Vedanta sutra Says
Ananda mayo bhasayat
By nature everybody is a pleasure seeker. It includes everyone, all 8.4 million species. We can our self notice that each endeavor we perform is only directed towards attaining happiness. But before doing any endeavor for happiness, we must understand what type of happiness will actually satisfy us. Scriptures say that
“Yovai bhuma tat sukham”
We should look for happiness which is 1) unlimited in nature and 2) stays forever. Only then will we get satisfaction. This happiness is called Spiritual happiness. But unfortunately, everybody is going for the happiness that is limited and temporary, which is called Material happiness.
Material Happiness is all about eating, sleeping, sex life and Defending, that too with so much of struggle, the same thing available to every animal in a much easy manner. Material happiness is relative, i.e. same thing may give pleasure to someone and misery to another, e.g. when we get ill, we suffer but the Doctors enjoy their fees. All 8.4 million species are running after satisfaction of the senses in this manner. This is just like garlanding a venomous snake for coolness. Senses are like snakes, and their satisfaction is harmful in long run. People think that just by satisfying their senses they will be satisfied, but we forget that just as a fire is never satisfied by adding more fuel, we cannot be happy just by sense gratification. Lord Krishna says in BG 5.22
ye hi samsparça-jä bhogä duùkha-yonaya eva te
ädy-antavantaù kaunteya na teñu ramate budhaù
An intelligent person does not take part in the sources of misery, which are due to contact with the material senses. O son of Kunti, such pleasures have a beginning and an end (is temporary), and so the wise man does not delight in them.
Material happiness is mixed with pain, competition, frustration, and stress. So why should an intelligent person take part in such an activity which is filled with these miseries and pain. Is it not? It is limited and does not guarantee the satisfaction. Ex.Arjuna thought battle will not make him happy in anyway, or if we enjoy the objects of tongue more, our health may get into trouble.
MH is based on the influence of the 3 modes of material nature. Pleasure of being in ignorance – it is based on intoxication, sleep, cheating, stealing, harming others. It is based on Charvak philosophy, eat drink and be merry, no life afterwards. Then there is pleasure of being in passion – success, winning, influence, power ,dreams, family etc. and finally you can get pleasure of being in goodness – satisfaction, responsibility, peace, philanthropy.
Material Happiness is like mrig trishna – we keep thinking that we will become happy, just one more achievement and then we may be happy… but that satisfaction never comes. It actually conditions the person with a disease of temporary happiness and misery and the person thinks this is all he can get, whereas the eternal nature of the living entity is to be happy. Srimad Bhagvatam 1.5.18 says
tasyaiva hetoù prayateta kovidona labhyate yad bhramatäm upary adhaù
tal labhyate duùkhavad anyataù sukhaà kälena sarvatra gabhéra-raàhasä
Persons who are actually intelligent and philosophically inclined should endeavor only for that purposeful end which is not obtainable even by wandering from the topmost planet [Brahmaloka] down to the lowest planet [Pätäla]. As far as happiness derived from sense enjoyment is concerned, it can be obtained automatically in course of time, just as in course of time we obtain miseries even though we do not desire them.
MH is like a drop in an ocean,it can hardly satisfy us. Imagine a situation when a patient needs 200 ml of blood and he gets just a drop of it. What will be his condition? Can we ever satisfy a thirsty man with a drop of water? So how can a drop of Happiness satisfy a living entity who is seeking happiness for billions of births??
And the worst part about going for it is that it results into a constant cycle of birth, disease, old age and death entrapped in which there is no question of happiness. And there are other problems that follow us like a shadow, which are the 3 miseries,1. adi devik( trouble by higher powers, devas, natural calamities), adibhautik( by other jivas),and adhytmik(trouble due to mind and soul).
Thus the intelligent people search for happiness where it lies. Ex. Once a man was searching for a lost key. Another man started to help him. He asked him,” Are you sure the key fell here”. The man replied,” No. it fell at another place but because that place is dark and this is lightened up, I am looking for it here. And I am scared of darkness.” Is this a sensible thing to do?. This is the height of stupidity of the modern day man. We must understand that just like fish out of water can never be happy, similarly we cannot be satisfied without striving for spiritual happiness, because we are the spirit soul.
Spiritual Happiness or transcendental happiness is of two types 1 Brahmananda, which is merging in the existence of God and losing one’s own identity 2 Premanamda, which is loving service of God. We can understand by our experiences that real happiness lies in loving and serving. But loving whom? The answer is Supreme lord. Factually happiness lies in obeying the laws of the lord. This happiness is concerned with the integral nature of the soul, happiness of the soul.
Thus we must act according to superior advice for higher happiness. People find pleasure in hiding things; make ups, fashion – all temporary solutions. Ones should solve the problem permanently and not hide it. This permanent solution of all our miseries is attaining spiritual happiness. We can understand from examples of great people like Md. Ali, Christofer Reed(Superman), Stephen Hawkins etc that material happiness is not the type of happiness that can satisfy us, Spiritual happiness can.
In the past, various people who had no material discomforts took this path of spiritual realization, because they were not satisfied with temporary happiness, and actually achieved real happiness. Alexander was factually the king of the whole world, but he also sought peace in understanding that material gain is of no use and going for spiritual happiness is intelligence. Asoka, the great Indian king was so much materially opulent, but when he realized the truth during the Kalinga war, he also started moving on the spiritual path. Then there is the example of Gandhiji, the man who got India its independence. He also relied on the teachings of Bhagwad Gita to get the strength to fight.
Rupa Goswami, one of our great Acharyas, was the finance minister of a Muslim emperor in the 16th century. Once while going in his cart in a rainy night, he overheard a conversation in a nearby house. A man in there said, “Who is this moving out at such a time making so much sound.” His wife replied,” It must be some dog or a theif or a servant of the king. Who else can move out of house in such weather.” When Rupa Goswami heard that the servant of the king is compared to a dog and a thief, he took it to be the statement of Yogamaya and understood that he is wasting his life serving the king. Supreme Lord Krsna is the only one who should be served. He immediately distributed his wealth and left for Vrindavan to attain Krsna and later on wrote so many scriptures on Bhakti.
We all keep serving someone every time, but we must understand that service of Krsna will give us ultimate bliss.
Once, a person was riding his bicycle in the middle of a road. There was a truck coming behind him. So a person walking on the road shouted,” take either side of the road. Don’t go in the middle otherwise the truck will hit you.” That point touched the heart of the rider and he understood that he must go for spiritual happiness. Otherwise death will come and hit him and all his plans of becoming happy will be shattered. Its high time now that we should also understand this point. The scriptures, great people and circumstances are giving us so many indications for this. Therefore a sincere seeker of happiness should go for Spiritual Happiness and make his life and other people’s life successful.
Understanding: Which type of happiness can actually satisfy us..??..Is it Material Happiness OR Spiritual Happiness.
