Question: 

Even when we know that worldly pleasures are temporary, why do

we still crave for them?

Answer: There are two ways of looking at this. One is that this world is a
place of illusion and like a trap. Gita 8.15 says, this world is dukhalayam,
place of distress. Does that mean that there is no happiness in this world?
Prahalada Maharaj answers this in SB 7.9.25 using the word madhu lavaih,
i.e. the amount of happiness is similar to drops of honey. The illusion is not
about the presence of pleasure, the illusion is about the quantity of pleasure.
We think there is a lot of pleasure in this material world. Most of the times,
we gravely dream about sense pleasure but afterwards it is just an anti-climax
and in conclusion, we all feel, “I dreamed so much about it but got so little”.

Interestingly, there is enough pleasure in this world to keep us attached to all

the troubles that come with them. If there is only trouble, we would just give
it up and if there is only pleasure, we won’t think about anything else.
However, there is enough pleasure in this world to make us believe that all
the troubles are worthwhile. The worth of such pleasures is open to question
but because we are pursuing those pleasures, we think them to be great.
Therefore, our way is not just saying no to the pleasures of the world. In
bhakti, we focus not so much on renunciation as on devotion. Krishna says in
Bhagavad-gita 10.41,

yad yad vibhutimat sattvam shrimad urjitam eva va

tat tad evavagaccha tvam mama tejo-’msha-sambhavam

“Know that all opulent, beautiful and glorious creations spring from but a
spark of My splendour.”

That means Krishna is saying that everything attractive in this world is not
false. If we compare an ocean to a few drops of water, then Krishna is like
the ocean and the pleasures of this world are like the drops of water. If
Krishna is like the sun, then the pleasures of this world are like the sparks.
If we consider the ocean at a distance and drops of water near us, then some
drops will lead us towards, and some will take us away from the ocean. We
do not deny the presence of the drops, we focus on where those drops are
taking us. For example, a brahmana is someone who is intellectually inclined.
Therefore, varnashrama recommends a brahmana be intellectual in a way that
is spiritually harmonious. A kshatriya is someone who likes to lead and
control. Gita 18.43 describes ishvara bhava or the attitude of God for the
kshatriya. This is not same as if one is the Supreme Lord i.e. parameshwar
bhava but it is like the attitude of controllership i.e. ishvara bhava.

Varnashrama’s principle is that things which are materially pleasurable for

us, they take us to the source of supreme spiritual pleasure. Not that we reject
all material pleasure, rather we harmonize the material pleasures with our
spiritual purpose. The drops are there, and they are real. We do not focus so
much on denying the pleasure, rather we understand that this pleasure is a
pointer to the ultimate pleasure. That is why bhakti is not about giving up but
taking up.

We cannot drive out worldly pleasures from our heart, but we can crowd
them out. We focus on what we can do for Krishna and what we are not able
to give up, we don’t obsess over them. At the same time, we should “deal
with the surges of the urges”. In the process of bhakti, what we are saved
from is not as important as what we are saved for. We are saved, delivered,
protected for a purpose and that purpose is to serve Krishna more and more.
We can find out ways that are needed to serve. If we obsess too much on
giving up, then we will be stuck between “I will not do it” and “I want to do
it” and eventually we will end up regretting “why I did it”.

Material indulgences are not worth thinking about too much either in terms of
how I will give them up or how I will get them. Instead we should focus on
the spiritual connection.