We must first of all understand, that we cannot be happy. The example I have given many times: Just like if you take out a fish from water, you can give it very comfortable velvet lying-down, bedstead—the fish cannot be happy. It will die. Because the fish is the animal of water, it cannot be happy without water. Similarly, we are all spirit souls. Unless we are in spiritual life or in the spiritual world, we cannot be happy. That is our position. Everyone is trying for that spiritual realization, but he does not know. Therefore he is trying to be happy here in material condition. He is becoming frustrated, confused.
So we have to withdraw this understanding that, "We shall be very happy by making adjustment of this material world." That we have to understand first of all. Then Kṛṣṇa consciousness will be effective. As I told last night, that our students, these boys and girls, they have been very much detestful in the materialistic way of life. Otherwise, they are coming of great nation.
Just these American boys and girls, their fathers and their guardians, they are not poor. There is no scarcity of food or any material enjoyment. Why they are being frustrated? In India . . . you may say that India is poverty-stricken. They may be frustrated due to poverty, but why American boys and girls are being frustrated? That is the proof that materialistic way of life cannot make you happy. You may go on for some time to become happy, but happiness will never come from materialistic way of life. That's a fact.
So those who are trying to be happy by adjustment of materialistic way of life, they cannot take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore these boys' and girls' frustration and confusion in the materialistic way of life is a qualification to come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They have got a good qualification, that they are coming to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
There is a verse in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: yasyāham anughṛnāmi hariṣye tad-dhanaṁ śanaiḥ. Sometimes Kṛṣṇa, to show some special favor to His devotee, He takes away his all material opulences. Dhanaṁ śanaiḥ. Just like the Pāṇḍavas. The Pāṇḍavas, they were bereft of their kingdom, although Kṛṣṇa was present there, Kṛṣṇa as their friend was present there.
Still they became bereft of their kingdom, they lost their property, their wife was insulted, they were driven away to the forest—although Kṛṣṇa was there. This question was inquired by Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja to Kṛṣṇa, "How is that?" Indirectly he inquired that "You are our friend, and why we are put into such difficulty?" So Kṛṣṇa replied to Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja that, "This is My special favor. This is My special favor." Sometimes we do not . . . we cannot understand the special favor of Kṛṣṇa.
So this frustration of these boys, these American boys or English boys in the materialistic way of life, is a good sign for accepting Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They are searching after something nice. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Of course, it does not require to become poor to take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but if anyone has the desire that, "I will become spiritually advanced, at the same time I shall enjoy this material life," that is not possible. These are two contradictory things. You have to become determined to be happy in spiritual life. That is real happiness. And this human form of life is specially meant for coming to that standard of spiritual life by tapasya, by voluntarily rejecting materialistic way of life.
Therefore you will find in the history of India many great kings, even at very young age they left . . . just like Bharata Mahārāja. Bharata Mahārāja, at the age of twenty-four years only, he left his young wife, young children and the whole empire, Bhārata-varsa, and went to the forest for meditation. There are many instances.
So Prahlāda Mahārāja, when he was inquired by his father that "Who has taught you this Kṛṣṇa consciousness . . .?" Because he knew that "He is my son, king's son. He does not go to mix with anyone else. He simply takes his lesson from the appointed teachers. How is that this boy, five years old only, and he is so much Kṛṣṇa conscious?" So he was surprised. He asked him that "How you have taken to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness?"
The answer is that, "My dear father, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness cannot be achieved by a person like you, whose vow is simply to enjoy this material world." Hiraṇya. Hiraṇya means gold, and kaśipu means nice bed, very soft, cushioned bed. Hiraṇyakaśipu.