One social survey found out that the highly economically developed and well -provided for Japanese youth are utterly miserable with only eight percent claiming to be happy and a whopping seventy-six percent admitting to no religious compass at all in their life.
Could there be any connection?
Lord Krsna explains in the Bhagavad-gita that before embarking on the journey to become happy one sh ould check whether one is connected to the Supreme. This connection is also known as 'yoga' – and although the destination is one, one is called a Harha-yogi, Karma yogi, jnana yogi, or Bhakti yogi depending upon one's progress on the path. The immediate benefits of this connection are twofold – one gets transcendental intelligence and a steady mind. Mundane intelligence takes care of our gross demands of food, clothing, and shelter. It also helps us in four functions of eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. However, animals and birds are also equally (if not better, in some cases) endowed with ample mundane intelligence.
Then what is transcendental intelligence?
Sanatana Gosvami had asked the following questions to Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu upon meeting Him for the first time –
Who am I?
Why am I suffering?
What is the goal of my life?
These questions summarize transcendental intelligence. Many a times we know that we are miserable but do not ponder over it enough. For example, why do we need fans or air-conditioning? It's because we are conditioned. We cannot bear too much heat (or too much cold). Just like in summer we are suffering scorching heat. At that time we are hankering after some cool place. And during winter we are suffering from chilly cold. Material intelligence merely tries for a mechanical solution to relieve us of the misery for some time. But even we know that this cannot be a permanent solution.
Lord Krsna further advises that one can achieve peace only when that person is firmly situated in transcendental intelligence and has a steady mind. And happiness is simply not possible without being peaceful.
Lord Krsna is described as the reservoir of all pleasure. In order that we include ourselves in the compass of happiness we have to begin by placing the pointed stem on a central point. Then many concentric circles can be drawn. Similarly if we put Krsna in the centre, then all people can harmoniously develop their circle of love without conflict or frustration.
(Syamananda Dasa)