Question: I have struggled through material life and achieved material success but I am still not happy. I also chant Hare Krishna mantra 4 rounds and sometimes 16 rounds. What is transcendental happiness? Is it possible to live happily without material worries?
Answer by Romapada Swami:
The nature of our real self, the soul, is “sac-cid-ananda vigraha”, or eternal, full of knowledge and happiness. The soul is always searching for pleasure, ananda. In its pure state, the soul is ever blissful, the source of this happiness being the soul’s exchange of loving relationship with Krishna.
In contrast, material happiness is based upon bringing the senses in contact with sense objects, and in the false conception of `I’ and `mine’. Forgetful of Krishna, one hopes to find happiness by attaining the desired objects of the senses. Unfortunately this is actually the very source of suffering. (Ref. Bg 5.21-22) The more one tries to enjoy matter, the more one finds it frustrating, because matter/ material designation does not have the potency to satisfy the soul, much as a fish out of water cannot find pleasure in any object of the land. Even when there does seem to be some pleasure, it is but flickering and temporary, and often brings with it more attendant suffering than enjoyment.
Transcendental happiness is eternal, and ever increasing. It is intrinsic to the soul and not touched by any material circumstance around us. It is very much possible for every one of us to attain this transcendental happiness even while in this material world, and to live without material worries — by reviving our original spiritual consciousness. To do so takes spiritual cultivation – by striving for self-realization and reviving our dormant relationship with Krishna. Practices such as chanting (as you are now doing), hearing and reading scriptures, and other forms of devotional service help bring about this transformation of consciousness.
Fear and anxiety arise when we see ourselves separate from Krishna. The key to practically transcending our material worries is to dovetail or dedicate all those seemingly worldly activities, and to see all our belongings and our selves in relation to Krishna. One of our previous acharyas, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur, wrote: “All my possessions—body, home, servants, brothers, friends, wife, sons, and personal belongings … all of these things are now Yours, for I have become Your servant. You are the owner of the house, and I am Your most obedient servant. My only activity now is endeavoring for Your happiness. Within my mind I have always been anxious for the maintenance of my wife and children, my own body and relatives. Now, through self-surrender, I have been relieved of all anxiety.” (Cf. Saranagati)
In this spirit, one may continue to diligently fulfill all of one’s responsibility, but doing so on behalf of the Lord, not anxious for personal gain or loss.
NOTE: A wonderful purport in BG 2.41 directly addresses your question, as well. “When one is awake in Krsna consciousness, he need no longer endeavor for good results in his activities. When one is situated in Krsna consciousness, all activities are on the absolute plane, for they are no longer subject to dualities like good and bad. The highest perfection of Krsna consciousness is renunciation of the material conception of life. This state is automatically achieved by progressive Krsna consciousness.
