Each one of us faces difficulties and challenges in life. Often people think that becoming rich is going to solve all their problems, but rich people also have problems, it’s just that these problems affect other areas of their lives instead of the financial sphere. Everyone has to carry his cross so to speak.

Human beings are very complex creatures. We have many different types of needs, starting from basic needs such as food and shelter, and progressing to more subtle, but not less important needs, such as relationships. Some, who due to good fortune find themselves in a more favorable position may have an easier time than others, but life has highs and lows and therefore even if someone is in a favorable situation now, it doesn’t mean he may not face difficulties later. There are of course also the ups and downs over different lives. Just because we are in a comfortable situation now doesn’t mean we will be again in a comfortable situation in the next life and vice-versa. No matter what we do, things are never stable in this material world.

One thing I learned in these years is that Krsna Consciousness is not so much about changing our material position (which is largely determined by factors beyond our control), but much more about finding ways to be Krsna Conscious in whatever condition we see ourselves in. This capacity of learning from our experiences, and connecting them with our search for Krsna is what really can have a transforming effect in our lives.

Most of the time we can’t really change the external situation. Even if we try to run away, providence makes us fall again in the same condition, just like one walking in circles. What we can change is our own consciousness and the lessons we learn from it.

It may be hard to believe, but consciousness creates reality, literally. Srimad Bhagavatam explains that the different material elements, senses, and all the objects that form what we call reality are created from the interaction of ether with consciousness. Not only the material universe in itself is created from consciousness, but our consciousness makes us go from one situation to another inside of it. In other words: the reality in which each and every conditioned soul lives is created from his own consciousness.

The subtle elements (the mind, intelligence, and false ego, as well as all desires, ideas, and so on) are created from the ether, and from the further interaction of these subtle elements with the ether, gross elements (earth, water, air, and fire), as well as all physical manifestations are created. Everything that exists starts in the form of an idea, created as part of the primary creation by Maha-Vishnu. As different souls desire to create different objects and go through different experiences, the knowledge about all these creations is revealed to them from inside the heart and they use this knowledge to create the material forms and objects they desire. In other words, the ideas and desires stored in our minds are the basis for the gross forms and experiences that will be experienced in our future lives. From our desires and plans, a particular material situation is created, specially tailored for us.

In the Bhagavad-Gita, Krsna explains that one’s mental situation at death is the basis for his next birth. In other words, by changing our consciousness now, we are automatically changing our reality. It may not be as quick as we would like, but that’s the only process that has guaranteed results. We may try to fix all our material problems by getting more money and so on, but the results will be very uncertain since if nothing changes in our consciousness, we will come back to the same situation later in the future.

Ultimately, Krsna Consciousness is the only real need of the soul. As soon as we become Krsna Conscious, we are always with Krsna and thus there is no scarcity of anything. We try to find happiness, peace, and security in so many different material arrangements, but these things continue to escape our grasp. Only when we finally turn to Krsna can we find the eternal existence of knowledge and bliss we hanker after.