Citraketu, however, was not at all afraid of Pārvatī's curse, and thus he spoke as follows: "Everyone in human society enjoys happiness and distress according to his past deeds and in this way travels in the material world. Therefore no one is responsible for his happiness and distress. One is controlled by the influence of material nature in the material world, yet one thinks himself the doer of everything. In this material world, which is made of the external energy of the Supreme Lord, one is sometimes cursed and sometimes favored, and thus he sometimes enjoys in the upper planetary systems and sometimes suffers in the lower planets, but all these situations are the same because they are within this material world. None of these positions has any factual existence, for all of them are temporary.
His happiness
Bhagavad-gita As It Is
BG Chapters 1 - 6
The path of self-realization or mysticism is described in the Bhagavad-gītā. The basic principle of self-realization is knowledge that the living entity is not this material body but that he is different from it and that his happiness is in eternal life, bliss and knowledge. These are transcendental, beyond both body and mind. Self-realization is sought by the path of knowledge, by the practice of the eightfold system or by bhakti-yoga. In each of these processes one has to realize the constitutional position of the living entity, his relationship with God, and the activities whereby he can reestablish the lost link and achieve the highest perfectional stage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Following any of the above-mentioned three methods, one is sure to reach the supreme goal sooner or later.
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Canto 1
Conditioned souls seek after perpetual happiness in all places—not only on this earth but also on other planets throughout the universe—because constitutionally a spiritual spark, as he is, can travel to any part of God's creation. But being conditioned by the material modes, he tries to travel in space by spacecraft and so fails to reach his destination. The law of gravitation is binding upon him like the shackles of a prisoner. By other processes he can reach anywhere, but even if he reaches the highest planet, he cannot attain that perpetual happiness for which he is searching life after life. When he comes to his senses, however, he seeks after Brahman happiness, knowing it for certain that unlimited happiness, which he is seeking, is never attainable in the material world. As such, the Supreme Being, Parabrahman, certainly does not seek His happiness anywhere in the material world. Nor can His paraphernalia of happiness be found in the material world. He is not impersonal. Because He is the leader and Supreme Being amongst innumerable living beings, He cannot be impersonal. He is exactly like us, and He has all the propensities of an individual living being in fullness. He marries exactly like us, but His marriage is neither mundane nor limited by our experience in the conditioned state. His wives, therefore, appear like mundane women, but factually they are all transcendental liberated souls, perfect manifestations of internal energy.
SB Canto 2
His mouth expresses His happiness. His eyes spread like the petals of a lotus, and His garments, yellowish like the saffron of a kadamba flower, are bedecked with valuable jewels. His ornaments are all made of gold, set with jewels, and He wears a glowing head dress and earrings.
Even a fraction of the duration of life wasted cannot be compensated by any amount of gold. Human life is simply awarded to a living entity (jīva) so that he can realize his spiritual identity and his permanent source of happiness. A living being, especially the human being, is seeking happiness because happiness is the natural situation of the living entity. But he is vainly seeking happiness in the material atmosphere. A living being is constitutionally a spiritual spark of the complete whole, and his happiness can be perfectly perceived in spiritual activities. The Lord is the complete spirit whole, and His name, form, quality, pastimes, entourage and personality are all identical with Him. Once a person comes into contact with any one of the above-mentioned energies of the Lord through the proper channel of devotional service, the door to perfection is immediately opened. In the Bhagavad-gītā (2.40) the Lord has explained such contact in the following words: "Endeavors in devotional service are never baffled. Nor is there failure. A slight beginning of such activities is sufficient even to deliver a person from the great ocean of material fears."
SB Canto 3
The way of devotional service is neither sentimental nor mundane. It is the path of reality by which the living entity can attain the transcendental happiness of being freed from the three kinds of material miseries—miseries arising from the body and mind, from other living entities and from natural disturbances. Everyone who is conditioned by material existence—whether he be a man or beast or demigod or bird—must suffer from ādhyātmika (bodily or mental) pains, ādhibhautika pains (those offered by living creatures), and ādhidaivika pains (those due to supernatural disturbances). His happiness is nothing but a hard struggle to get free from the miseries of conditional life. But there is only one way he can be rescued, and that is by accepting the shelter of the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
SB Canto 4
Thus in this verse it is said (na anurūpam) that the King could never find a place suitable for his purposes. This is because in any form of life and on any planet in the material world, a living entity cannot be happy because everything in the material world is unsuitable for the spirit soul. As stated in this verse, the living entity independently wants to become a prabhu, but as soon as he gives up this idea and becomes a servant of God, Kṛṣṇa, his happiness immediately begins.
SB Canto 5
A human being should try to live in a different way and should not try to imitate dogs and hogs. The alternative is mentioned. Human life is meant for tapasya, austerity and penance. By tapasya, one can get out of the material clutches. When one is situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, devotional service, his happiness is guaranteed eternally. By taking to bhakti-yoga, devotional service, one's existence is purified. The living entity is seeking happiness life after life, but he can make a solution to all his problems simply by practicing bhakti-yoga. Then he immediately becomes eligible to return home, back to Godhead.
The word gandharva-puram is very significant in this verse. Sometimes in the forest a very big castle appears, and this is called a castle in the air. Actually this castle does not exist anywhere but in one's imagination. This is called gandharva-pura. In the material forest, the conditioned soul sometimes contemplates great castles and skyscrapers, and he wastes his energy for such things, hoping to live in them very peacefully with his family forever. However, the laws of nature do not allow this. When he enters such castles, he temporarily thinks that he is very happy, even though his happiness is impermanent. His happiness may last for a few years, but because the owner of the castle has to leave the castle at the time of death, everything is eventually lost. This is the way of worldly transactions. Such happiness is described by Vidyāpati as the happiness one derives upon seeing a drop of water in the desert. The desert is heated by scorching sunshine, and if we want to reduce the desert temperature, we need huge amounts of water—millions and millions of gallons. What effect will one drop have? Water certainly has value, but one drop of water cannot reduce the heat of the desert. In this material world everyone is ambitious, but the heat is very scorching.
"One who is thus transcendentally situated realizes the Supreme Brahman and becomes fully joyful. He never laments or desires to have anything; he is equally disposed to every living entity. In that state he attains pure devotional service unto Me." Devotional service is actual liberation. When one is attracted by the beauty of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and his mind is always engaged at the Lord's lotus feet, he is no longer interested in subjects that do not help him in self-realization. In other words, he loses all attraction for material activities. In the Taittirīya Upaniṣad (2.7) it is said: eṣa hy evānandayati. yadā hy evaiṣa etasmin na dṛśye 'nātmye anirukte 'nilayane 'bhayaṁ pratiṣṭhāṁ vindate 'tha so 'bhayaṁ gato bhavati. A living entity becomes established in spiritual, blissful life when he fully understands that his happiness depends on spiritual self-realization, which is the basic principle of ānanda (bliss), and when he is eternally situated in the service of the Lord, who has no other lord above Him.
SB Canto 6
Know Me to be the Supreme Brahman, the all-pervading Supersoul through whom the sleeping living entity can understand his dreaming condition and his happiness beyond the activities of the material senses. That is to say, I am the cause of the activities of the sleeping living being.
The distinctions between happiness and distress in the material world of duality are simply mental concoctions, for the so-called happiness and distress are actually one and the same. They are like the happiness and distress in dreams. A sleeping man creates his happiness and distress by dreaming, although actually they have no existence.
SB Canto 9
Not only does the Supreme Personality of Godhead enjoy the company of His devotees, but because He is unlimited He wants to increase His devotees unlimitedly. Thus, He descends to the material world to induce the nondevotees and rebellious living entities to return home, back to Godhead. He requests them to surrender unto Him because, unlimited as He is, He wants to increase His devotees unlimitedly. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is an attempt to increase the number of pure devotees of the Supreme Lord more and more. It is certain that a devotee who helps in this endeavor to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead becomes indirectly a controller of the Supreme Lord. Although the Supreme Lord is full in six opulences, He does not feel transcendental bliss without His devotees. An example that may be cited in this regard is that if a very rich man does not have sons in a family he does not feel happiness. Indeed, sometimes a rich man adopts a son to complete his happiness. The science of transcendental bliss is known to the pure devotee. Therefore the pure devotee is always engaged in increasing the transcendental happiness of the Lord.
SB Cantos 10.14 to 12 (Translations Only)
Lord Kṛṣṇa said: It is by the force of karma that a living entity takes birth, and it is by karma alone that he meets his destruction. His happiness, distress, fear and sense of security all arise as the effects of karma.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta
CC Madhya-lila
"I do not care for my personal happiness or unhappiness, but only for His happiness. Indeed, I accept His happiness as my happiness."
CC Antya-lila
"I do not mind My personal distress. I only wish for the happiness of Kṛṣṇa, for His happiness is the goal of My life. However, if He feels great happiness in giving Me distress, that distress is the best of My happiness."
"If Kṛṣṇa, attracted by the beauty of some other woman, wants to enjoy with her but is unhappy because He cannot get her, I fall down at her feet, catch her hand and bring her to Kṛṣṇa to engage her for His happiness."
Other Books by Srila Prabhupada
Nectar of Devotion
There are similar statements of fraternal love expressed outside the jurisdiction of Vṛndāvana. When the sons of Pāṇḍu, headed by Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, saw Kṛṣṇa in His four-handed form on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, holding His conchshell, disc, club and lotus flower, they completely forgot themselves and became merged in the ocean of nectarean happiness. This shows how the sons of Pāṇḍu—King Yudhiṣṭhira, Bhīma, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva—were all caught up in fraternal love for Kṛṣṇa.
Sometimes the different names, forms, paraphernalia and transcendental qualities provoke fraternal love. For instance, Kṛṣṇa's nice dress, His strongly built body, the all-auspicious symptoms on His body, His knowledge of different languages, His learned teachings in Bhagavad-gītā, His uncommon genius in all fields of endeavor, His exhibition of expert knowledge, His mercy, His chivalry, His behavior as a conjugal lover, His intelligence, His forgiveness, His attraction for all kinds of men, His opulence and His happiness—all provoke fraternal love.
Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead
After performing this sacrifice, Vasudeva felt so satisfied that there was no limit to his happiness. All the members of his family were with him, and in their presence he caught hold of the hands of Nanda Mahārāja and addressed him thus: “My dear brother, the Supreme Personality of Godhead has created a great tie of bondage known as the bondage of love and affection. I think that it is a very difficult job for even the great sages and saintly persons to cut such a tie of love. My dear brother, you have exhibited feelings of love for me that I was not able to return. I think, therefore, that I am ungrateful. You have behaved exactly as is characteristic of saintly persons, but I shall never be able to repay you. I have no means to repay you for your friendly dealings. Nevertheless I am confident that our tie of love will never break. Our friendship must ever continue, in spite of my inability to repay you. I hope you will excuse me for this inability.
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
In the absolute world, there is no such thing, opposite elements. So here, Kṛṣṇa is suggesting about the absolute duty, lābhālābhau. When there is loss or gain, you are the same. Generally, when there is gain, we are very jubilant. And when there is loss, we become morose. But here, Kṛṣṇa is teaching that "You remain in one position, either it is loss or gain. Either it is victory or defeat. Either it is happiness or distress." This is brahma-bhūta (SB 4.30.20). Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). A devotee is always prasannātmā, because his happiness is to serve Kṛṣṇa. His only business is to see Kṛṣṇa happy, that's all. This is devotion. There may be loss or gain, there may be victory or defeat, there may be distress or happiness, it doesn't matter. He's not affected with this duality. That is being taught now. Real Bhagavad-gītā begins here. Kṛṣṇa is teaching.
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.
So sarva-karmāṇi manasā sannyasyāste. Sarva-karmāṇi. Whatever he does, he has decided, manasā, by the mind. Determination comes into the mind. Therefore his determination is manasā āste sukhaṁ vaśī. He has decided to work only for Kṛṣṇa consciousness; therefore his happiness is under his own control. Happiness is under his own control. He hasn't got to seek happiness externally. The happiness is controlled, controlled by him. Sukhaṁ vaśī nava-dvāre pure dehī naiva kurvan na kārayan. So there are nine holes in our body. So that nine holes, they are acting. These two eyes, two nostrils, two ears, one mouth, one naval, and the evacuating and the urinal, they are nine holes and we are taking work with these nine holes. Just like one, this room. This room has got four outlets. One there, one here, and two windows. Similarly we have got nine holes in our body. So we are acting with the help of these nine holes. Nava-dvāre pure dehī. Dehī, it is just like a room having nine outlets. We are not this body. That we must know.
But one who is actually situated in the transcendental position..., na prahṛṣyet priyaṁ prāpya. If something favorable for..., he does not become too much happy. He thinks, "All right, by Kṛṣṇa's grace I have got this. Let me engage it in the Kṛṣṇa's service." That's it. Because he has dedicated his life, he dedicated his life, he does not claim anything. Everything, Kṛṣṇa's property. So if something is obtained, achieved, some favorable thing, he engages that thing in the service of the Lord. Na prahṛṣyet priyaṁ prāpya. That... That is his happiness. That is his happiness. Just like family man. Whatever he earns, if he can spend for the family, then he becomes happy because his affection is there in the family. Similarly, some great man of the country, if he can give some service to the people, to the country, he is... He feels happy. Similarly, a man who is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, if he gets some opportunity to serve more, I mean to say, accelerately in the service of the Lord, then he feels happy. But not materially.
Devotee: "Arjuna said: 'What is the destination of a man of faith who does not persevere? Who in the beginning takes to the process of self-realization but who later desists due to worldly mindedness and thus does not attain perfection in mysticism?' " Purport: "The path of self-realization of mysticism is described in the Bhagavad-gītā. The basic principle of self-realization is knowledge that the living entity is not this material body but that he is different from it and his happiness is in eternal life, bliss and knowledge."
Prabhupāda: Now, before coming to the point of self-realization, one must take it granted—that is the beginning of Bhagavad-gītā, that he is not this body. That the living entity is not this material body but that he is different from it and his happiness is in eternal life. This life is not eternal. The perfection of yoga system means to get eternal life, blissful life and full of knowledge. That is perfection. So we have to execute any yoga system with that aim. Not that I attend some yoga class to reduce fat or to keep my body very fit for sense gratification. This is not the end of yoga system. But people are taught like that. "Oh, if you practice this yoga system." That you can do if you undergo any exercise process your body will be kept fit. There are so many system of bodily exercise, the system, this weight-lifting system, there are many sporting system, they also keep body very fit. They can digest foodstuff very nicely, they reduce fat. For this purpose there is no need of practicing yoga. The real purpose is here; that to realize that I am not this body. I want eternal happiness, I want complete knowledge, I want eternal life also. That is the ultimate end of yoga system.
If I speak something, because I am not speaking in the absolute, therefore my speaking and my self, different. But here I am speaking the words of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Therefore the words of Lord Kṛṣṇa is not different from Kṛṣṇa. So if we think of Bhagavad-gītā, the instructions which we receive from Bhagavad-gītā, that is also thinking of Kṛṣṇa. So ananyāś cintayanto mām: "Always who are thinking about Me..." Ye janāḥ paryupāsate. And why one should think of Kṛṣṇa unless he has fully surrendered to Kṛṣṇa? Unless one has taken the business of Kṛṣṇa, he cannot think of Kṛṣṇa. He cannot think of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore it is said that ananyāś cintayanto māṁ ye janāḥ paryupāsate. Paryupāsate means constantly worshiping in that way. Teṣāṁ nityābhiyuktānām. Abhiyukta: he is always engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore, yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham (BG 9.22). Not that only the materialistic people will remain happy. Kṛṣṇa assures that one who is always engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, his happiness will be not divorced. "He will be also happy because I will make him, I will supply him whatever he requires."
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
So when one comes to understand that "This is my business, this my goodness, everything, it is all useless. Unless I become attached, I am a devotee of Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, all these attempts are simply futile attempts," that is enlightenment. When one understands, "Yes, my only business is to surrender to Kṛṣṇa, to love Kṛṣṇa," then he is to be understood, he is enlightened, educated. Ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān (CC Madhya 19.151). That is fortune. Yadā na paśyaty ayathā guṇehāṁ svārthe pramattaḥ. He does not know his interest. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). They do not know that "My svārtha, my interest, my goal of life, is to love, to find out God and to love Him. That is my real interest." So, so long one is not enlightened to that standard of life, then he is defeated. Then how he is defeated? Gata-smṛtir, gata-smṛtir vindati tatra tāpān āsādya maithunyam agāram ajñaḥ. He remains a ajñaḥ, foolish. And what is his happiness? His happiness is sex life. That's all. That is his happiness. Maithunyam agāram. He is in the prison house of this material nature, but he does not know that "I am in prison." He is simply enjoying the three things. Udāram varitha.(?) Udāram varitha: the tongue, the belly and the genital. That is stated here. Gata-smṛtir vindati. And to enjoy this material, he has to undergo so much tribulation. Tāpān vindati.
Just like the ass cannot understand that he's suffering, loading so much cloth upon his back. That is ass, one who cannot understand the suffering. And we are taking it, "This is now pleasure. This is not suffering, this is pleasure. I am working so hard." I remember long ago, about forty years ago, one of my servants, he left my service and he was pulling on ṭhelā. You know ṭhelā, a hand-pulled cart? So after that he came to see me. I asked him, "How you are doing now?" So he was very pleased that "I am working, pulling on this ṭhelā and eating sumptuously, and by evening it becomes all digested and again I'll eat." That is the (indistinct). He's eating sumptuously, and by working, by pulling on the ṭhelā, hard labor, whole thing is digested and again goes in the evening he eats very sumptuously, he is very pleased. That is his success of life. So people are doing like that. They are eating in the morning and working very hard whole day, and in the evening again he becomes hungry and eats more sumptuously. That is his happiness. That is his happiness. But he does not think that these distresses are there, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9).
Our father is Kṛṣṇa. We can live there very comfortably without any botheration, without endeavor for earning money, but we have decided that we shall live here in this material world. This is called ass. This is the... Therefore mūḍha. We do not know what is our self-interest. And we are hoping against hope, "I shall be happy in this way. I shall be happy in this way." Therefore this word is used, mūḍha. They do not know what is actually his happiness, and he is trying one chapter, another, one chapter, another, "Now I will be happy." The ass. The ass. Sometimes the washerman sits on his back and takes a bunch of grass and puts in front of the ass, and the ass wants to take the grass. But as he moving forward, the grass is also moving forward. (laughter) And he thinks, "Just one step forward, I shall get the grass." But because he is ass, he does not know that "The grass is situated in such a way that I may go on for millions of years; still, I will not get the happi..." This is ass. He does not come to his senses that "For millions and trillions of years I may try to be happy in this material world. I will never be happy."
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
So brahma, nirbheda brahmānusandhana. But a devotee, his happiness is different. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu said: na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). We do not want this. Mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi. A Vaiṣṇava does not desire even liberation, what to speak of dhanam, janam, rūpavatī bhāryā. That is real Vaiṣṇava. He wants simply Kṛṣṇa, to serve Him. That's... Anyābhilāṣitā... So that happiness is perfect happiness. That is real śānti. Real śānti.
General Lectures
Just like your son is part and parcel of your body. Somehow or other, if he forgets and goes out of home, you are anxious to see that your son comes back. A son may have become mad. So similarly, Kṛṣṇa, He is the son of... Kṛṣṇa is the father of all living entities. Sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya sambhavanti mūrt..., ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā: (BG 14.4) "I am the seed-giving father." So Kṛṣṇa is very, very anxious to take us back to home, back to Godhead. This is Kṛṣṇa's desire. Therefore He comes personally, He sends His representative, He leaves behind Him Bhagavad-gītā, so we can take advantage and go back to home, back to Godhead. That is our real happiness. Any man who is wandering in the foreign countries without any shelter, without any security, his happiness is when he goes back to home, back to Godhead.
Philosophy Discussions
Prabhupāda: Sometimes the worker wants rich man's exploitation. If he has no work, if the rich man does not give him work, he thinks unemployed. You have seen practically; the Africans, by serving, they are more satisfied. Just like a dog. A dog having a master is more happy, and a dog having no master is a street dog. He is unhappy. So there are certain stages where one is happy having a master, having a protector. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Paricaryātmakaṁ kāryaṁ śūdra-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.44). A śūdra mentality. Because he has no higher intelligence. He has to depend on some good master. That is his happiness. But when the master exploits him, that is a different thing. But one class should be master, another class should be servant—that is nature's arrangement.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1973 Conversations and Morning Walks
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Thinking is a natural...
Prabhupāda: Yes. You have got mind. You have got mind. Therefore you must think. But that thinking... Why there is psychology science? What do you think? Why do you go to school, college to learn psychology? To learn how to think. How thinking process is going on. There is education required, how to think correctly.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: So the subject matter of thinking...
Prabhupāda: The child is sent to school just for teaching him how to think correctly. Otherwise, what is the use of sending him to school? He can think at home. Why they are sent to school? To learn how to think. Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa... (pause) This is thinking, when you question that: "I want to become happy. Why I am not happy?" This is thinking. Everyone wants to become happy, but nature's process is to obstruct his happiness. So one should think: "Why this is position? I want to live. Why, by laws of nature, I am put to death? I must die? This is against my wish, against my desire." This is thinking. So how to get out of it? This is real thinking. I don't want something, but something is forced upon me, and why it is so? When this "Why?" question will come to me, that is real thinking. Where is that thinking? These rascals, where is that thinking? How to check death, how to check disease, how to check old age. Where is that thinking? Where is that scientist? Who is making research how to stop death, who is making research how to stop disease? You can manufacture medicine for the disease, but you cannot check happening of disease. That is not possible. Why it is? That is thinking. I want something, but it is being obstructed by nature. Why it is so? This "Why?" question must have come. Then his thinking is proper. That is Kena-upaniṣad, Kena.
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Materialistic means that is the ultimate end of materialistic life. Because they want new pleasure, new pleasure, new pleasure, so sometimes this, sometimes that... Sometimes they think the civilized way is better; sometimes the uncivilized way is better. That's all, this way and that way. That is called punaḥ punaś ca... And then you'll take again to civilized way of... I think some of the hippies are taking now. Yes. Because the same example, stool, this side or that side, it is stool. So these materialistic persons, they are trying to change from this side to that side, but it is stool. That is the... That they do not know. They are accepting stool as something very sublime, and therefore they are trying to change the position, sometimes this side, sometimes that side. Hitvā anyathā rūpam. This is anyathā rūpam, means a living being. Being spiritual, his business is spiritual, but he has accepted material as the platform of his happiness. That is his fault. So material thing, either this side or that side, it is material. Bhoga-tyāga. So therefore he is not happy. And we are trying to give him spiritual platform for happiness. That is real happiness. But he is so much attached to the material happiness that he cannot believe that there can be any happiness beyond this range. That is his ignorance, mūḍha. Therefore we call them mūḍha, rascals. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, "When you become spiritually realized, then prasannātmā, happiness." Otherwise it is not possible. Material thing, you take this side or that side—there is no question of happiness. When you become brahma-bhūtaḥ, spiritually realized, then there is happiness, prasannātmā, immediately. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati, samaḥ sarveṣu (BG 18.54).
Amogha: I saw some asses in the university yesterday. Asses and monkeys. One professor was working so hard he was almost crying, because he had so many exams to mark. So great burden on his mind.
Paramahaṁsa: Isn't it, then, if one is happy, that's all that counts? If his happiness is also relative. So if I am a monkey...
Prabhupāda: No. There is absolute happiness. You do not know that. We are meant for that, because we are living beings. But on account of your ass quality you do not like to understand. Mūḍhā nābhijānāti.
Śrutakīrti: In this world everything is relative, so it's not expected that the same things will please everyone.
Prabhupāda: Then why do you put something as happiness standard or distress standard? So everything is everything, that's all. (laughs) Why do you try to put a standard?
Paramahaṁsa: We try to simply make the facility if a person wants to change his position.
Prabhupāda: So why you are so much busy in trying like that? Why you are waste your time? You make your own...
Śrutakīrti: But that is his happiness. Giving facility to others is what makes me happy.
Prabhupāda: No, he doesn't want to... Just like if you want to give facility to the hippies—"Please come in nice home"—he will not accept.
Śrutakīrti: No, but we don't want to give to the hippies.
Prabhupāda: Then what is the meaning?
Paramahaṁsa: For those who want...
Prabhupāda: You cannot give happiness to everyone according to standard. Then unhappiness will continue, so what is the use of your wasting time? Because you cannot give happiness to everyone, what you think, "It is happiness," others will not accept it. Then where is the happiness?
| Page Title: | His happiness |
| Compiler: | Rekha, Alakananda |
| Created: | 22 of Nov, 2008 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=1, SB=13, CC=3, OB=2, Lec=12, Con=4, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 35 |