“The senses are so strong and impetuous, O Arjuna, that they forcibly carry away the mind even of a man of discrimination who is endeavoring to control them.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.60)

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यततो ह्य् अपि कौन्तेय
पुरुषस्य विपश्चितः
इन्द्रियाणि प्रमाथीनि
हरन्ति प्रसभं मनः

yatato hy api kaunteya
puruṣasya vipaścitaḥ
indriyāṇi pramāthīni
haranti prasabhaṁ manaḥ

1. Creating a song library

“I downloaded everything I could imagine. I set up an automated system. The machine would continue downloading even without me telling it where to go or what to search. With this amazing library, people could come to me to hear that which was not available.

“Fast forward about ten years and that library is now worthless. Everything is available online, for free. These hosting providers even catalog everything, and the search feature is more robust than anything I could create on my own. What a waste of time.”

2. Creating a movie library

“This was a rather involved process. It is not like the video files were available on the internet for downloading. I went with physical discs, both of copies that I owned and those belonging to my friends.

“I spent so much time at the office converting these discs into files, for the purpose of making a library. Fast forward to today, no pun intended, and my library practically has no value. Not only is it incomplete, but the quality is inferior to what is already available online. What a waste of time.”

3. Playing sports

“I joined league after league. I figured it was something to do outside of work. I thought it would be fun. I tried it for a little while, but then got bored. It was annoying to have to keep promises to other people, to show up to more places, to add more points of stress in a given day. I gave it up and never looked back.”

4. Building up my body

“I worked so hard in the gym. I paid strict attention to diet. I wanted to have the best physique, to be attractive to others. I guess health was a secondary concern. Perhaps strength was also a consideration.

“Anyway, I was never happy. I hated working out. It was so boring. At some point, I gave it up. Why care so much about how I look when other people don’t really mind either way?”

5. Working until retirement

“I worked for years and saved up enough for retirement. Now I have nothing to do. I get depressed easily. Is that all there is to life? Why do we desperately seek relief when the time off seems to be worse? What is the purpose to our existence? I would like to know before my time is up.”

…

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada explains that despite so much advancement in material life, with its accompanying endeavor, no one is happy or satisfied. Rather, the world is slowly becoming more hellish.

In other words, it is not a place someone would want to live. It is not a destination desired as the promise for good behavior. There is danger at every turn and at every step. Something basic like taking public transportation to reach the office on a typical day can turn into a dangerous affair.

समाश्रिता ये पदपल्लवप्लवं
महत्पदं पुण्ययशो मुरारे:
भवाम्बुधिर्वत्सपदं परं पदं
पदं पदं यद् विपदां न तेषाम्

samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavaṁ
mahat-padaṁ puṇya-yaśo murāreḥ
bhavāmbudhir vatsa-padaṁ paraṁ padaṁ
padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadāṁ na teṣām

“For one who has accepted the boat of the lotus feet of the Lord, who is the shelter of the cosmic manifestation and is famous as Mukunda or the giver of mukti, the ocean of the material world is like the water contained in a calf’s hoofprint. Param padam, or the place where there are no material miseries, or Vaikuntha, is his goal, not the place where there is danger in every step of life.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 10.14.58)

This is more than an elderly person lamenting that things are not as good as they used to be, back in their day. It is an issue warranting serious review and extended discussion. If the foundation of our pursuits, of what we strive for, of what we urge our dependents to follow, is advancement of material living, should not success in those pursuits lead to happiness? Should not that happiness be demonstrable and measurable?

In other words, the person who has a smartphone, high-speed internet, machines for washing clothes and dishes, an automobile parked in an attached garage, and more food than they know what to do with should at least be happier than the person who is missing these things. There should be some level of satisfaction and comfort.

Bhagavad-gita explains why that is not the case. It is something like being strapped to a chair and receiving impulses at random times. Just when you are trying to focus on something, almost achieving peace, there is an interruption. You cannot predict from where it will come, and so there is anxiety before, during, and after the sensation.

This means that someone who takes to Krishna consciousness is very fortunate. They have at least found a way towards peace. There is at least a chance at lasting happiness, which transcends conditions.

नास्ति बुद्धिर् अयुक्तस्य
न चायुक्तस्य भावना
न चाभावयतः शान्तिर्
अशान्तस्य कुतः सुखम्

nāsti buddhir ayuktasya
na cāyuktasya bhāvanā
na cābhāvayataḥ śāntir
aśāntasya kutaḥ sukham

“One who is not in transcendental consciousness can have neither a controlled mind nor steady intelligence, without which there is no possibility of peace. And how can there be any happiness without peace?” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.66)

To transcend means to remove the association with conditions. I should be happy whether I have a lot or don’t have much at all. Whether the entire world is praising me or people only offer ridicule, scorn, and criticism. Whether I am enjoying the vibrancy of youth or a sudden illness has announced an imminent departure from this world.

There is satisfaction in Krishna consciousness due to two factors. The first is control over the senses. At least that is a stated objective, something to strive for. Control in eating and sleeping. Control to avoid overindulgence. A roadmap to avoid the pitfalls which accompany meat-eating, intoxication, gambling, and illicit sex.

The second factor is the connection to the source of everything. Krishna consciousness is for creating a conscious awareness of the Supreme Lord, who is known as Shri Krishna because of His all-attractiveness. Since He created everything, since there is really no difference between Krishna and His energies, there is attractiveness to find in every corner of an existence.

We simply have to be trained to notice that attractiveness. Therefore, we first follow Krishna consciousness as a discipline. This is vaidhi-bhakti. We try to remove unwanted things, anarthas, and hold on to the positives, such as chanting the holy names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

In Closing:

Despite so much to see,
Why unhappy to be?

Despite with convenience for relief,
Is anyone living in peace?

Because senses steam to gather,
To indulge repeatedly rather.

Better the conditions to transcend,
In bhakti to higher plane ascend.

Categories: the five

Tags: god, happiness, hare krishna, hinduism, life, poem, poems, poetry, religion