Why Do We not Earn Real Happiness from these ? .........

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Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamy Answers Spiritual Questions.

Radhe Krishna To All, Why do we not earn real `happiness from these? I wish to make you understand this -- mental happiness is only the highest of all `Bliss' [and not physical `Bliss']. You may be sitting on a silken bed or live in a big palace. Your room may be air-conditioned. You may possess all physical comforts. But, now, let us say that someone has abused you and you come to hear of it. The mind immediately fumes. Does it not? You are sitting on a silken bed, in an air-conditioned room but your mind is fuming. The physical atmosphere is not giving you peace of mind. Your mind is fuming. Is this not the situation [experienced]? Thoughts gush up in you, `How dare he speak about me in this manner?' Thus, you lose your temper. So you rage with anger. You become furious. Your mind fumes. Have you not lost your peace of mind due to this? When someone abuses you it does affect you. Does it not? It does! You do not remain unaffected. If your mind is affected then your whole state is affected. Your state changes. If `Happiness/Joy' is received from external objects this state should not change on hearing such news, for, you are occupying a silken bed in an air-conditioned room. You have all comforts around you. But, it is the mind that has been affected. Likewise, are there not people who, in spite of possessing all comforts drink alcohol and lie in an unconscious state? Why? So many pleasures await them outside. But ignoring all these they drink something that intoxicate them and lie forgetful of them. From this - taking intoxicating drinks and lying unconscious - we know that `happiness' got from within is greater than that obtained from external objects. But the `ananda' got from intoxicating drinks is `tamasa happiness'; it is akin to that got from sleep or it can be said to be a much lower state than that. But, `Brahmananda' cannot be described at all. It contains such great Bliss . And this `Bliss' is permanent. We go to the shop. We buy something. Even as we buy we ask the shopkeeper, `will it last long?' Does not man desire only things that would last long? Similarly, if `happiness' is earned it should be permanent. There is no use of that `happiness' that comes and goes. Only spiritual Bliss is eternal. Worshipping God is only for attaining that state. That is the truth. If we pray to God for worldly things [that are of low status] we will certainly obtain these. But, for eternal Bliss we should have deep one-pointed devotion and know the right way. God is like a good judge. He does not see any differences as a devotee or a non-devotee. Just as a good judge would offer punishment to his own child if he has committed wrong, so too does God, since He has ordained that such and such phala is enjoyed/suffered for such and such `punya' and `papa', respectively, bestow the `phala' of `papa' and `punya' on everyone. This is the reason that God's devotees also suffer. And those who are not devotees also enjoy happiness. The appropriate answer for this is that these are all due to `papa' and `punya' that one has done in his/her past lives. Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare