Heaven and Hell in the World

The survival and stable state of mind of plants and animals entirely depend on the world. A human being, however, is inherently designed to be independent of the world. Self-sufficiency in a human and his dependence on the world are inversely related. If the world provides more than the level of your dependence, then you are said to be in a state of heaven, whereas a shortage from the world leads to a hellish state of mind. Therefore, happiness is a subjective rather than an objective phenomenon. By helping us reduce our demands, Vedanta enhances our self-sufficiency and improves the quality of our lives.