Category:So-called Happiness
Theme Analysis
The search for pleasure is the fundamental driving force of all living entities, yet Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that when this search is directed toward the material world, it results only in so-called happiness. This temporary satisfaction is a mental concoction arising from the soul's impure existential condition and its false identification with the material body. Because the body and mind are part of a world of duality, the happiness experienced here is compared to the superficial and fleeting pleasures found in a dream. Real happiness, or brahma-saukhya, is spiritual and unobstructed, whereas material pleasure is often just the temporary cessation of distress. By understanding that our quota of joy and sorrow is fixed by karma, an intelligent person stops wasting energy on these shifting illusions and instead takes shelter of Kṛṣṇa to experience the ocean of eternal bliss.
- The Nature of Material Duality: In the material world, happiness and distress are two sides of the same coin, acting as mental concoctions that appear and disappear like the changing seasons.
- The Dreamlike Illusion: Śrīla Prabhupāda compares worldly pleasure to the happiness found in a dream; it seems factual while one is asleep in ignorance but has no substance upon awakening to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
- Animalistic versus Human Pleasure: Sense pleasures derived from the body are not unique to humans; they are enjoyed even by dogs and hogs, whereas the human form is specifically meant for spiritual inquiry.
- The Role of Karma: Just as distress comes uninvited based on past deeds, so-called happiness also appears according to one's destiny, making any independent endeavor for material adjustment a waste of valuable time.
- Spiritual Bliss as the Goal: True bliss is found only in devotional service to Lord Vasudeva, which provides a transcendental taste that renders the insignificant pleasures of society, friendship, and love flat and tasteless.
- Instruction for the Intelligent: Rather than being captivated by the false platform of family life or economic improvement, one should utilize their energy to revive their eternal relationship with God.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: Understanding the Dreamlike Nature of So-called Happiness.
Subcategories
This category has the following 4 subcategories, out of 4 total.
Pages in category "So-called Happiness"
The following 71 pages are in this category, out of 71 total.
1
A
- A nondevotee regards the temporary so-called happiness as everything and forgets the path of self-realization
- After all, we are searching after happiness, pleasure. So on account of our impure existential condition, our so-called happiness is temporary
- Although qualitatively one with the Lord, the living being, due to contamination of the material world, is pervertedly manifested, he experiences so-called happiness and distress in the material world
- As long as the living entity is entangled in the fruitive activities of so-called happiness and distress, he will receive a particular type of body in which to endure the three kinds of suffering due to material nature - tri-tapa-yantrana
- As you do not try for getting distress, it comes upon you according to your karma, similarly the so-called happiness also will come upon you without any endeavor
B
- Because the same mind and body exist in the same material world of duality when we are awake, the so-called happiness and distress of this world are no better than the false, superficial happiness of dreams
- Being situated in that ocean, I now realize all other so-called happiness to be like the water contained in the hoofprint of a calf
E
- Even in our distressed condition we must know that we are being protected by Krsna. We should not be disturbed. Because we create so-called distress and happiness
- Everyone is trying to get out of material distress and gain some happiness. In any case, when something is material, there is only so-called happiness and so-called distress
- Everyone is trying to get out of the material distress & get some happiness, but anything material - happiness, so-called happiness, or so-called distress. just like here, the firework is going on. It is happiness for somebody, but it is distress for us
- Everyone who is not in Krsna consciousness must be considered to be in illusion. One's so-called feelings of happiness and satisfaction resulting from material things are also illusions
F
- First of all, you have to die. You may manufacture some so-called ananda, but you'll die. Now, suppose we are dancing here, and if we understand that immediately death will take place, then we shall not be able to enjoy the dancing
- Foolish men forget that temporary so-called happiness derived from sense pleasures is also enjoyed by the dogs and hogs. No animal, bird or beast is bereft of this sense pleasure
- Foolish men seek after material sense pleasure as a substitute for real happiness, but such foolish men forget that temporary so-called happiness derived from sense pleasures is also enjoyed by the dogs and hogs
H
- Happiness is very difficult to obtain, but because they (living entities) are unable to control their senses, they run after the so-called happiness of the material world and never come to the right conclusion
- Human beings who are unaware of the miseries of material existence and are happy in sex life and hard labor are the lowest of fools. Yet because they have no sense of miseries, they supposedly enjoy so-called happiness
- Human life is so important, and we are simply wasting this valuable life with this temporary adjustment of so-called happiness or distress - big, big plans. Simply bluffing
I
- If distress come automatically, then happiness also will come automatically. Why should you try for this so-called distress and happiness? You try for Krsna. This is life
- In the material world, in any form of life, there is some so-called happiness and so-called distress. No one invites distress in order to suffer, but still it comes
- In the material world, so-called happiness is the result of one's own work. One can become a rich man by dint of one's own hard labor, and there are always fear and doubts as to the duration of such acquired happiness
- Instead of wasting your energy in that way for so-called happiness, you just try to understand what is Krsna consciousness, what is Bhagavata-dharma. Just engage your energy. It is very nice instruction
- It is better to use one's time for advancement in the spiritual life of Krsna consciousness. One should not waste his valuable life as a human being. It is better to utilize this life for developing KC, without ambitions for so-called happiness
- It is understood herewith that the kings born in the dynasty of Mithila were all liberated persons, unaffected by the so-called happiness and distress of this world
K
- Krsna consciousness, devotional service to Krsna, is the ocean of eternal bliss. In comparison to this eternal bliss, the so-called happiness of society, friendship and love is simply useless and insignificant
- Krsna is the father of all living entities, and He is very unhappy to see His sons suffer. Krsna therefore comes and canvasses - Why are you captivated by this false, so-called happiness? Give up all of this and surrender to Me
M
- Material conditions, either in so-called happiness or in so-called distress, are all meant ultimately for distress only
- Material energy sometimes gives him a chance at so-called happiness, but the conditioned soul is perpetually being punished by material nature
- My dear Lord of the Vaikuntha planets, where there is no anxiety, my mind is extremely sinful and lusty, being sometimes so-called happy and sometimes so-called distressed
O
- O demons, give up the so-called happiness of family life and simply take shelter of the lotus feet of Lord Nrsimhadeva, which are the actual shelter of fearlessness
- On the whole there is no happiness in this material world, but an illusioned person works very hard for so-called happiness. Indeed, this process of working hard is actually taken for happiness. This is called illusion
- One should not imagine so-called happiness through mental concoction. Rather, the best course is to engage the mind in the service of the Lord, Hrsikesa, and thus feel real blissful life
- One who is not fixed in proper intelligence discovers many modes of life. Thus involved in material activities, he is exposed to the different modes of material nature and subjected to varieties of so-called happiness and distress
S
- Sastra says that don't bother about this so-called distress and happiness. They are already fixed up. If you have got some energy, please utilize it how to develop in Krsna consciousness. Don't spoil your energy for so-called distress and happiness
- So long we are in the material world, the so-called happiness and distress will come and go, but our, the human life, the endeavor should be how to find out or revive our relationship with God. That is our main business
- So-called happy family life means that we have a very loving wife and loving children. Thus we enjoy life. But we do not know that this enjoyment is false, that it is resting on a false platform
- So-called heavenly happiness
- So-called mental happiness
- Sometimes he imagines a great palatial city in which he desires to live happily with his family members and riches. He thinks himself fully satisfied if this is possible, but such so-called happiness continues only for a moment
- Sometimes we are so-called happy by getting the desirable things, and mostly we are unhappy, associating with undesirable things. So in order to save ourself from these opposing elements, the best thing is suggested
T
- The artificial way of living depending on factories and tools can render so-called happiness only to a limited number at the cost of millions
- The conclusion is that we should not endeavor for so-called happiness or distress, but should try to attain that position whereby we can understand Krsna and get shelter at His lotus feet. This should be the real human endeavor
- The distinctions between happiness and distress in the material world of duality are simply mental concoctions, for the so-called happiness and distress are actually one and the same. They are like the happiness and distress in dreams
- The self-realized soul is never disturbed by so-called distress or happiness, and this is especially true of an exalted devotee like Vasudeva, who showed this by his practical example
- The so-called happiness derived from the senses, that is not happiness. That is crude; that is for the fools and rascals. That is not happiness
- The so-called temporary happiness of the world is also misery, but in ignorance we cannot understand this. That is the actual position
- The transmigration into the bodies of dogs and hogs is especially miserable. But despite such miserable conditions, due to the spell of maya we forget everything and become enamored by the present so-called happiness
- The Vedanta-sutra was compiled for persons already above the mundane topics, who might already have tasted the bitterness of the so-called happiness of mundane affairs
- There are difficulties arising from so-called happiness, distress, attachment, hate, fear, false prestige, illusion, madness, lamentation, bewilderment, greed, envy, enmity, insult, hunger, thirst, tribulation, disease, birth, old age and death
- There are so many scientists, philosophers and big leaders, but they do not know wherefrom they have come, nor do they know why they are busy within this material world to obtain a position of so-called happiness
- They (scientists, philosophers, economists and mathematicians) waste time and energy in the search for so-called happiness. These are the qualifications of the demons. In BG 9.11 it says that when one has all these demonic qualities, he becomes a mudha
- Those who are very fond of family life should come forward in the service of the spiritual master and abandon so-called happiness afforded by society, friendship and love
- To distribute knowledge is the best welfare activities, not this material so-called happiness, daridra-narayana-seva and this seva, that seva. That will not make them happy. If you give them knowledge, then they will be really benefited
W
- We are destined to suffer a certain extent of so-called happiness and certain extent of so-called distress. - The distress is also so-called, and the happiness is also so-called
- We have to forget all these so-called sources of happiness. This is misleading. Maya
- We have to purify the consciousness. Then we shall be without any touch of this so-called distress and happiness
- We should not be disturbed by the so-called distress and happiness. They are coming and going. Krsna has advised in the Bhagavad-gita, agamapayino 'nityas tams titiksasva bharata
- Whatever is produced by the materialist with great pain and labor for so-called happiness, the Supreme Personality, as the time factor, destroys, and for this reason the conditioned soul laments
- When he (conditioned soul) understands by good association that it (sense gratification) is only a repetition of the same thing, and he is awakened to his real KC, he is sometimes relieved from such repetitive so-called happiness. BG 1972 purports
- While one enjoys sense gratification, it may be that there is some feeling of happiness, but actually that so-called feeling of happiness is the ultimate enemy of the sense enjoyer. BG 1972 purports
- Why shall I waste my time trying to avoid distress and gain so-called happiness? Let me utilize my energy for Krsna consciousness. - That is intelligence. You cannot check your destiny. The magazine's question touches on this point
Y
- Your intelligence was given to understand what is God, what is your relationship with God, why you are rotting in this material world under shadow illusion of so-called happiness. These things are to be known in human form of body
- Yudhisthira Maharaja is advised by Narada not to be disturbed by the affairs of so-called happiness and distress, but to look only unto the Lord to execute the mission for which the Lord has descended. That was his prime duty