“Every one of us is a spiritual being…and every one of us is an individual person. Our senses are now covered by material elements, and because of ignorance we consider the material senses that cover us to be our real senses. The real senses, however, are within the material covering.”
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This is from the Srimad-Bhagavatam 8.19.24
[This chapter of the Srimad-Bhagavatam is entitled, ” Lord Vamanadeva Begs Charity from Bali Maharaja.” This chapter describes how Lord Vamanadeva (Krishna, disguised as a dwarf) asked for three paces of land in charity, how Bali Maharaja agreed to His proposal, and how Bali Maharaja’s guru forbade him to fulfill Lord Vamanadeva’s request.]
TRANSLATION
One should be satisfied with whatever he achieves by his previous destiny, for discontent can never bring happiness. A person who is not self-controlled will not be happy even with possessing the three worlds.
PURPORT:
Real happiness is described in Bhagavad-gita (6.21):
sukham atyantikam yat tad
buddhi-grahyam atindriyam
vetti yatra na caivayam
sthitas calati tattvatah
“In the spiritually joyous state, one is situated in boundless transcendental happiness and enjoys himself through transcendental senses. Established thus, one never departs from the truth.”
One has to perceive happiness by the supersenses. The supersenses are not the senses of the material elements. Every one of us is a spiritual being (aham brahmasmi), and every one of us is an individual person. Our senses are now covered by material elements, and because of ignorance we consider the material senses that cover us to be our real senses. The real senses, however, are within the material covering.
Dehino ’smin yatha dehe: within the covering of the material elements are the spiritual senses. Sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam tat-paratvena nirmalam: when the spiritual senses are uncovered, by these senses we can be happy. Satisfaction of the spiritual senses is thus described: hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam bhaktir ucyate. When the senses are engaged in devotional service to Hrsikesa [Krishna, the master of everyone’s senses], then the senses are completely satisfied.
Without this superior knowledge of sense gratification, one may try to satisfy his material senses, but happiness will never be possible. One may increase his ambition for sense gratification and even achieve what he desires for the gratification of his senses, but because this is on the material platform, he will never achieve satisfaction and contentment.
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