The scriptures state that human life is full of miseries. A devotee sees these miseries and understands that material entanglemment is futile and hence surrenders to Krishna. Whereas there many other materialists / non devotees who dont get bogged down by pressures in life and contine to enjoy life and take occassional sorrows / problems in the stride. Why is it that only a devotee sees this life as miserable.
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Hare Krishna..
A devotee understands the cycle of birth and death and also his destination, that is to reach the Supreme God and never return back. With this understanding it is obvious that he is at a higher level than normal people who always feel that the pleasures in life are the ultimate pleasures and nothing is beyond that. A true devotee knows what is the ultimate pleasure. It is the association with GOD. He doesnt even feel sorrow or happy in this material life, eventhough he is connected to the material pleasures. It is said that, human life is not easily obtained and it is given to realize about the self and reach GOD. But if a non-devotee, with his ignorance, doesnt make use of the human form in realizing the self and GOD, and be involved ONLY in material pleasures, he is sure to take re-birth again. It coud be in a human form or in some lower form(like an animal).
The difference is, Krishna protects the devotee from all the miseries in this material world but a non-devotee has to protect himself. And a non-devotee cannot control the miseries which would befall him. A non-devotee thinks that he is intelligent and he is the doer and controller. But how can he control the miseries which he doesnt even know about? Which can befall on him at anytime? He cannot. He would just feel irritated and frustrated with all the burden and he doesnt even have anybody to look at, when such bad things happen. A non-devotee thinks that the knowledge he has gained about all the things in the world is great. But he doesnt recognize that he has not understood his own self. That is where he fails. If somebody says to you he is intelligent and doesnt believe in GOD and believes in himself, then just ask him to answer a simple question, "Why are you born as a human and why not as a dog or cat or tree?"
Regards,
Subash
That is a personal issue. I don't see like purely miserable. I see that there is no escape to suffering, yes. But if one can not see the beauty in a tree or a bird or yes, even the human body. Then that is their own projection. We experience happinezs and sadness. When you are attached to happiness you always zeek it and are diszapointed regularly. When you are sad and see life only sad you maintain your depression. But without attachment you are in the middle free to enjoy what happiness comes and to learn from what sadness comes and to know it is impermenant. Life is very cruel at times, but to not be able to see or appreciate beauty when it is there, for that moment...that is fully miserable. The ideas and theologies and methods put forth are all to achieve the end goal. They are not to instill a belief that life is all gloom and there is no play. Just do not benattached to the gloom or the play.
Hare Krsna Mataji,
PAMHO.
A devotee sees the life as miserable because he is away from God when in this body. A devotee is in fact better equipped to handle pressures in life and is better able to handle sorrows/ problems. This is so because devotee neither hankers for anything nor laments for anything. Brahmabhuta prasannatma na socati na kankshati. Therefore, whatever comes his way, devotee is able to accept without thinking why me?
Suppose a problem comes, materialists will try to solve the problem, but also think 'why me'? Devotee will think - actually I was to get a lot more problems because of my past life karmas, it is the mercy of the lord, that I am facing a miniscule quantity only.
Conversely, if any happiness comes, materalists will think - see, it is the fruit of my hard work and I fully deserve this happiness and more. Devotee will think - actually I should not be getting this happiness at all. It is the mercy of the lord that I am getting this happiness. I do not deserve it actually.
The reaction of the materialist is different from the devotee. Therefore, the materialist will become too happy or too sad depending on the situation, whereas the devotee knows that good and bad are two sides of the same coin, need not get too attached to either situation, whatever it is, this too shall pass.
Regarding handling pressures, devotee has fixed his mind on Krsna, therefore it is calm. Materialist is forever doing some endeavour or the other, therefore the mind is not in control or calm. This even materialists say that a calm mind achieves a lot more than a disturbed or ocuupied mind.
I hope I have been able to answer your question.
Haribol,
Your servant,
Rashmi