Hyderabad: According to Bhagavad Gita (2.66), one who lacks transcendental consciousness cannot have a controlled mind or steady intelligence, making peace and happiness impossible. Srila Prabhupada explains that mental disturbances arise from a lack of an ultimate goal.
Imagine being at a feast when you receive distressing news —your mind becomes unsettled, and enjoyment fades. True happiness requires inner peace, which is only possible through spiritual realisation.
Types of Happiness
Happiness manifests in different ways based on one’s mode of nature:
1. Tamo Guna (Ignorance): Pleasure in laziness and sleep.
2. Rajo Guna (Passion): Joy in achievements, which is unstable.
3. Sattva Guna (Goodness): Contentment in duty without attachment.
Happiness in Tamo and Rajo Guna is temporary and can flip with circumstances. Sattva Guna offers stability, but even it can be disturbed.
Seeking Permanent Happiness:
Everyone seeks lasting happiness, but worldly joys are fleeting. Bhagavad Gita advises adopting Krishna’s priorities, leading to transcendental consciousness. Srila Prabhupada emphasizes that without a relationship with Krishna, one remains in distress. True peace arises when one recognizes Krishna as the supreme enjoyer, owner, and well-wisher of all beings (BG 5.29).
A Krishna-conscious person perceives life’s events through divine understanding. Even in loss, he trusts Krishna’s plan and remains peaceful.
The Power of Krishna Consciousness:
Krishna consciousness is a self-manifested peaceful state achieved through devotion. Bhagavad Gita explains that even Sattva Guna can be polluted and lead to instability. In contrast, Krishna Consciousness provides unwavering stability, as it is based on eternal truth rather than fluctuating circumstances.
Relationship with Krishna:
When one hears distressing news, a Krishna-conscious person trusts that Krishna, as the supreme protector, ensures the departed soul’s spiritual progress. This divine perspective fosters peace and resilience even during adversity.
A Simple Path to Peace and Joy:
To maintain a deep connection with Krishna, Srila Prabhupada recommends a simple yet profound practice: chanting the holy names of the Lord.
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
By chanting daily, one cultivates a divine consciousness, ensuring that Krishna is always present in their heart. This connection brings unshakable peace and happiness, unaffected by worldly turmoil.
Thus, the ultimate path to stable and eternal happiness lies in establishing a deep, unwavering relationship with Krishna.
(Author is M.Tech (IIT Madras), President, Hare Krishna Movement, Hyderabad Phone: 91009 17360)