Material happiness means to have good facilities for eating, sleeping, sexual intercourse and defense. Within this world, the materialistic person lives only for these four principles of sense gratification, not caring for the impending danger of death. After his father's death, a son tries to inherit his money and use it for sense gratification. Similarly, one whose son dies tries to enjoy the possessions of his son. Sometimes the father of a dead son even enjoys his son's widow. Materialistic persons behave in this way. Thus Śukadeva Gosvāmī says, "How wonderful are these pastimes of material happiness transacted by the will of the Supreme Personality of Godhead!" In other words, materialistic persons want to commit all kinds of sinful activities, but without the sanction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, no one can do anything. Why does the Supreme Personality of Godhead permit sinful activities? The Supreme Lord does not want any living being to act sinfully, and He begs him through his good conscience to refrain from sin. But when someone insists upon acting sinfully, the Supreme Lord gives him the sanction to act at his own risk (mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca (BG 15.15)). No one can do anything without the sanction of the Lord, but He is so kind that when the conditioned soul persists in doing something, the Lord permits the individual soul to act at his own risk.
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
In our childhood we read one poetry that a boy has brought one bird, and the bird is talking with the boy. "My dear bird, you live with me. I shall give you very nice fruits. I shall talk with you," and so many things. But the bird says, "No, I want to go away. I want to go away." "No, I shall give you a golden cage. You don't go away." So he says, "No, no. I don't like golden cage. I want freedom." So that was talk. So similarly, if a bird is kept in golden cage and if golden foodstuff is supplied to him, it is not happy. It is not possible. Similarly we are spirit soul. Any amount of material happiness will never make me happy. That is a fact. But due to our ill faith, we do not know what is happiness. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). They do not know what is the ultimate aim of life, what is the goal of life. They are trying to be happy with this matter, and the material happiness means sex life, and they are trying to squeeze the sex life in different ways. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham (SB 7.9.45). That is not possible. That is not possible.
They are trying to be materially happy in the western world. They do not know actually what is happiness, but material happiness means sex life. So sex life they are every day enjoying. And still, they go to the naked dance to see if there is happiness. Why there will be happiness? There cannot be any happiness. But this is adjustment. They are trying this way or that way. That's all.
Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30). In the Bhāgavata the answer is they, they're all self-interested, but they do not know what is self-interest. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ (SB 7.5.31). Bahir-artha. Bahir-artha means external energy, material energy. They are thinking by material adjustment they will be happy. But they do not know that self-interest is how to be again connected with Viṣṇu, svārtha-gatim. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31).
Just like a businessman, he is working very hard, whole day and night, and he gets some profit, say, two lakhs; he thinks that he is very happy, he is enjoying. But actually, he is working very hard. But because he has no knowledge, he is thinking that "I am profiting. I am making profit. This is my happiness." But in the śāstras those who are working so hard simply for some sense gratification... Especially in Western countries we have seen, this is very factual. Even very old man, he is working very hard, very big business magnate, very big politician, working very hard, and at night he goes to the nightclubs, pays $50 for entrance fee, and then he spends for wine and women lots of money. So this is his happiness. Even old man, eighty years old, he is also going to the club. Because in the material world the happiness means wine and women. That's all.
These are very important instructions. Prahlāda Mahārāja says... He was instructing his class friends. He was a five years old boy. And he said, "My dear friends, that the material happiness..." Material happiness means sense gratification. This is material happiness. Everyone is materialistic, or materially advanced, means he has got better facility for satisfying the senses. That is material life. And spiritual life means he does not satisfy his own senses, but he satisfies the senses of God. That is spiritual life.
Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures
Just like these karmīs. It is very distinctly visible wherever you go, so many congested work (?). All buses and cars are running, so many luggages being loaded in the street. Bharam udvahato. Great humbug, you see, great humbug. Prahlāda Mahārāja said māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān (SB 7.9.43), actually they are taking so much trouble for loading these big, big cases, but because they're getting, say $40.00 a day, they say, think, "I am enjoying. I am enjoying." Actually he's working so hard, just like ass or hogs, day and night, but because getting some money and with that money because he is gratifying his senses, he thinks "I am happy." This is illusion. Illusion. He does not know what is real happiness for a second. The illusory material world happiness means sex life, that's all. How long does it stay? Say for minutes. But they're working so hard. This is called illusion. Actually he is being killed, but he thinks that "I am enjoying." This is illusion. Opposite.
Festival Lectures
So Lord Caitanya thought it... Not thought it. This is a fact, that this sort of life, seek material happiness... Material happiness means sense gratification. That's all. Actually, according to Bhagavad-gītā... Not according to Bhagavad-gītā—that is a fact according to any authoritative statement. Sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tad atīndriyaṁ grāhyam (BG 6.21). Śrī Kṛṣṇa says that sukham ātyantikam. Ātyantikam means the super, superhappiness, ātyantikam—means that which you cannot excel more... That is the final point. That sort of happiness is not possible to achieve... Happiness... First of all, you must understand, happiness means sense gratification, happiness. You can understand it very easily. If I get some nice foodstuff, because I satisfy my taste, palate, I feel happiness, "Oh, very nice food I am eating." Similarly, you take any of your sense organs, when it is satisfied according to the sense object, it is called happiness. So the sum and substance of happiness is to satisfy the senses. But Kṛṣṇa says that sukham ātyantikam. The supermost happiness can be achieved not by these senses, but atīndriya. Atīndriya means transcendental senses.
He simply wants to get money, hiraṇya. Hiraṇya means gold, and kaśipu, a nice apartment. That's all. So he says that gṛha-vratānām, "If one makes it his point to remain in a comfortable home life, for him, either by speculation or by teaching or by meeting, he'll never develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness." Gṛha-vratānām. Then what is their position? Now, adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamiṣram: "They are unable to control their senses, and as such, they are entering into the darkest region of material existence." Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām: (SB 7.5.30) "Their only business is chewing the chewed." They have no other ways. Gṛha-vratānām, those who want to be happy materially, actually they are chewing the chewed. Material happiness means sex life, ultimate, utmost, topmost happiness.
Purports to Songs
Now Govinda dāsa is reminding his mind: "You have experience of your material happiness. So material happiness means, the ultimate goal of material happiness is sex life. But don't you remember how long you can enjoy this sex life?" Capala. "Flickering. Say, for a few minutes or moment. That's all. But for that purpose you are working so hard?" Śīta ātapa. "Don't care for snowfall. Don't care for scorching heat. Don't care for torrents of rain. Don't care for keeping night, night duty. Whole day and night you are working. And what is the result? Simply for that flickering momentous enjoyment. Are you not ashamed of this?" So śīta ātapa, bāta bariṣaṇa, ei dina jāminī jāgi re. Dina means day, and jāminī means night. So "Day and night, you are working so hard. Why?" Capala sukha-laba lāgi' re. "Simply for that flickering happiness." Then he says, ei dhana yauvana, putra parijana, ithe ki āche paratīti re. "There is no happiness actually, eternal happiness, transcendental happiness, in enjoying this life, or this youthful age, or family, society. There is no happiness, no transcendental happiness."
Material happiness means to acquire money, dhana;, and then jana, many adherents or dependents-wife, children, friends, society, so many things, country. So putra, parijana, ithe ki āche paratīti re. "You cannot have any transcendental bliss in this." kamala-dala-jala, jīvana ṭalamala. The life is tottering. You cannot say when the life will be finished. The example is given, kamala-jala-dala. Just like lotus leaf. If you put water on the leaf, it will not stay; it will be tiltering. At any moment it slips. Similarly, our life is like that, tiltering. At any moment—finished. Kamala-jala-dala, jivana..., bhajahu hari-pada nīti re. Therefore engage yourself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness as much as you can. Finish before the death comes. That is your mission.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Thank you. So here in the material world happiness means sense gratification, that's all. So Prahlāda Mahārāja said, "The happiness of sense gratification, obtainable in any form of life..." The birds, beasts, human beings or even the demigods, cats, dogs—everyone has got the happiness of sense gratification, namely eating, sleeping, sex and defense. That is obtainable everywhere. But the spiritual happiness, that is obtainable in human form of life. Therefore the human being from childhood... Kaumāra ācaret prajño dharmān bhāgavatān iha (SB 7.6.1). From the very beginning of childhood. Why so early? Durlābhaṁ manusam janma. This human form of life is obtained after many, many births' evolutionary process. And adhruvam. There is no certainty that I shall live so many years. Although it is estimated that one is expected to live for at least hundred years—that is estimation—but at the present moment at least, nobody is living up to that.
| Page Title: | Material happiness means |
| Compiler: | Sharmila, Aparajita Radhika, MadhuGopaldas |
| Created: | 10 of Dec, 2008 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=2, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=10, Con=1, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 13 |