Why Am I Still Unhappy

“For human happiness, one must care for the animals, especially the cows. Vasudeva therefore inquired whether there was a good arrangement for the animals where Nanda Maharaja lived. For the proper pursuit of human happiness, there must be arrangements for the protection of cows. This means that there must be forests and adequate pasturing grounds full of grass and water. If the animals are happy, there will be an ample supply of milk, from which human beings will benefit by deriving many milk products with which to live happily.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 10.5.26 Purport)

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It is not by accident that the Supreme Personality of Godhead descended to this world, in what is known as an avatara, to spend a significant duration of time in the sacred land known as Gokula-Vrindavana. There were several characteristics to that place which made it favorable not only for the flow of devotion, but for the pleasure of the object of that very devotion.

Imagine the story of a successful family man, living in the modern day. The success is on the basis of widely accepted standards. There are metrics to apply in the areas of finance, residential square footage, the size of the family, and the balance in reserves. In something like an analysis from the actuarial department of the insurance company, this man looks to be in good shape moving forward.

Not only are his finances in order, but there is plenty of opportunity for enjoyment. There is no shortage of association, and the interactions are mostly blissful, at that. A loving and caring wife. Children who want only to spend time with their parents. A clean and safe neighborhood. Enough rooms in the home to roam about free of obstruction. Extended family visiting periodically. Love is in the air and love is all around.

The problem is that this man is unhappy. He feels a constant sense of anxiety. There is anticipation of dreaded loss, of failure, of separation, though none of those have yet to manifest. It is like there is this punishment lurking around the corner, waiting to strike. The man has yet to feel fulfilled. Others would trade places with him in a second, but there is no peace.

He happens to share these concerns with a friend. The friend is interested in diagnosing the problem. Just what exactly is at the root of the issue? Why is this man unhappy, when all the metrics point in the other direction? The analytics and the artificial intelligence models predict happiness, but the outcome is different.

The friend asks the man to review the daily routine, to go over what happens on a typical day. Everything checks out. There is work. There is adherence to responsibility. The habits are regular. There is a lack of overindulgence. One thing does stand out, however. The man is known to treat animals in a cruel way. They are born and bred on his property, only for the purpose of consumption. They are destined to be killed, without mercy. The man goes over the scheme, considering it to be economic in nature. The practice dates back many generations within the family. There must be an advantage to having a steady supply of animal flesh, killed by the own hands of the proprietor. Why would this raise any red flags?

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada explains that caring for animals is an integral aspect of happiness for the human being. He places emphasis on the protection of cows. This animal is not chosen at random, either. There are so many benefits to be extracted from that protection. Just show a little mercy. Allow for ample space to roam. Spare the knife and reap the plentiful yield of milk and milk products.

From Shrimad Bhagavatam we have the description of the meeting between Vasudeva and Nanda Maharaja. Vasudeva was so kind and polite in that meeting. There was a genuine loving sentiment shared in lamenting the reality that the two friends could not constantly stay together. These are the ways of the world, after all. Through our past deeds and the workings of time, we sometimes come together and we sometimes have to separate.

Vasudeva asked if the cows in the community were well-taken care of. This is an important question, because if there is kindness and compassion shown to the dependent animals, then there is something like a reverse-waterfall effect. Everything else will fall into place, in the ideal scenario.

This also explains why Shri Krishna spent the childhood years in the home of Nanda Maharaja. There were many cows. They were properly taken care of. They were so happy that they would produce milk upon sight, in having a direct vision of that son which Vasudeva brought over, to protect against the wrath of the wicked king of Mathura name Kamsa.

In the absence of such compassion, there is this hard ceiling we run up against. There is a limit to the happiness we can experience. For the present age of quarrel and hypocrisy, in the midst of our widespread degradation as a society, we can be uplifted through the chanting of the holy names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

Through this chanting we can remember the one who gives pleasure to the cows and the senses, Govinda. We can recall the joy everyone experienced in the midst of that great protector of the cows, Gopala. We can begin to change the way we view the world, in aligning our priorities, in seeing the presence of spirit within each creature and then adjusting our behavior accordingly. True fulfillment of life is reconnecting with God, and in that connection there is a level of happiness in sharing the love of the Divine with others, including the animal kingdom.

विद्या-विनय-सम्पन्ने
ब्राह्मणे गवि हस्तिनि
शुनि चैव श्व-पाके च
पण्डिताः सम-दर्शिनः

vidyā-vinaya-sampanne
brāhmaṇe gavi hastini
śuni caiva śva-pāke ca
paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ

“The humble sage, by virtue of true knowledge, sees with equal vision a learned and gentle brahmana, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater [outcaste].” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 5.18)

In Closing:

Despite dominion to command,
A pressing issue at hand.

That distress and disagreement mounting,
Despite money in the bank counting.

Because the animals not well protected,
Into vicious schemes projected.

Krishna intentionally choosing that place,
Where cows joyful with ample space.