Hare Krishna!
Since this is a long article, here is a summary. Conditioned souls are under the illusion that what they are doing will give them happiness. All material activities are different ways of enjoying independently of Krishna. But true happiness lies only in serving Krishna. Therefore the Krishna Conscious movement of Srila Prabhupada, out of immense compassion, condemns all material activities, and dispels all illusions, so that people can get a chance to be truly happy by serving Krishna.
I had been struggling with my mind for the last few days. My not so old past came haunting back at me and captured my mind in its vice-like grip. I knew all the philosophy but still I struggled. I have fortunately come out of that struggle and I am so glad that it did not take me too long. Only a couple of days. In those pre-Krishna Conscious days I used to take shelter of my mentally concocted philosophy in such situations. But since that philosophy was not founded on the principles of the Bhagavad Gita, it did not really cure the root cause of all mental maladies -- the misidentification of the self with the material body.
This time also I took shelter of philosophy, the Krishna Conscious philosophy. And not surprisingly, it got me out of my struggle and pacified my mind. So what was my problem? Well, some might find it childish, but sports lovers will be able to identify with it quite easily. I was a huge sports fan. Even today, I appreciate the qualities of a good sportman, the unflinching focus on the goal, the one-pointed determination to achieve it, the courage to face defeat, the humility while accepting the trophy, and so on. What has changed is that I can philosophically understand the insignificance of sports, despite all the hoopla that tends to shroud it.
However, what still lingers on with me is the urge to achieve something grand. I can now clearly see how watching sports was my way of fulfilling those desires of mine. That’s why such sports and heroic movies are so famous and so are the real life heroes. Because by hearing about them or watching them one vicariously enjoys their glories. But unfortunately, one also suffers their failures! And this was the exact cause of my struggle. I have a special attraction towards a sportstar from my pre-Krishna Conscious days. He always used to win, and therefore I used to love him. I had given my heart away to him. But now he has started losing, and guess what, despite all the philosophy I know, I feel the pain when he loses! Well, not much, but enough to disturb me when I realize how I still misidentify so much with the material body, and that too of someone else! I definitely have a long way to go.
As is my wont, I started thinking deeply about exactly what about the situation was disturbing me. Was it just the fact that my former hero lost a match? Or was it something deeper? As a result of some deep introspection, I could experience the various truths of the Krishna Consciousness philosophy very strongly. Here is that same introspection in words.
As I said, I feel very strongly about accomplishing grand things. Now, how is that bad? Well, it takes you away from the service to Krishna. OK, that’s the correct answer. But then, what should I do in life? If I don’t do what I really like to do, will I not be miserable? That’s the question that was really bugging me. In fact, I identified this exact cause only a couple of days ago when I was thinking deeply about my struggle with my favourite sportsman losing a match. In fact, this question is what deters so many people from Krishna Consciousness initially. I know a few examples personally. It disturbed me too initially, but somehow by the Lord’s mercy, I could overcome it enough at that time to start following Krishna Consciousness. People attached to a particular material activity find it very difficult to accept that their favourite activity is actually harmful to them, and even more difficult to accept that they better give up that activity if it cannot be dovetailed in the Lord’s service in a significant way. Watching and playing sports is definitely one such activity. There are many more such activities, but lets focus on this activity as an example.
So, back to the question. If life is not lived in the pursuit of something grand, then what kind of a life is that? Or at least cant I just appreciate the grand things in this world? Why deny myself even that? Surely, appreciating the good in others is not bad. And so on…
One vicariously enjoys the grand accomplishments of others. If my favourite sportsman wins, I am on top of the world. But unfortunately, I feel depressed if that sportman loses. Why? Because I identify with him! Its one illusion to identify with one’s own material body, but an even greater one to identify with someone else’s material body!
In the midst of all these thoughts came another thought, why do I at all want to accomplish great things? Hmmm… sounds quite a stupid question at the first glance. Why not? But then I started thinking deeper. Why do I want to accomplish great things? Just like that. But that’s not a sound philosophical answer. Why do I want to accomplish great things? Why don’t all have similar aspirations? Why does someone else want some thing else? Why the difference? And why does someone else want what he does? Why? Then it struck me! Because by accomplishing what one wants, one will become happy! Yes, that’s the commonality between all kinds of desires. To be happy. Yes, anandamayo abhyasat. The spirit soul is full of bliss and is always looking for it. Nothing wrong in that! Things started falling into place.
All activities done by a living entity are with the sole purpose of getting happiness out of the activity. Now, selfless (considering the colloquial definition) people of this world might say that they are working for the happiness of others, but still, they are acting for someone’s happiness. They also accept that everyone should be happy and in that way they get their satisfaction or happiness. Since they are acting for others’ happiness, they acknowledge that happiness is ultimately what everyone is seeking. They can’t deny this.
So, does one want to be happy or does one want to be great? Obviously, ultimately one wants to be happy. No sane man will say that I want to be great but not happy. How to get that happiness? Different people try using different means. But the purpose is to get happiness. But over a period of time they get so much engrossed in the process that they forget to analyze whether their activities are actually giving them happiness or not. They get so much attached to the means that they forget the goal. For example, in the beginning I might think that to be happy I need to become a great sportsperson. But in trying to become a great sportsperson, I lose my happiness. I am shrouded by anxieties, envy, restlessness, mental strain, and so many other things. Till I become the world’s number 1, I work hard for it, and after I reach there, I work hard to remain number 1. But surely one day I will have to face the truth, as my body will gradually decline and I will no longer be able to remain number 1. It will hurt like anything. And this is the story even for the world number one, what to speak of others. Of course, the others will say that the journey itself is the reward, but still that does not reduce the miseries too much. But I will undergo all this suffering for what? Well, to try hard to be world number 1. Isnt that a nice thing? But did you start out with that aim? No. Your aim was to be happy. But instead of that you were always anxious to become or remain world number 1. This logic cannot be understood by one who has become too much attached to the world number one spot. For him, that becomes his only goal even though at a certain point it becomes very painful. But still he is so attached to the world number one spot now, that anyone who will suggest anything else will be considered a fool by him. Even if it hurts, he will not give up his quest for the world number 1 spot.
How long can one enjoy in this world? And for those brief moments of joy, how much miseries one needs to undergo? Is it worth all the trouble? One attached to those brief moments will say “Yes!”. But the question is, do you want to be happy or do you want to be world number one? What is more important to you? In fact you earlier wanted to be happy, not world number one. But over a period of time your goals changed and you did not even know. You got caught up in the illusion that world number one is the only way to be happy and never thought twice about it. But actually, you don’t want to be world number one. You just want to be happy.
Therefore, when we see that someone is attached to something, we can understand that its only because that person thinks that that something will make him/her happy. But Krishna Conscious philosophy states that the only way you can be happy in the true sense (eternally) is by serving and loving Krishna (God). The materially attached person cannot accept this because he does not want to leave his own personal material attachments. He thinks that he will become unhappy if he does that. He cannot understand, because of the material attachment, that what he really wants is to be happy, and that his material attachments are not really giving him happiness.
The strongest material attachment is in the form of the false ego. Stronger than the mental and the intellectual attachments. When the material attachment becomes egoistic, enjoyment is derived from the satisfaction of the false ego. That I am great, I am powerful, I am the master, I am the best, I am the world number 1, and so on. The living entity rejoices so much in these illusory thoughts that its almost impossible to take him out of that illusion. He becomes completely attached to his egoistic thoughts. His happiness is derived from these thoughts. At that stage, any suggestions of surrendering to God sound ridiculous to him. And such men can develop atheistic tendencies and sometimes even can start thinking that they are God. This is the Mayavada philosophy, that I am God.
But soon enough their grand illusions are dispelled when they face various kinds of distresses in their life. But the attachment to the enjoyment of the false ego is so strong that even then such a conditioned soul does not accept that he is not happy in what he is doing. Even though he is looking for happiness, he will still be so attached to his egoistic ways, that he will continue carrying on those ways thinking that that is real happiness, even if it is hurting him. Just like (I read this in one of the lectures by HH Radhanath Swami Maharaj) in a mental asylum, a mad man bangs his head against a wall until blood starts pouring out and he still keeps banging. He actually thinks its very pleasurable. That’s why he is in the asylum. He is crazy and does not understand that this so-called pleasure is actually very harmful to him.
All conditioned souls are under the illusion that whatever they are doing will give them happiness. That’s why they are doing those activities. Who will work for unhappiness? Everyone works for happiness. The conditioned life started when the living entity residing in the spiritual world started thinking that there are ways of getting happiness other than serving Krishna. Even though they were still looking for happiness, they wanted it independent of the Lord. Thus using their minute independence, they chose to look for happiness somewhere else. And they are still trying to find it. Each and every material activity is just another way of finding happiness independent of Krishna. Some activities are obviously like that and some are more difficult to discern. But one way or other, all material activities, each and every one of them, is just another attempt at trying to enjoy separately from Krishna. But, the truth is that there is no true happiness independent of Krishna.
And thus, out of immense compassion, the Krishna Conscious movement of Srila Prabhupada condemns all material activities as useless and dangerous. It urges all who care to hear to gradually spiritualize their lives so that ultimately all of them can experience true happiness. Yes, it is difficult to let go of material attachments which are seemingly harmless, but then that’s the price to pay for eternal happiness. Surely, its not too much if you understand this.
People ask, why do you condemn the materialists when then don’t condemn you? The answer is that we are not coming down to the level of materialists and fighting against them. We are actually representing the all-merciful Krishna and trying to make as many people as possible truly happy. If we don’t condemn the materialistic activities, how will the materialists come out of the illusion that their activities will give them true happiness? If no one speaks the truth, how will anyone know about it? Therefore, out of their causeless mercy, the Lord’s pure representatives forcefully present the truth to all and urge all to come and experience true happiness.
Only a misinformed person can find fault in the activities of pure devotees of the Lord. Let us not be one of them, and let us continue steadily on the path chalked out for us by the great devotees of the Lord. Really grand things can only be spiritual in nature. Of the material, there is no longevity, and of the spiritual, there is no limit. Let me pray to Srila Prabhupada that my urge for the grand be effectively doevetailed into the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead – Lord Gauranga.
Yours in the service of Krishna,
Abhijit.
