View source for Wanting to Enjoy Life Without Kṛṣṇa

Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches that the material world is essentially a prison house constructed for those who want to enjoy life independently of the Supreme Lord. Constitutionally, every spirit soul is a part and parcel of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, meant to participate in His divine pleasure. However, when the living entity becomes infected with the desire to be the supreme enjoyer, they are placed under the control of ''māyā'' (illusion). By understanding the futility of trying to gratify our covered material senses, we can awaken our original consciousness, surrender our false independence, and return to our natural position of enjoying eternally with Kṛṣṇa.

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=== The False ''Puruṣa'' ===

The fundamental disease of the conditioned soul is the desire to imitate God. Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the only actual ''puruṣa'' (enjoyer), while all living entities are His ''prakṛti'' (subordinate energy). Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that trying to enjoy the material world on our own account is as artificial as a woman dressing up in men's clothes to act like a man. This false attempt to play the lord of material nature is the very definition of material life.

* [[Vaniquotes:A living entity is not purusa; he is prakrti. But because he wanted to enjoy this material world, nature has given him a dress like a purusa, and he is falsely trying to enjoy it. This is the position|A living entity is not purusa; he is prakrti. But because he wanted to enjoy this material world, nature has given him a dress like a purusa, and he is falsely trying to enjoy it. This is the position.]]
* [[Vaniquotes:When the living entity wants to enjoy by imitating the Supreme Personality of Godhead, his desire is called maya, and it puts him in the material atmosphere|When the living entity wants to enjoy by imitating the Supreme Personality of Godhead, his desire is called maya, and it puts him in the material atmosphere.]]
* [[Vaniquotes:We are scientist, we are technicians and so on, so on. We create our own thing," that means they don't dovetail with Krsna; therefore they are materialist. When we want to enjoy life without Krsna, that is material|We are scientist, we are technicians and so on, so on. We create our own thing," that means they don't dovetail with Krsna; therefore they are materialist. When we want to enjoy life without Krsna, that is material.]]
* [[Vaniquotes:The living entities come to this material world in the spirit of enjoyment, but because they want to enjoy without Krsna (krsna-bahirmukha haiya bhoja-vancha kare), they suffer birth, death, old age and disease under the control of the illusory energy|The living entities come to this material world in the spirit of enjoyment, but because they want to enjoy without Krsna (krsna-bahirmukha haiya bhoja-vancha kare), they suffer birth, death, old age and disease under the control of the illusory energy.]]

=== The Facilities of ''Māyā'' ===

Because Kṛṣṇa is supremely kind, He does not interfere with the living entity's minute independence. If a soul wants to enjoy life without Him, the Lord creates the material cosmos to provide that exact facility. Through the agency of material nature, the soul is awarded a specific body tailored to its desires. Whether one wants to enjoy blood like a tiger, stool like a pig, or heavenly delights like a demigod, Kṛṣṇa supplies the corresponding biological machine.

* [[Vaniquotes:Because he (the living entity) wanted to enjoy this material world, the Supreme Personality of Godhead gave him a material body through the agency of the material energy|Because he (the living entity) wanted to enjoy this material world, the Supreme Personality of Godhead gave him a material body through the agency of the material energy.]]
* [[Vaniquotes:Nature is so kind that according to the way we want to enjoy this material world, she will give us a suitable body, under the direction of the Lord|Nature is so kind that according to the way we want to enjoy this material world, she will give us a suitable body, under the direction of the Lord.]]
* [[Vaniquotes:The tiger wanted to enjoy the blood of another animal, and therefore, by the grace of the Lord, the material energy supplied him the body of the tiger with facilities for enjoying blood from another animal|The tiger wanted to enjoy the blood of another animal, and therefore, by the grace of the Lord, the material energy supplied him the body of the tiger with facilities for enjoying blood from another animal.]]
* [[Vaniquotes:If you want to enjoy as demigod, all right, take a body - Krsna is so liberal, "Take, and enjoy as you like. But you'll never be happy." That is the crucial point. "If you want to (be) happy, then surrender unto Me." This is the point|If you want to enjoy as demigod, all right, take a body - Krsna is so liberal, "Take, and enjoy as you like. But you'll never be happy." That is the crucial point. "If you want to (be) happy, then surrender unto Me." This is the point.]]

=== The Frustration of Covered Senses ===

Despite obtaining various material bodies, the soul is never satisfied. Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that because we are pure spirit, we cannot genuinely enjoy through blunt, covered material senses. The ''karmīs'' attempt to extract happiness from family, society, and wealth, but their efforts are compared to a camel chewing thorny branches; the camel enjoys the taste of its own blood, foolishly thinking the thorns are delicious. Material enjoyment is merely a hallucination that perpetuates our suffering.

* [[Vaniquotes:We want sense enjoyment, but not these covered senses. We are spiritual. We have got spiritual body. That body is now covered with this material garment; therefore it is covered. The senses are covered. With covered senses, you cannot enjoy|We want sense enjoyment, but not these covered senses. We are spiritual. We have got spiritual body. That body is now covered with this material garment; therefore it is covered. The senses are covered. With covered senses, you cannot enjoy.]]
* [[Vaniquotes:The camel is a kind of animal that takes pleasure in eating thorns. A person who wants to enjoy family life or the worldly life of so-called enjoyment is compared to the camel|The camel is a kind of animal that takes pleasure in eating thorns. A person who wants to enjoy family life or the worldly life of so-called enjoyment is compared to the camel.]]
* [[Vaniquotes:This bodily enjoyment is false. Real enjoyment - of the spirit. Therefore it is said, ramante yoginah anante. They want to enjoy life with Ananta, Krsna. They want to become friend of Krsna. They want to become lover of Krsna|This bodily enjoyment is false. Real enjoyment - of the spirit. Therefore it is said, ramante yoginah anante. They want to enjoy life with Ananta, Krsna. They want to become friend of Krsna. They want to become lover of Krsna.]]
* [[Vaniquotes:Our miserable conditions are caused by our thinking that "I am the proprietor. I am the owner. I am the enjoyer." One becomes to owner, proprietor, because he wants to enjoy. So this is our disease. Actually, we are servant of Krsna|Our miserable conditions are caused by our thinking that "I am the proprietor. I am the owner. I am the enjoyer." One becomes to owner, proprietor, because he wants to enjoy. So this is our disease. Actually, we are servant of Krsna.]]

=== The Pure Vaiṣṇava Mentality ===

The cure for the material disease is to change our consciousness from wanting to enjoy independently to wanting to be enjoyed by the Supreme Lord. A pure Vaiṣṇava recognizes their constitutional position as a servant. Instead of demanding personal satisfaction, the devotee offers everything to Kṛṣṇa. By fully participating in the Lord's pastimes, just as the ''gopīs'' and cowherd boys do in Vṛndāvana, the soul experiences the ultimate, unalloyed bliss that it has been searching for since time immemorial.

* [[Vaniquotes:Our philosophy is different. We do not wish to become enjoyer. We want to be enjoyed. That is our real position. We want to serve Krsna. We want to offer everything to Krsna|Our philosophy is different. We do not wish to become enjoyer. We want to be enjoyed. That is our real position. We want to serve Krsna. We want to offer everything to Krsna.]]
* [[Vaniquotes:A living entity who wants to enjoy on his personal account and not cooperate with the Supreme Lord is engaged in materialistic life. As soon as he dovetails his enjoyment with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he is engaged in spiritual life|A living entity who wants to enjoy on his personal account and not cooperate with the Supreme Lord is engaged in materialistic life. As soon as he dovetails his enjoyment with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he is engaged in spiritual life.]]
* [[Vaniquotes:You have seen the picture, how with Krsna the gopis are nicely dancing, enjoying; the cowherd boys are playing. Enjoy with Krsna, that is your real enjoyment. But without Krsna, when you want to enjoy, that is maya|You have seen the picture, how with Krsna the gopis are nicely dancing, enjoying; the cowherd boys are playing. Enjoy with Krsna, that is your real enjoyment. But without Krsna, when you want to enjoy, that is maya.]]
* [[Vaniquotes:When you forget the principle that you cannot enjoy independently, you can enjoy along with Krsna - then you are perfect. But as soon as you want to enjoy independently, then you come to the material world|When you forget the principle that you cannot enjoy independently, you can enjoy along with Krsna - then you are perfect. But as soon as you want to enjoy independently, then you come to the material world.]]

=== Conclusion ===

In summary, Śrīla Prabhupāda clarifies that the immense suffering of the material world stems from a single, misguided desire: wanting to enjoy life without Kṛṣṇa. Believing ourselves to be the independent lords of nature, we are awarded various material bodies and subjected to the strict laws of ''māyā''. However, the attempt to gratify the spirit soul through covered material senses is a perpetual failure. Real liberation is not voidism or impersonalism, but the active, blissful engagement of returning to our original nature. When we finally abandon the illusion of being the enjoyer and surrender to serving Śrī Kṛṣṇa, we enter into the eternal reality of perfect spiritual joy.

=== Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani ===

Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category [[Vaniquotes:Category:Wanting_to_Enjoy|Wanting to Enjoy]]. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.

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