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WE ARE ALL SEEKING HAPPINESS! HOW DO WE FIND IT? Bhagavat Maharaja
Srila Bharati Maharaja was seated in his black cushioned chair this morning taking his daily sun bath. He was wrapped up in his orange wool chaddar with his pink knitted wool hat sitting atop his head. Warm socks protected His feet, which were perched upon a pillow, from the chilly morning air. The devotees surrounded him sitting at his lotus feet. Srila Bharati Maharaja began by saying that everyone is seeking happiness. However they do not know how to obtain it. Then he told us a beautiful story about the search for happiness. He said that once there was a queen who was loved by her subjects. She had around her neck an exquisitely ornamented gold necklace decorated with various jewels and pearls. A crow came flying by and swooped down and grabbed the necklace and flew away. The queen became much aggrieved as it was her favorite necklace. The people of the kingdom became very sad seeing the unhappiness in their Queens face. Following the path of the Crow they began to search for the necklace everywhere. Eventually they came to a large pond which had many trees on its bank. They looked at the pond and saw the necklace there in the pond. With great enthusiasm they immediately jumped into the water and began to swim toward the necklace. However when they got there the necklace had disappeared. When they all got out of the water and sat on the bank to rest they looked into the water and saw the necklace. So again all of them dived into the water to retrieve the necklace for the queen. Unfortunately once again they found that there was nothing. And again upon returning to the shore they saw the necklace yet again and again began to swim there to get it. There was a sadhu passing by who was observing the scene. He approached the people and told them "why are all of you being so foolish." The water of this pond is not even clear why do you think that you are seeing the necklace in the pond?" "The necklace is not in the pond" the sadhu said and then pointing upwards toward the tree the sadhu said "it is in this tree and what you are seeing in the pond is only a reflection of the real necklace. The queens subjects were amazed by the simple words of the sadhu. They then began to climb the tree in order to get the necklace and return it to the Queen. Srila Bharati Maharaja then explained that we are looking at the reflection of the spiritual world here in the material world and trying to find happiness in that. But since it is not permanent then we are frustrated. However with just a few words from the sadhu the difference between reality and illusion becomes completely clear. Therefore Srila Bharati Maharaja said "one should hear Srimad Bhagavatam daily from a pranayi bhakta and this will remove all illusions and Krishna will come and reside in your heart then you will have real happiness. SRILA BHARATI MAHARAJA HARI KATHA KI JAYA!!! SADHU SANGHA KI JAYA!