Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
and be Happy
The Search For Happiness
Everyone wants to be happy. The quest for happiness is natural. Some seek happiness in family life, in natural healthy living, in successful carriers, active social lives, fine gourmet foods, gambling, sports and exercise. Others experience happiness in politics, arts, music, academia, or in hobbies like drama philanthrophy, welfare work etc. Still others find happiness in liquors, mood elevators, tranquilizers or other drugs. One indeed derives pleasure from the above mentionned activities. But non can claim to have received full satisfaction from these. The reason being that the pleasure derived from these material sources is temporary. Even what many people consider to be man's most basic and fundamental pleasure - eating and sex - can occupy only a few momemts of each day. Our bodies constantly thwart our plans for enjoyment. After all one can only eat so much before becoming ill. Even sex has its limits. But the quest for pleasure and happiness is nonetheless a natural thing. This is because our original nature is that we are all spiritual entities. We are not our bodies but spiritual souls within. Our original nature, as described in the Vedic litteratures, is sat-cit-ananda i.e we are eternal spirit souls full of knowledge and bliss. Due to our ignorance of these spiritual facts we wrongly identify ourselves with our bodies. Man has become so much engrossed in material sense enjoyment that he has forgotten his real identity. Since our bodies are but temporary coverings all pleasures and happiness derived in relation with these bodies will also be temporary.
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In this age of Kali Yuga (present age of quarrel and hypocrisy), the best way to purify our consciousness and come to the realisation of our real spiritual and blissful identity is by chanting the Holy names of God. Thus Mohammed counseled, "Glorify the name of your Lord, the most high"[Koran: 87.2]. Saint Paul said, "Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved" [Romans: 10.13]. Lord Buddha declared,"All who sincerely call upon My name will come to me after death, and I will take them to Paradise"[Vows of Amida Buddha]. King David preached, "From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised" [Psalms:113.3]. And the world's oldest scriptures, the Vedas of India, emphatically state,"Chant the holy name, chant the holy name of the Lord. In this age of quarrel and hypocrisy there is no other way, there is no other way, no other way to attain spiritual enlightenement." [Brhadnaradiya Purana]. The Kali Santarana Upanishad specifically enjoins us to chant the Maha Mantra:
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Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
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