material happiness?

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The Taittitiya Upanishad contains an astonishing account of the reality and

insignificance of wordly happiness:

 

saisanandasya mimamsa bhavati. yuva syat

sadhuyuva dhyayakah ashishto dradhishto balishtho

tasyeyam prithivi sarva vittasya purna syat

sa eka manusha anandah

 

Suppose a young, strong and handsome man were given the whole world full of

wealth; he would naturally be considered to be the happiest man in the

world. Suppose his experience of happiness is considered as one measure or

unit of human joy.

 

But listen to what the Upanishad says:

 

 

te ye satam manusha anandah

sah eko gandharvanamanandah

 

This one measure of human joy, multiplied hundred times is equal to one

measure of pleasure to the gandharvas.

 

 

 

te ye satam gandharvanamanandah

sah ekah pitrinam ciraloka lokanam anandah

 

The happiness of the gandharvas, increased hundreds of times, is equal to

one unit of joy of Pitrloka.

 

 

 

te ye satam pitrinam ciraloka lokanam anandah

sah ekah ajanajanam devanam anandah

 

One measure of joy of the pitrs, multiplied hundred time is equal to one

measure of joy of the gods born in the Ajanaja heaven.

 

 

 

te ye satam ajanajanam devanam anandah

sah ekah devanam devanam anandah

 

This joy of the gods of Ajanaja heaven, multiplied hundreds of times, is

equal to the joy of the devas.

 

 

 

te ye satam devanam devanam anandah

sah ekah indrasyanandah

te ye satam indrasyanandah

sah ekah brhaspater anandah

 

Again one measure of joy of the devas, increased hundreds of times, is equal

to the joy of Indra. The joy of Indra, increased hundreds of times, is equal

to one measure of joy of Brihaspati.

 

te ye satam brhaspater anandah

sah ekah prajapater anandah

te ye satam prajapater anandah

sah eko brahmana anandah

 

One unit of joy of Brihaspati, multiplied hundreds of times, is equal to one

unit of joy of Prajapati. If the joy of Prajapati were multiplied hundreds

of times, it is equal to the happiness of Brahma.

 

 

But Sri Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita:

 

a-brahma-bhuvanal lokah

punar avartino 'rjuna

mam upetya tu kaunteya

punar janma na vidyate

 

>From the highest planet in the material world down to the lowest, all are

places of misery wherein repeated birth and death take place. But one who

attains to My abode, O son of Kunti, never takes birth again.

 

 

When happiness is not attainable even from the opulences of the abode of

Brahma, is it not both surprising and foolish to expect happiness by

desiring to become millionaires and billionaires on this earth?

 

 

THe Bhagavatam says (9.19.13):

 

yat prthivyam vrihi-yavam

hiranyam pasavah striyah

na duhyanti manah-pritim

pumsah kama-hatasya te

 

Even if a man is given all the possible material possessions anyone could

ever desire, his desire for more will be the same as it was from the very

beginning.

 

 

SB 11.14.11

 

ady-anta-vanta evaisam

lokah karma-vinirmitah

duhkhodarkas tamo-nisthah

ksudra mandah sucarpitah

 

All the persons I have just mentioned obtain temporary fruits from their

material work. Indeed, the meager and miserable situations they achieve

bring future unhappiness and are based on ignorance. Even while enjoying the

fruits of their work, such persons are filled with lamentation.