3 Types of Happiness! Why Krishna Consciousness is the best?
The best way to get Real Happiness is Krishna Consciousness because it is the best among the 3 types of happiness.
3 TYPES OF HAPPINESS
Srila Rupa Gosvami has divided happiness into three categories:
(1) happiness derived from material enjoyment,
(2) happiness derived by identifying oneself with the Supreme Brahman and (3) happiness derived from Krsna consciousness.
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EVIDENCES FOR HAPPINESS IN KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS
(1) In the tantra-sastra, Lord Siva speaks to his wife, Sati, in this way:
“My dear wife, a person who has surrendered himself at the lotus feet of Govinda and who has thus developed pure Krsna consciousness can be very easily awarded all the perfections desired by the impersonalists; and beyond this, he can enjoy the happiness achieved by the pure devotees.”
Happiness derived from pure devotional service is the highest, because it is
eternal. The happiness derived from material perfection or understanding oneself to be Brahman is inferior because it is temporary.
There is no preventing one’s falling down from material happiness, and there is even every chance of falling down from the spiritual happiness derived out of identifying oneself with the impersonal Brahman.
It has been seen that great Mayavadi (impersonalist) sannyasis-very highly educated and almost realized souls–may sometimes take to Political activities or to social welfare activities. The reason is that they actually do not derive any ultimate transcendental happiness in the impersonal understanding and therefore must come down to the material platform and take to such mundane affairs.
(My father being a sunyavadi discourages me from Krishna Consciousness. What to do? READ HERE!)
There are many instances, especially in India, where these Mayavadi sannyasis descend to the material platform again.
But a person who is fully in Krsna consciousness will never return to any sort of material platform. However alluring and attracting they may be, he always knows that no material welfare activities can compare to the spiritual activity of Krsna consciousness.
The mystic perfections achieved by actually successful yogis are eight in
number. Of course, one can derive great amounts of temporary happiness by achieving such yogic materialistic perfections.
Foolishly, people who are enamored of the glimmer of modern materialistic
advancement are thinking that the Krsna consciousness movement is for less intelligent men. “I am better off being busy with my material comforts–maintaining a nice apartment, family and sex life.”
These people do not know that at any moment they can be kicked out of their material situation. Due to ignorance, they do not know that real life is eternal. The temporary comforts of the body are not the goal of life, and it is due only to darkest ignorance that people become enamored of the glimmering advancement of material comforts.
(11 Tips for starting and managing Krishna Consciousness for starters! READ HERE!)
(2) Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has therefore said that the advancement of material knowledge renders a person more foolish, because it causes one to forget his real identity by its glimmer. This is doom for him, because this human form of life is meant for getting out of material contamination. By the advancement of material knowledge, people are becoming more and more entangled in material existence. They have no hope of being liberated from this catastrophe.
(3) In the Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya it is stated that Prahlada Maharaja, a great devotee of the Lord, prayed to Nrsimhadeva (the half-lion, half-man incarnation) as follows:
“My dear Lord, I repeatedly pray unto Your lotus feet that I may simply be stronger in devotional service. I simply pray that my Krsna consciousness may be more strong and steady, because happiness derived out of Krsna consciousness and devotional service is so powerful that with it one can have all the other perfections of religiousness, economic development, sense gratification and even the attainment of liberation from material existence.”
(KEEPING GOOD MENTAL HEALTH USING KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS! READ HERE!)
Actually, a pure devotee does not aspire after any of these perfections,
because the happiness derived from devotional service in Krsna consciousness is so transcendental and so unlimited that no other happiness can compare to it.
It is said that even one drop of happiness in Krsna consciousness stands beyond comparison with an ocean of happiness derived from any other activity. Thus, any person who has developed even a little quantity of pure devotional service can very easily kick out all the other kinds of happiness derived from religiousness, economic development, sense gratification and liberation.
(4) There was a great devotee of Lord Caitanya known as Kholaveca Sridhara, who was a very poor man. He was doing a small business selling cups made from the Leaves of plantain trees, and his income was almost nothing. Still, he was spending fifty percent of his small income on the worship of the Ganges, and with the other fifty percent he was somehow living.
Lord Caitanya once revealed Himself to this confidential devotee, Kholaveca Sridhara, and offered him any opulence he liked. But Sridhara informed the Lord that he did not want any material opulence. He was quite happy in his present position and wanted only to gain unflinching faith and devotion unto the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya.
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That is the position of pure devotees. If they can be engaged twenty-four hours each day in devotional service they do not want anything else, not even the happiness of liberation or of becoming one with the Supreme.
(5) In the Narada-pancaratra it is also said that any person who has developed even a small amount of devotional service doesn’t care a fig for any kind of happiness derived from religiousness, economic development, sense gratification or the five kinds of liberation. Any kind of happiness derived from religiousness, economic development, liberation or sense gratification cannot even dare to enter into the heart of a pure devotee. It is stated that as the personal attendants and maidservants of a queen follow the queen with all respect and obeisances, similarly the joys of religiousness, economic development, sense gratification and liberation follow the devotional service of the Lord.
In other words, a pure devotee does not lack any kind of happiness
derived from any source. He does not want anything but service to Krsna, but even if he should have another desire, the Lord fulfills this without the
devotee’s asking.
Hope you are clear about 3 TYPES OF HAPPINESS and why the best way to get Real Happiness is Krishna Consciousness. Though the best way to get Real Happiness is Krishna Consciousness the Pure devotees desire only for the opportunity to serve the Lord.
SIX CHARACTERISTICS OF PURE DEVOTIONAL SERVICE CAN BE READ HERE!
OTHER FIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF PURE DEVOTIONAL SERVICE ARE:
How Devotional Service or Bhakti relieves from karma & material distress? READ HERE!
Why Krishna Consciousness Is All-auspicious & Capable to reform others? READ HERE!
Why Pure Devotional Service is Rare to achieve? READ HERE!
MUKTI or MOKSHA or DEVOTIONAL SERVICE – WHAT IS THE TARGET OF DEVOTEES? READ HERE!
Why Krishna is attracted by Pure Devotional service only? READ HERE!