Everyone is trying to get very rich, to get monetary power, so that they can satisfy their senses. Just like I hear from my students that this island, Hawaii, is meant for tourists. Tourists means they are all rich class of men. They come here to spend money for sense gratification. That is the way of civilization, the modern civilization: "Earn money at any cost. At the risk of all advancement of life, enjoy."
So this is not new thing, but at the present moment, in this age, this mentality has increased very improportionately. So when I came to the compound, to the yard of this house, I was very happy to hear the chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, because in this great city of sense gratification, at least in one corner there is the vibration of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.
Today, of course, we find that our this small endeavor to preach this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is not very successful. But it has got the potency if the workers try for it. My Guru Mahārāja used to say that, "If people do not come to hear this philosophy, don't be discouraged. You sit down in a room and try to preach. The four walls will hear you. Don't be disappointed."
So there is no cause of disappointment. But this is very . . . today is very important day, Lord Caitanya's birthday ceremony. At least in India, specially in Nabadwip, there is very, very great ceremony today. Thousands and millions of people are gathering to observe this important ceremony.
So ceremony . . . apart from ceremonial function, let us try to understand the philosophy of Lord Caitanya. So Lord Caitanya thought it—not thought it; this is a fact—that this sort of life, seeking material happiness . . . material happiness means sense gratification. That's all. Actually, according to Bhagavad-gītā—not according to Bhagavad-gītā, that is a fact according to any authoritative statement—sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tad atīndriyaṁ grāhyam (BG 6.21).
Śrī Kṛṣṇa says that sukham ātyantikam. Ātyantikam means the super, superhappiness, ātyantikam; means that which you cannot excel more. That is the final point. That sort of happiness is not possible to achieve . . .
Happiness . . . first of all, you must understand, happiness means sense gratification, happiness. You can understand it very easily. If I get some nice foodstuff, because I satisfy my taste, palate, I feel happiness, "Oh, very nice food I am eating." Similarly, you take any of your sense organs, when it is satisfied according to the sense object, it is called happiness. So the sum and substance of happiness is to satisfy the senses. But Kṛṣṇa says that sukham ātyantikam: the supermost happiness can be achieved not by these senses, but atīndriya. Atīndriya means transcendental senses.
Just like at the present moment our senses are gross material senses. But there is another sense . . . not another sense; this sense. This is covered sense. Suppose you will try . . . you will be able to understand. Now, I want to touch some soft place to enjoy the sense of this hand, touch sense. But if the hand is covered with gloves, I cannot enjoy that sense so nicely. You can easily understand. The sense is there, but if it is artificially covered, then even the facility is there, I cannot enjoy the sense perfectly. Similarly, we have got our senses, but our senses are now covered by this material body.