if we analyse what material happiness is, we see it is when we get relief from material distress. That relief is experienced as pleasure. Just like we work hard all week and at the weekend we feel happy that we are not working, this is simply relief from a situation we are put into. Real happiness is not simply relief, it is a higher natural bliss that can easily be awakened through chanting and hearing of Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.
To be honest
To be honest.nothing material really makes me happy.It never really did.Threw time and friendship it grew in me.The things that bring me joy is god and nature.i love the sound of a flowing river.a sunset or just the landscape of a forest.i love nature.i love being surrounded by it.I find material items as yolks.they keep you in a greedy mind set.It tells you u must get and have more.my goal is to become pure love and light.If i would ask god for anything it's to renew me.to bring me closer to him.I want to be pure.Many of time i just want to run away where no one will find me and start fresh,never to retune to this city of trouble and pain.My friend think im crazy cause i never worry about the latest nikes or who's got the flyest gear.I tell them to look around and see what right in front of them.My only worry is trust.i don't trust god as much as i should.im guilty of being the type of person that must see results before i believe.I i can't see it doubt and worry fill my mind.So material stuff....NO PROBLEM!!
Its the spiritual stuff that stops me from reaching the abode of krishna at his lotus feet.If anybody has advice i would happly take what you have to say.
Trust is Developed Over Time and Efforts
You are already on a very good standing in front of the Lord. And you can go quickly. It's understandable that we don't have much faith in Krishna initially. That can only be done with sincere practice and time. Krishna always reciprocates to our sincere endeavor to gain more faith in Him and to serve Him. As long as you do that with faith, you will surely see the results. "Proof of the pudding is in eating it! " :)
Your servant,
Gopi Gita D. Dasi
the anxiety of material happiness
thank you prabhu, and we know that it all ends. Even if we have 20 gallons of ice cream, the chapala sukhi, the flickering happiness is only experienced for a moment, and after a while of doing the same thing it becomes hellish. My spiritual master, His Holiness Prahladananda Swami, tell a wonderful story in this regards of some devotee he knew had eaten some 20 gallons of icecream. There was some deal that that devotee (possibly prior to coming to KC) could get 20 gallons of icecream for free provided that he ate it all of it that very same day. The story goes on that in beginning he thought it was great, and the end he found hellish, so much so that he will not take icecream again even to this very day. Hare Krishna
Your humble servant,
Nityananda Chandra Das
Desperation To Enjoy
thats a great true account prabhu, thank you!
One devotee here in scotland met a man on sankirtan and he had his voice box and throat surgically removed due to cancer from smoking and there was a small plastic disc on his throat with a hole in it, he was still smoking a ciggerette by holding it to the hole!
really hellish desperation to get that pleasure every soul is seeking by nature. Ananda Moya Byasat.
TRUE, IT IS INDEED IMPOSSIBLE TO DERIVE PLEASURE FROM MATTER
The humans are into the same activities as animals; eating, sleeping, mating and defence.The only difference between the humans and animals is that the humans can add religeon to their life and thus realize their ultimate goal, Krishna.We the living souls are actually Krishna's superior energy.After coming in contact with Krishna's inferior energy, which is the body we are living in, are original love for Krishna has got converted into lust.Thus lust is a perverted reflection of love for Krishna.As we have come in contact with matter, we have forgetten our relationship with Krishna who is eternal, blissful and full of knowledge.Man always remains unsatisfied by trying to derive pleasure from matter, thus becomes even more frustrated.The only way to be happy is by reviving our original Krishna Consciousness.Originally we were all Krishna Conscious souls and had extreme love for Krishna.Thus by getting this pure love for Krishna back by serving him with love can make us satisfied.By executing loving devotional service to Krishna we can get our original spiritual bodies back which is eternal, blissful and full of knowledge.The best way to revive our Krishna Consciousness is by chanting the mahamantra HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE HARE RAMA HARE RAMA RAMA RAMA HARE HARE
Why does one fall down from
Why does one fall down from pursuing the path of Krsna conciousness? Why cannot one control ones senses - the mind just wanders, knowing full well that the wandering is in not right?
All hard work in following Krsna conciousness for years can seem to be lost by letting the mind wander!
Is thinking something wrong as bad as actually doing something wrong?!
_______________________________________
Lord Krsna says,
“Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.”
Krishna also states
weakness of heart is the cause of falldown. Association is the key. In fact association with devotees is placed higher than chanting. Its importance is utmost.
Hare Krishna
your humble servant
Nityananda Chandra Das
PERFECT
Nityananda Ram Prabhu has given a very intelligent answer. Association with devotees is indeed higher than chanting...HARE KRISHNA
Association = Chanting
If we associate constantly with those who have a taste for chanting than we will also chant, that is why it is so sublime.
TRUE
Yes Prabhuji, I completely I agree with you...HARE KRISHNA
HAVE THE DETERMINATION
Krishna has tried to give a lot of hint in the Bhagavad-Gita for those people are not being able to progress in Krishna Consciousness. However the qualification for it is that one has be in LOVING devotional service with DETERMINATION. For such people Krishna has said that He will give them what they lack and preserve what they have. Therefore there is no question of fall down once Krishna takes charge of his devotee. He has also said ' To those who are constantly devoted and worship Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me. Out of compassion for them, I, dwelling in their hearts, destroy with the shining lamp of knowledge the darkness born of ignorance'. You must have faith in Krishna. In Bhagavad-Gita Krishna said, those who are not faithful in this devotional service cannot attain Him, thus they continue to wander in the cycle of birth and death. A third class Krishna Conscious person is one who has no faith and knowledge, as discussed above, and they surely fall down. A second class Krishna Conscious person is one who has faith and no knowledge. A first class is one who has faith and knowledge. For a first class there is no question of fall down. Starting with the second class Krishna Conscious person, your goal should be to become first class. Since material energy is Krishna's energy, once He is pleased with you He will order His energy to free you, thus all material contaminations will automatically burn in your heart. However you have to continuously make an attempt, as it is you who has to keep cutting the weeds, and finally Krishna takes out the root. Association with senior devotees is very important, as they are representatives of Krishna and thus have the power to destroy the darkness in our heart born out of ignorance. Therefore I highly recommend you to associate with senior devotees in your temple and also read the Bhagavad-Gita as it is at home without fail, for guaranteed success. While reading the texts in Bhagavad-Gita it is compulsory to read the purports explained by Srila Prabhupada as it is only possible to understand Bhagavad-Gita from a pure devotee in disciplic succession. Since Srila Prabhupada is a pure devotee in disciplic succession, reading his purports will surely ensure success.
Thank you so much for your guidance.
___________________
Hare Krsna
too true prabhu
too true prabhu
Why does one fall
Krishna addresses this point in the third chapter of Bhagavad gita. He says in 3.33:
Even a man in knowledge (jnanavan) acts according to his own nature, for everyone acts according to the impressions from previous lives. These impressions are due to being influenced by the three modes of nature. So the threat of punishment cannot accomplish anything. Those who engage in sense gratification, even if they are intelligent, cannot consider the orders of the Supreme Lord. This is because of their nature. If the person of knowledge engages in sin, he will receive hellish punishment and will also bear infamy. Still he performs actions which yield a burden of suffering, following his previous sinful habits. What then to speak of the person who does not know even know about the punishment? Maya, despite one’s intelligence, is invested with the potency to push a conditioned soul away from Krsna. Academically, one may be very learned, but because of his long association with material nature, he is in bondage.
All people follow their sinful impressions , even though those desires destroy the very goals they pursue – dharma, artha, kama and moksa. For a person devoid of association of saintly persons, even if he has knowledge of scripture, punishment cannot accomplish anything. Only by good association can he destroy the strong influence of the impressions. The instructions of scripture in the form of niskama karma yoga, are able to purify and enlighten the impure hearted, and in the form of jnana yoga, are able to purify and enlighten the pure hearted. But neither can purify the extremely impure. But bhakti yoga arising from the causeless mercy of the Lord can deliver even those most sinful persons. Krsna consciousness helps one to get out of the material entanglement, even though one may be engaged in his prescribed duties in terms of material existence.
So the way to break the influence of our impressions (previous conditioning) is to associate with pure devotees.
Radhikesh das
YOU ARE THE BEST
I am very fond of you Radhikesh Prabhuji. As always you are the best. Your answers are so strong that I am sure it can also touch the heart of atheists and engage then in the service of Krishna. My dream is to be like you. Please tell me, where did you learn so much about Krishna. Please continue to do this good work of answering people's queries. Though you may not realize, but by doing so you are changing millions of lives.
Hare Krishna
Thanks for your kind words Mihirji. But I am neither the best nor someone you would want to be. What you see here is just one side of me - a hat of pseudo intellectualism. Under the hat is a person with no realization or sincerity. I would want the association of nice and sincere devotees like you and others so that I can really develop some devotion. When I do that, may be I can influence one person and not millions to take up Krishna consciousness.
Radhikesh das
Hare Krishna
A pure devotee is he who out of his humbleness never agrees that he is pure. Your humbleness proves that indeed you are the best.