“The foolish cannot understand how a living entity can quit his body, nor can they understand what sort of body he enjoys under the spell of the modes of nature. But one whose eyes are trained in knowledge can see all this.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 15.10)

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उत्क्रामन्तं स्थितं वाऽपि भुञ्जानं वा गुणान्वितम्
विमूढा नानुपश्यन्ति पश्यन्ति ज्ञानचक्षुष:

utkrāmantaṁ sthitaṁ vāpi
bhuñjānaṁ vā guṇānvitam
vimūḍhā nānupaśyanti
paśyanti jñāna-cakṣuṣaḥ

1. I found a penny today

“I was just minding my own business, sitting on the sofa. I felt tired to the point of wanting to lie flat. In the process of transitioning my body position, something fell from underneath one of the cushions. It was a penny. I feel so fortunate. How often does something like that happen? Isn’t it great? I didn’t have to go to work or anything. If a penny saved is a penny earned, how much more valuable is a penny earned without effort?”

2. I got assistance for a down payment

“Let me tell you something. It was really cold outside today. I know because I stood on line for hours. We were waiting in the hopes of being selected to receive down payment assistance. The government started this new program. Only the first five hundred applicants would be approved. I was not going to let anyone get in between me and free money.”

3. I got tickets to the concert

“It was sold out. Months ago. The tickets went fast; almost immediately after the event was announced. I could not believe my misfortune. I had no way of attending. That is, until the last moment. Someone at work had a pressing emergency to tend to. They kindly gave me their tickets. I am thrilled.”

4. The store accepted my coupon

“It took a while. They had to first call the manager. Then the manager’s manager showed up. I steadfastly held my ground. I was stern, but I argued my case in a professional manner. I was not going to back down. Yes, the coupon was well past the expiry date, but that should not matter. I am a loyal customer. You ask how much this was over. Does it really matter? It is the principle which should not be violated. The customer is always right.”

5. I got revenge on that person

“Oh man, that person is so upset right now. They are crying at their desk. I can see them. This is the happiest moment of my life. I am not even exaggerating. This is the revenge I had been waiting so long to dish out. You ask what set off the vendetta. This person failed to clap that one time when the entire room was celebrating my achievement. My colleagues noticed. So did I. Now I got this person back, through a report to the human resources department. Someone tell me, how did I get so fortunate? God must really love me.”

…

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada makes the claim that no person in material life is actually happy. Aside from those who are obviously suffering, through chaos, tumult, despair, fear, and the like, there are those who are subtly enduring in the process of presenting a brave face.

For instance, the well-respected public performer medicates heavily in the background. They suffer from so much anxiety that they feel popping pills is the only way out of the misery. They wonder how anyone else is able to cope, how they can be naturally cheerful, hopeful, and full of optimism.

Then there are those who say they are happy. They think life is going well. They have no complaints. They may suffer from time to time, but overall they would not change a thing. If given the choice, they are content to continue in the current path.

The conclusion from the acharya is that there is suffering as soon as there is birth. The trouble begins right from the time in the womb, continuing in a visible sense immediately upon exiting that same womb. As soon as there is birth, there must be death. This is a guarantee. Birth is therefore one of the principal miseries of life, along with old age, disease, and death.

Prahlada Maharaja confirms that any happiness experienced is in illusion. Consider the situations reviewed above. The person in each case indeed feels happy; their testimony is true. Only someone on the outside, disconnected from the situation, can apply a rational assessment.

They see that the cause of the happiness is the distress. One leads to the other. If the distress were absent, would the same condition lead to happiness? On a quiet day outside, am I full of elation and relief? When the preceding hours were filled with an alarm blaring from a car parked across the street, then the subsequent silence is indeed most welcome.

Shri Krishna explains that the suffering continues through to the next life. The living being inside does not change, but their covering does. Based on karma, based on the impact to consciousness, the living being accesses a new body and undergoes the same transformations.

This cycle can continue many times over, to the point that we cannot accurately trace out the history of the jiva soul in the material world. At the same time, the person who finally comes to know Shri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, does not have to take birth again.

Based on these two principles, one of continuation in suffering and one of final emancipation, the objective of the human birth is quite clear. Work in such a way as to be conscious of Krishna. Utilize intelligence to dispel illusion. Observe properly through the assistance kindly offered by authority figures of the Vedic tradition. Change consciousness to the point that there will never again be a chance at rebirth.

अन्त-काले च माम् एव
स्मरन् मुक्त्वा कलेवरम्
यः प्रयाति स मद्-भावं
याति नास्त्य् अत्र संशयः

anta-kāle ca mām eva
smaran muktvā kalevaram
yaḥ prayāti sa mad-bhāvaṁ
yāti nāsty atra saṁśayaḥ

“And whoever, at the time of death, quits his body, remembering Me alone, at once attains My nature. Of this there is no doubt.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 8.5)

In Closing:

In elation abound,
Since penny I have found.

And those tickets to get,
After hours in long line set.

But happiness on conditions based,
Try the same when misery erased.

Human birth for finding permanent relief,
Through knowledge of Krishna in firm belief.

Categories: the five

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