Suppose a person is trapped in a cold cage. They will naturally look for a way to escape. But if inside the cage they are given a thick blanket and they start trying simply to become comfortable there, then that hope of coziness will keep them deprived of freedom.

Similarly, we all are souls caught in the cage of the illusion that temporary material things will give us lasting happiness. As eternal spiritual beings, we naturally want perennial pleasure, which we can relish in eternal spiritual love for the all-attractive supreme, Krishna.

Unfortunately however, most of us hardly ever enquire about life’s spiritual side; we don’t look for a door out of the cage. Why not? Because we believe that material happiness is the only real happiness. Such, the Bhagavad-gita explains, are the beliefs of the demonic (16.08) who thereby destroy their spiritual prospects (16.09).

When we rationalize our material obsession by labelling the non-material as delusional, then that rationalization becomes our confining comfort blanket that imprisons us not just docilely but even defiantly. Despite our self-righteous rationalizations, worldly indulgences offer little pleasure and much trouble. (18.38).

If we wish to experience or at least explore higher happiness, we need to put aside the comfort blanket of rationalization. By calm contemplation, we recognize that the equalization of material happiness with happiness is a belief foisted on us by our materialistic culture – it is not an evidence-based conclusion. This contemplation makes us skeptical enough to evaluate our default materialism in the light of experience. When we thus thoughtfully resolve to become spiritual explorers, the Gita’s guidelines empower us to connect with Krishna and relish sublime spiritual joy.

Gradually, we break free from the cage of illusion to march to the supreme freedom of eternal ecstatic love for Krishna.


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