View source for Aim of human life

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[[Category:Aim of Human Life|1]]
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<div id="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is" class="section" sec_index="0" parent="compilation" text="Bhagavad-gita As It Is"><h2>Bhagavad-gita As It Is</h2>
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<div id="BG_Chapters_13_-_18" class="sub_section" sec_index="3" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is" text="BG Chapters 13 - 18"><h3>BG Chapters 13 - 18</h3>
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<div id="BG1415_0" class="quote" parent="BG_Chapters_13_-_18" book="BG" index="44" link="BG 14.15" link_text="BG 14.15">
<div class="heading">Those who are actually serious about human life should take to the mode of goodness and in good association transcend the modes and become situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is the aim of human life.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:BG 14.15 (1972)|BG 14.15, Translation and Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="trans text"><p style="display: inline;">When one dies in the mode of passion, he takes birth among those engaged in fruitive activities; and when one dies in the mode of ignorance, he takes birth in the animal kingdom.</p>
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<div class="purport text"><p>Some people have the impression that when the soul reaches the platform of human life it never goes down again. This is incorrect. According to this verse, if one develops the mode of ignorance, after his death he is degraded to an animal form of life. From there one has to again elevate himself, by an evolutionary process, to come again to the human form of life. Therefore, those who are actually serious about human life should take to the mode of goodness and in good association transcend the modes and become situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is the aim of human life. Otherwise, there is no guarantee that the human being will again attain to the human status.</p>
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<div id="Srimad-Bhagavatam" class="section" sec_index="1" parent="compilation" text="Srimad-Bhagavatam"><h2>Srimad-Bhagavatam</h2>
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<div id="SB_Canto_1" class="sub_section" sec_index="1" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam" text="SB Canto 1"><h3>SB Canto 1</h3>
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<div id="SB1840_0" class="quote" parent="SB_Canto_1" book="SB" index="305" link="SB 1.8.40" link_text="SB 1.8.40">
<div class="heading">The gigantic industrial enterprises are products of a godless civilization, and they cause the destruction of the noble aims of human life.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:SB 1.8.40|SB 1.8.40, Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="purport text"><p style="display: inline;">Human prosperity flourishes by natural gifts and not by gigantic industrial enterprises. The gigantic industrial enterprises are products of a godless civilization, and they cause the destruction of the noble aims of human life. The more we go on increasing such troublesome industries to squeeze out the vital energy of the human being, the more there will be unrest and dissatisfaction of the people in general, although a few only can live lavishly by exploitation. The natural gifts such as grains and vegetables, fruits, rivers, the hills of jewels and minerals, and the seas full of pearls are supplied by the order of the Supreme, and as He desires, material nature produces them in abundance or restricts them at times.</p>
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<div id="SB_Canto_2" class="sub_section" sec_index="2" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam" text="SB Canto 2"><h3>SB Canto 2</h3>
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<div id="SB2936_0" class="quote" parent="SB_Canto_2" book="SB" index="314" link="SB 2.9.36" link_text="SB 2.9.36">
<div class="heading">As long as one is blind to inquiring after self-realization, all material activities, however great they may be, are all different kinds of defeat because the aim of human life is not fulfilled by such unwanted and profitless activities.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:SB 2.9.36|SB 2.9.36, Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="purport text"><p style="display: inline;">As long as one is blind to inquiring after self-realization, all material activities, however great they may be, are all different kinds of defeat because the aim of human life is not fulfilled by such unwanted and profitless activities. The function of the human body is to attain freedom from material bondage, but as long as one is fully absorbed in material activities, his mind will be overwhelmed in the whirlpool of matter, and thus he will continue to be encaged in material bodies life after life.</p>
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<div id="SB_Canto_3" class="sub_section" sec_index="3" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam" text="SB Canto 3"><h3>SB Canto 3</h3>
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<div id="SB3328_0" class="quote" parent="SB_Canto_3" book="SB" index="107" link="SB 3.3.28" link_text="SB 3.3.28">
<div class="heading">The perfection of human life is to be elevated to the spiritual world, where there is no birth, no death, no disease and no old age. That is the highest perfectional aim of human life.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:SB 3.3.28|SB 3.3.28, Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="purport text"><p style="display: inline;">The behavior exhibited by the descendants of Yadu in the pilgrimage site of Prabhāsa was highly cultured and exactly to the point of human perfection. The perfection of human life is attained by following three principles of civilization: protecting the cows, maintaining the brahminical culture and, above all, becoming a pure devotee of the Lord. Without becoming a devotee of the Lord, one cannot perfect one's human life. The perfection of human life is to be elevated to the spiritual world, where there is no birth, no death, no disease and no old age. That is the highest perfectional aim of human life. Without this aim, any amount of material advancement in so-called comforts can only bring the defeat of the human form of life.</p>
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<div id="SB3538_1" class="quote" parent="SB_Canto_3" book="SB" index="181" link="SB 3.5.38" link_text="SB 3.5.38">
<div class="heading">The Lord, however, is not worshiped by others, who have no program for attaining love of God, which is the essential aim of human life.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:SB 3.5.38|SB 3.5.38, Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="purport text"><p style="display: inline;">Anyone who places the Lord and the demigods on the same level is called a pāṣaṇḍī, or atheist. The demigods are worshiped by persons who are more or less adherents of the processes of jñāna, yoga and karma, i.e., the impersonalists, meditators and fruitive workers. The devotees, however, worship only the Supreme Lord Viṣṇu. This worship is not for any material benefit, as desired by all the materialists, even up to the salvationists, mystics and fruitive workers. Devotees worship the Supreme Lord to attain unalloyed devotion to the Lord. The Lord, however, is not worshiped by others, who have no program for attaining love of God, which is the essential aim of human life. Persons averse to a loving relationship with God are more or less condemned by their own actions.</p>
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<div id="SB31311_2" class="quote" parent="SB_Canto_3" book="SB" index="491" link="SB 3.13.11" link_text="SB 3.13.11">
<div class="heading">Viṣṇu worship is the ultimate aim of human life. Those who take the license of married life for sense enjoyment must also take the responsibility to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu, and the first stepping-stone is the varṇāśrama-dharma system.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:SB 3.13.11|SB 3.13.11, Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="purport text"><p style="display: inline;">Viṣṇu worship is the ultimate aim of human life. Those who take the license of married life for sense enjoyment must also take the responsibility to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu, and the first stepping-stone is the varṇāśrama-dharma system. Varṇāśrama-dharma is the systematic institution for advancing in worship of Viṣṇu. However, if one directly engages in the process of devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, it may not be necessary to undergo the disciplinary system of varṇāśrama-dharma. The other sons of Brahmā, the Kumāras, directly engaged in devotional service, and thus they had no need to execute the principles of varṇāśrama-dharma.</p>
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<div id="SB_Canto_4" class="sub_section" sec_index="4" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam" text="SB Canto 4"><h3>SB Canto 4</h3>
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<div id="SB42947_0" class="quote" parent="SB_Canto_4" book="SB" index="1270" link="SB 4.29.47" link_text="SB 4.29.47">
<div class="heading">Actually the aim of human life should be God realization, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The Vedic performances are, of course, very glittering and pleasing to hear about, but they do not serve the real purpose of life.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:SB 4.29.47|SB 4.29.47, Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="purport text"><p style="display: inline;">The temporary comforts of life experienced either on this planet or on other planets are all to be taken as illusory because they do not touch the real purpose of life. The real purpose of life is to go back home, back to Godhead. Ignorant of the real purpose of life, people take to either gross materialistic activities or ritualistic activities. King Barhiṣmān is herein requested not to be attached to such activities. In the Vedas it is stated that the performance of sacrifice is the actual purpose of life. A section of the Indian population known as the Ārya-samājists lay too much stress on the sacrificial portion of the Vedas. This verse indicates, however, that such sacrifices are to be taken as illusory. Actually the aim of human life should be God realization, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The Vedic performances are, of course, very glittering and pleasing to hear about, but they do not serve the real purpose of life.</p>
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<div id="SB_Canto_5" class="sub_section" sec_index="5" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam" text="SB Canto 5"><h3>SB Canto 5</h3>
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<div id="SB5132_0" class="quote" parent="SB_Canto_5" book="SB" index="285" link="SB 5.13.2" link_text="SB 5.13.2">
<div class="heading">Not knowing the aim of human life, one is constantly being misguided. The aim of life is Viṣṇu.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:SB 5.13.2|SB 5.13.2, Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="purport text"><p style="display: inline;">In the forest there are many plunderers, dacoits, jackals and tigers. The jackals are compared to one's wife and children. In the dead of night, jackals cry very loudly, and similarly one's wife and children in this material world also cry like jackals. The children say, "Father, this is wanted; give me this. I am your dear son." Or the wife says, "I am your dear wife. Please give me this. This is now needed." In this way one is plundered by the thieves in the forest. Not knowing the aim of human life, one is constantly being misguided. The aim of life is Viṣṇu (na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum ([[Vanisource:SB 7.5.31|SB 7.5.31]])). Everyone works very hard to earn money, but no one knows that his real self-interest is in serving the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Instead of spending money for advancing the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, one spends his hard-earned money on clubs, brothels, liquor, slaughterhouses and so forth.</p>
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<div id="SB5182_1" class="quote" parent="SB_Canto_5" book="SB" index="427" link="SB 5.18.2" link_text="SB 5.18.2">
<div class="heading">These mūḍhas do not know that if they want to purify themselves, they must worship Lord Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa) by performing penances and austerities. This purification is the aim of human life. This life is not meant for blind indulgence in sense gratification.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:SB 5.18.2|SB 5.18.2, Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="purport text"><p style="display: inline;">Foolish materialistic persons do not know how they are being controlled and punished at every step by the laws of nature. They think they are very happy in the conditioned state of material life, not knowing the purpose of repeated birth, death, old age and disease. Therefore in Bhagavad-gītā (7.15) Lord Kṛṣṇa describes such materialistic persons as mūḍhas (rascals): na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ. These mūḍhas do not know that if they want to purify themselves, they must worship Lord Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa) by performing penances and austerities. This purification is the aim of human life. This life is not meant for blind indulgence in sense gratification. In the human form, the living being must engage himself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness to purify his existence: tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena sattvaṁ śuddhyet ([[Vanisource:SB 5.5.1|SB 5.5.1]]). This is the instruction of King Ṛṣabhadeva to His sons.</p>
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<div id="SB_Canto_6" class="sub_section" sec_index="6" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam" text="SB Canto 6"><h3>SB Canto 6</h3>
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<div id="SB6714_0" class="quote" parent="SB_Canto_6" book="SB" index="273" link="SB 6.7.14" link_text="SB 6.7.14">
<div class="heading">One should not take shelter of any other instructions, for Bhagavad-gītā gives direct instructions on how to fulfill the aim of human life.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:SB 6.7.14|SB 6.7.14, Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="purport text"><p style="display: inline;">One who boards a boat made of stone is doomed. To be elevated to the stage of perfection, humanity must first give up false leaders who present boats of stone. All of human society is in such a dangerous position that to be rescued it must abide by the standard instructions of the Vedas. The cream of these instructions appears in the form of Bhagavad-gītā. One should not take shelter of any other instructions, for Bhagavad-gītā gives direct instructions on how to fulfill the aim of human life. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa therefore says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: ([[Vanisource:BG 18.66 (1972)|BG 18.66]]) "Give up all other processes of religion and simply surrender to Me." Even if one does not accept Lord Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, His instructions are so exalted and beneficial for humanity that if one follows His instructions one will be saved.</p>
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<div id="Sri_Caitanya-caritamrta" class="section" sec_index="2" parent="compilation" text="Sri Caitanya-caritamrta"><h2>Sri Caitanya-caritamrta</h2>
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<div id="CC_Adi-lila" class="sub_section" sec_index="1" parent="Sri_Caitanya-caritamrta" text="CC Adi-lila"><h3>CC Adi-lila</h3>
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<div id="CCAdi520_0" class="quote" parent="CC_Adi-lila" book="CC" index="624" link="CC Adi 5.20" link_text="CC Adi 5.20">
<div class="heading">Death, birth, old age and illness are symptoms of the diseased condition of the living being. The highest aim of human life should therefore be to get free from these miseries and go back home, back to Godhead.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:CC Adi 5.20|CC Adi 5.20, Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="purport text"><p style="display: inline;">Foolish persons engrossed in their material assets are unnecessarily proud of being leaders of the people, but they ignore the spiritual value of man. Such illusioned leaders make plans covering any number of years, but they can hardly make humanity happy in a state conditioned by the threefold miseries inflicted by material nature. One cannot control the laws of nature by any amount of struggling. One must at last be subject to death, nature's ultimate law. Death, birth, old age and illness are symptoms of the diseased condition of the living being. The highest aim of human life should therefore be to get free from these miseries and go back home, back to Godhead.</p>
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<div id="CCAdi942_1" class="quote" parent="CC_Adi-lila" book="CC" index="1241" link="CC Adi 9.42" link_text="CC Adi 9.42">
<div class="heading">Modern educators do not know the aim of human life; they are simply concerned with how to develop the economic condition of their countries or of human society.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:CC Adi 9.42|CC Adi 9.42, Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="purport text"><p style="display: inline;">Unfortunately, human beings, although they have the bodies of men, are becoming less than animals in their behavior. This is the fault of modern education. Modern educators do not know the aim of human life; they are simply concerned with how to develop the economic condition of their countries or of human society. This is also necessary; the Vedic civilization considers all aspects of human life, including dharma (religion), artha (economic development), kāma (sense gratification) and mokṣa (liberation). But humanity's first concern should be religion. To be religious, one must abide by the orders of God, but unfortunately people in this age have rejected religion, and they are busy in economic development. Therefore they will adopt any means to get money. For economic development one does not need to get money by hook or by crook; one needs only sufficient money to maintain his body and soul.</p>
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<div id="CC_Madhya-lila" class="sub_section" sec_index="2" parent="Sri_Caitanya-caritamrta" text="CC Madhya-lila"><h3>CC Madhya-lila</h3>
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<div id="CCMadhya889_0" class="quote" parent="CC_Madhya-lila" book="CC" index="1495" link="CC Madhya 8.89" link_text="CC Madhya 8.89">
<div class="heading">The aim of human life is to attain the natural position of eternal life.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:CC Madhya 8.89|CC Madhya 8.89, Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="purport text"><p style="display: inline;">The fulfillment of human life is summarized in this verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.82.44). There are two important words in this verse: bhakti (devotional service) and amṛtatva (eternal life). The aim of human life is to attain the natural position of eternal life. This eternal life can be achieved only by devotional service.</p>
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<div id="CCMadhya19159_1" class="quote" parent="CC_Madhya-lila" book="CC" index="4398" link="CC Madhya 19.159" link_text="CC Madhya 19.159">
<div class="heading">The so-called leaders of human society do not know the real aim of human life and are therefore busy with economic development. This is misleading.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:CC Madhya 19.159|CC Madhya 19.159, Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="purport text"><p style="display: inline;">The human form is meant for the understanding of Kṛṣṇa consciousness (athāto brahma jijñāsā), for inquiring about the Supreme Brahman. In the human form, everyone has a chance to understand the Supreme Brahman. The so-called leaders of human society do not know the real aim of human life and are therefore busy with economic development. This is misleading. Every state and every society is busy trying to improve the quality of eating, sleeping, mating and defending. This human form of life is meant for more than these four animal principles. Eating, sleeping, mating and defending are problems found in the animal kingdom, and the animals have solved these problems without difficulty. Why should human society be so busy trying to solve these problems? The difficulty is that people are not educated to understand this simple philosophy. They think that advancement of civilization means increasing sense gratification.</p>
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<div id="Other_Books_by_Srila_Prabhupada" class="section" sec_index="3" parent="compilation" text="Other Books by Srila Prabhupada"><h2>Other Books by Srila Prabhupada</h2>
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<div id="Sri_Isopanisad" class="sub_section" sec_index="8" parent="Other_Books_by_Srila_Prabhupada" text="Sri Isopanisad"><h3>Sri Isopanisad</h3>
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<div id="ISO1_0" class="quote" parent="Sri_Isopanisad" book="OB" index="3" link="ISO 1" link_text="Sri Isopanisad 1">
<div class="heading">Human beings are not meant to quarrel like cats and dogs. They must be intelligent enough to realize the importance and aim of human life.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:ISO 1|Sri Isopanisad 1, Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="purport text"><p style="display: inline;">Human beings are not meant to quarrel like cats and dogs. They must be intelligent enough to realize the importance and aim of human life. The Vedic literature is meant for humanity and not for cats and dogs. Cats and dogs can kill other animals for food without incurring sin, but if a man kills an animal for the satisfaction of his uncontrolled taste buds, he is responsible for breaking the laws of nature. Consequently he must be punished.</p>
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<div id="ISO11_1" class="quote" parent="Sri_Isopanisad" book="OB" index="13" link="ISO 11" link_text="Sri Isopanisad 11">
<div class="heading">The aim of human life should not be to enjoy perverted sense enjoyment but to cure the material disease.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:ISO 11|Sri Isopanisad 11, Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="purport text"><p style="display: inline;">Real sense enjoyment is possible only when the disease of materialism is removed. In our pure spiritual form, free from all material contamination, real enjoyment of the senses is possible. A patient must regain his health before he can truly enjoy sense pleasure again. Thus the aim of human life should not be to enjoy perverted sense enjoyment but to cure the material disease. Aggravation of the material disease is no sign of knowledge, but a sign of avidyā, ignorance. For good health, a person should not increase his fever from 105 degrees to 107 degrees but should reduce his temperature to the normal 98.6. That should be the aim of human life. The modern trend of material civilization is to increase the temperature of the feverish material condition, which has reached the point of 107 degrees in the form of atomic energy. Meanwhile, the foolish politicians are crying that at any moment the world may go to hell.</p>
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<div id="ISO11_2" class="quote" parent="Sri_Isopanisad" book="OB" index="13" link="ISO 11" link_text="Sri Isopanisad 11">
<div class="heading">A man should lead a healthy life with a sound mind just to realize vidyā, true knowledge, which is the aim of human life.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:ISO 11|Sri Isopanisad 11, Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="purport text"><p style="display: inline;">Misguided men think that religion should be maintained because it contributes to economic development, which is required for sense gratification. Thus in order to guarantee further sense gratification after death, in heaven, there is some system of religious observance. But this is not the purpose of religion. The path of religion is actually meant for self-realization, and economic development is required just to maintain the body in a sound, healthy condition. A man should lead a healthy life with a sound mind just to realize vidyā, true knowledge, which is the aim of human life. This life is not meant for working like an ass or for culturing avidyā for sense gratification.</p>
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<div id="Lectures" class="section" sec_index="4" parent="compilation" text="Lectures"><h2>Lectures</h2>
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<div id="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" class="sub_section" sec_index="0" parent="Lectures" text="Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures"><h3>Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures</h3>
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<div id="IntroductiontoGitopanisadEarliestRecordingofSrilaPrabhupadaintheBhaktivedantaArchives_0" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="2" link="Introduction to Gitopanisad (Earliest Recording of Srila Prabhupada in the Bhaktivedanta Archives)" link_text="Introduction to Gitopanisad (Earliest Recording of Srila Prabhupada in the Bhaktivedanta Archives)">
<div class="heading">A human being should realize the aim of human life. This direction is given in all the Vedic literature, and the essence is given in the Bhagavad-gītā.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Introduction to Gitopanisad (Earliest Recording of Srila Prabhupada in the Bhaktivedanta Archives)|Introduction to Gitopanisad (Earliest Recording of Srila Prabhupada in the Bhaktivedanta Archives)]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Therefore in this world the human being is not meant for quarreling like the cats and dogs. They must be intelligent enough to realize the importance of the human life and refuse to act like ordinary animal. He should... A human being should realize the aim of human life. This direction is given in all the Vedic literature, and the essence is given in the Bhagavad-gītā. Vedic literature are meant for the human being and not for the cats and dogs. The cats and dogs can kill their eatable animals, and for that there is no question of sin on their part. But if a man kills an animal for the satisfaction of his uncontrolled taste, he must be responsible for breaking the laws of nature.</p>
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<div id="LectureonBG143LondonJuly301973_1" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="26" link="Lecture on BG 1.43 -- London, July 30, 1973" link_text="Lecture on BG 1.43 -- London, July 30, 1973">
<div class="heading">Viṣṇur ārādhaṇam means, that should be the aim of human life. Viṣṇur āradhana means one must become a Vaiṣṇava, and Vaiṣṇava means regulated life, not destroyed everything, finished, to become hogs. That is not Vaiṣṇava. Vaiṣṇava means regulated, end—to, how to satisfy Viṣṇu.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 1.43 -- London, July 30, 1973|Lecture on BG 1.43 -- London, July 30, 1973]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">So viṣṇur ārādhaṇam means viṣṇur ār..., that should be the aim of human life. Viṣṇur āradhana means one must become a Vaiṣṇava, and Vaiṣṇava means regulated life, not destroyed everything, finished, to become hogs. That is not Vaiṣṇava. Vaiṣṇava means regulated, end—to, how to satisfy Viṣṇu. So whole Vedic scheme is there, how to satisfy Viṣṇu. Therefore it is said that utsanna kula-dharmānāṁ manuṣyāṇāṁ ([[Vanisource:BG 1.43 (1972)|BG 1.43]]). In the human life, if they do not follow the regulative principles of family life, family tradition and systematic arrangement of four divisions of the society, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra... In this way we can satisfy the Supreme Lord. Our aim is to satisfy the Supreme Lord, and this can be done perfectly if we follow the regulative principles of jāti-dharma, kula-dharma. Jāti-dharma means if you are born in the family of a brāhmaṇa you have got particular duties.</p>
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<div id="LectureonBG22LondonAugust31973_2" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="34" link="Lecture on BG 2.2 -- London, August 3, 1973" link_text="Lecture on BG 2.2 -- London, August 3, 1973">
<div class="heading">Because the aim of human life should be to make progress. That is called ārya, progressive march.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 2.2 -- London, August 3, 1973|Lecture on BG 2.2 -- London, August 3, 1973]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">You should not go to the forest to find out some living entities, living beings, to kill. That is not your business. That is hiṁsa. But if a tiger comes to attack you, you must kill. That is self-defense. And that is not hiṁsa. So a devotee knows, a Kṛṣṇa conscious person knows when to kill and when not to kill. But it is not that because we accept not killing, therefore in every case, killing should be stopped. No. If there is necessity, killing should be accepted. Therefore Arjuna decided not to kill, not to fight. And Kṛṣṇa says that "This is anārya-juṣṭam. this kind of decision is made by the uncivilized rascal." Anārya-juṣṭam asvargyam akīrti-karam ([[Vanisource:BG 2.2 (1972)|BG 2.2]]). So many things, He says. Asvargyam. Because the aim of human life should be to make progress. That is called ārya, progressive march.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonBG23LondonAugust41973_3" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="36" link="Lecture on BG 2.3 -- London, August 4, 1973" link_text="Lecture on BG 2.3 -- London, August 4, 1973">
<div class="heading">Vedic civilization is very strict. Because the whole aim was how to go back to home, back to Godhead, not sense gratification, eat, drink, be merry, enjoy. That is not the aim of human life. So everything was planned with that aim.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 2.3 -- London, August 4, 1973|Lecture on BG 2.3 -- London, August 4, 1973]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Yogi means yoga indriya-samyama, controlling the senses. That is yogic practice. Our senses are very strong. Just like we also, Vaiṣṇavas, we first of all try to control the tongue. So yogis also, they try to control the senses, not only tongue, but all other, ten kinds of senses, by that yogis mystic process. So why they are trying to control? Because the senses are just like serpents. A serpent... Just like they touch anywhere, immediately something up to death. Injury there must be up to death. This is exemplified: just our sex impulse. As soon as there is illicit sex, there is so many difficulties. Of course, nowadays it has all become very easy. Formerly it was very difficult, especially in India. Therefore a young girl was always protected, because if she mixes with the boys, somehow or other, as soon as there is sex, she becomes pregnant. And it will be no more possible to get her married. No. Touched by the serpent. This is... Vedic civilization is very strict. Because the whole aim was how to go back to home, back to Godhead, not sense gratification, eat, drink, be merry, enjoy. That is not the aim of human life. So everything was planned with that aim.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonBG215LondonAugust211973_4" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="72" link="Lecture on BG 2.15 -- London, August 21, 1973" link_text="Lecture on BG 2.15 -- London, August 21, 1973">
<div class="heading">As we say, illicit sex. Similarly illicit father, illicit mother. Who is illicit father, illicit mother? Who cannot make his children immortal. That is the aim of human life. How to become immortal.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 2.15 -- London, August 21, 1973|Lecture on BG 2.15 -- London, August 21, 1973]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">You beget children. But you must make your children immortal. That is the injunction. You have become guru. That's all right, Guruji Mahārāja. That's all right. But make your disciples immortal. Otherwise, don't, don't cheat others. Cheaters. Illicit father, illicit mother. As we say, illicit sex. Similarly illicit father, illicit mother. Who is illicit father, illicit mother? Who cannot make his children immortal. That is the aim of human life. How to become immortal. How... Not to become, we are immortal. Just like a person, he's diseased, attacked by fever. Fever is not his natural condition, but somehow or other, he has got fever. Similarly, we are immortal. That will be explained. Na jāyate na mriyate vā. The living entity never takes birth, never dies. Therefore immortal. Immortal means no birth, no death. That is immortal. Whenever there is birth, there is death. If there is no birth, there is no death. That is immortality.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonBG24647NewYorkMarch281966_5" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="105" link="Lecture on BG 2.46-47 -- New York, March 28, 1966" link_text="Lecture on BG 2.46-47 -- New York, March 28, 1966">
<div class="heading">Therefore the whole aim of human life is to get away from this material body and to be situated in the spiritual life. Now, in order to achieve that end of life, we have to begin a professional spiritual life, professional spiritual life.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 2.46-47 -- New York, March 28, 1966|Lecture on BG 2.46-47 -- New York, March 28, 1966]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">So to be in the consciousness plane, if you do not give engagement to the consciousness, then naturally consciousness will act through this body. We have to act in such a way that... At the present moment I am within this body. So we have to make utilization of a bad bargain. I don't require this body. Somehow or other, I am now entrapped or encaged in this material body. And all my sufferings are due to this body. Therefore the whole aim of human life is to get away from this material body and to be situated in the spiritual life. Now, in order to achieve that end of life, we have to begin a professional spiritual life, professional spiritual life. That professional spiritual life is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonBG32125NewYorkMay301966_6" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="125" link="Lecture on BG 3.21-25 -- New York, May 30, 1966" link_text="Lecture on BG 3.21-25 -- New York, May 30, 1966">
<div class="heading">This human life is the point when one has to end all the miseries of material existence. That is the aim of human life. If people are not educated to that light, if people are misled in other ways, that is the greatest violence committed to the population.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 3.21-25 -- New York, May 30, 1966|Lecture on BG 3.21-25 -- New York, May 30, 1966]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">The human being is distinct from animal life in this way, that animal, they do not know what is the aim of life. The human life is meant for realizing, self-realization. If any civilization, that is checking people's progress in the matter of self-realization, that is the most virulent type of violence because people are being checked from the natural advancement of life. This human life is the point when one has to end all the miseries of material existence. That is the aim of human life. If people are not educated to that light, if people are misled in other ways, that is the greatest violence committed to the population. And according to the scripture, they are called ātma-han. Ātma-han means the greatest violence committed to the population. And according to the scripture, they are called ātma-han. Ātma-han means suicidal, suiciding.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonBG82022NewYorkNovember181966_7" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="293" link="Lecture on BG 8.20-22 -- New York, November 18, 1966" link_text="Lecture on BG 8.20-22 -- New York, November 18, 1966">
<div class="heading">"One who reaches there, for him, all kinds of penances, austerities—no more required. And one who does not reach that place, all these austerities, penances—useless, simply waste of time." So this should be the aim of human life.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 8.20-22 -- New York, November 18, 1966|Lecture on BG 8.20-22 -- New York, November 18, 1966]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">So ārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim. Nārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim: (Nārada-pañcarātra) "One who reaches there, for him, all kinds of penances, austerities—no more required. And one who does not reach that place, all these austerities, penances—useless, simply waste of time." So this should be the aim of human life. Human civilization, human society, should be so formed that they should have the opportunity. The human form of life is the opportunity to get this boon. So it is the duty of the state, duty of the parents, duty of the guardians, duty of the husband, duty of the father—everyone's duty is how to elevate a living creature who has got this fortunate human form of life to understand this paramāṁ gatim, highest perfection of life. That should be the mode of thing.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonBG1845DurbanOctober111975_8" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="404" link="Lecture on BG 18.45 -- Durban, October 11, 1975" link_text="Lecture on BG 18.45 -- Durban, October 11, 1975">
<div class="heading">"We do not know when we shall die. Before the next death we must complete this Kṛṣṇa consciousness education." That is the aim of human life. Otherwise we are losing the opportunity.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 18.45 -- Durban, October 11, 1975|Lecture on BG 18.45 -- Durban, October 11, 1975]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">This is the version of Prahlāda Mahārāja. He was preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness among his school friends. Because he was born in a demon father's family, Hiraṇyakaśipu, he was stopped even uttering Kṛṣṇa. He could not get any opportunity in the palace, so when he was coming to school, at the tiffin hour he would call his small friends, five years old, and he would preach this Bhāgavata-dharma. And the friends would says, "My dear Prahlāda, we are now children. Oh, what is the use of this Bhāgavata-dharma? Let us play." "No," he said, "no." Kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha, durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma: ([[Vanisource:SB 7.6.1|SB 7.6.1]]) "My dear friends, don't say that you'll keep it aside for cultivating Kṛṣṇa consciousness in old age. No, no." Durlabham. "We do not know when we shall die. Before the next death we must complete this Kṛṣṇa consciousness education." That is the aim of human life. Otherwise we are losing the opportunity. So, everyone wants to live forever, but nature will not allow that. That's a fact. We may think very independent, but we are not independent. We are under the stringent laws of nature. A young man, you cannot say that "I will not become old man." No. You must become. That is the law of nature.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" class="sub_section" sec_index="1" parent="Lectures" text="Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures"><h3>Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures</h3>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB128VrndavanaOctober191972_0" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="50" link="Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- Vrndavana, October 19, 1972" link_text="Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- Vrndavana, October 19, 1972">
<div class="heading">When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was talking with Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya on various subject matters, Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya began from the varṇāśrama-dharma, sādhya-sādhana. "What is the aim of human life? How a human being executes his religious principles?"
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- Vrndavana, October 19, 1972|Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- Vrndavana, October 19, 1972]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">So hearing is very important thing. Notpādayed yadi ratim, viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ. Kathā. Hari-kathā. This is accepted by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. When He was talking with Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya on various subject matters, Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya began from the varṇāśrama-dharma, sādhya-sādhana. "What is the aim of human life? How a human being executes his religious principles?" Sādhya-sādhana. So Rāmānanda Rāya began from the varṇāśrama-dharma. Actually, unless the human society comes to the category of varṇāśrama-dharma, he is not a human being; he is animal. Still, in India, because they are still inclined to the system of varṇa and āśrama, there are so many benefit for the Indians. I have traveled all over the world so many times. Because there is no varṇāśrama-dharma, how loose they are. That has been experimented. I have seen. So actually, unless one comes to the standard of varṇāśrama-dharma, he is not considered to be a human being. Therefore the Vedic civilization begins from the varṇāśrama-dharma. And in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa it is said, varṇāśramācāravatā puruṣeṇa paraḥ pumān, viṣṇur ārādhyate ([[Vanisource:CC Madhya 8.58|CC Madhya 8.58]]). Because the ultimate goal is to approach Lord Viṣṇu, viṣṇur ārādhyate panthā nānyat tat-toṣa-kāraṇam.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB122829VrndavanaNovember81972_1" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="97" link="Lecture on SB 1.2.28-29 -- Vrndavana, November 8, 1972" link_text="Lecture on SB 1.2.28-29 -- Vrndavana, November 8, 1972">
<div class="heading">This question was put to Rāmānanda Rāya by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu: "What is the aim of human life and what is the process of executing that will?"
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 1.2.28-29 -- Vrndavana, November 8, 1972|Lecture on SB 1.2.28-29 -- Vrndavana, November 8, 1972]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">When Rāmānanda Rāya was questioned by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu: "What is sādhya and sādhana, what is human duty, sādhya, and what is the end of sādhana...?" Sādhana, sādhana means cultivating something with a aim of objective. So this question was put to Rāmānanda Rāya by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu: "What is the aim of human life and what is the process of executing that will?" So immediately Rāmānanda Rāya said that varṇāśramācāravatā. The beginning of human life is to execute the varṇāśrama-dharma. Varṇāśramācāravatā puruṣeṇa paraḥ pumān ([[Vanisource:CC Madhya 8.58|CC Madhya 8.58]]). Why varṇāśrama? Now viṣṇur ārādhyate. If you properly execute your varṇāśrama-dharma... Actually, it is now pervertedly spoken as Hindu dharma. Hindu dharma is a vague term. Real dharma is varṇāśrama-dharma. Hindu dharma we don't find, any Vedic literature. Neither in the Bhagavad-gītā.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB122829VrndavanaNovember81972_2" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="97" link="Lecture on SB 1.2.28-29 -- Vrndavana, November 8, 1972" link_text="Lecture on SB 1.2.28-29 -- Vrndavana, November 8, 1972">
<div class="heading">We should take advantage of the study of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the direction; then our life will be successful, our aim of human life, mission, will be fulfilled. That is the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 1.2.28-29 -- Vrndavana, November 8, 1972|Lecture on SB 1.2.28-29 -- Vrndavana, November 8, 1972]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">We must enlighten ourself. We must enhance our propensity to hear about Vāsudeva. Śravaṇam. That is wanted. Simply formalities will help us very slowly. One, one who is interested in hearing about Vāsudeva, his progress is very quick. Otherwise, it will be simply formalities. Vāsudeva-paro dharmo vāsudeva-parā gatiḥ. The ultimate goal: go back to home, back to Godhead. Vāsudeva-parā gatiḥ. So this verse is very nice, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Essence of knowledge. Vāsudeva-parā vedā vāsudeva-parā makhāḥ. We should take advantage of the study of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the direction; then our life will be successful, our aim of human life, mission, will be fulfilled. That is the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB177VrndavanaApril241975_3" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="164" link="Lecture on SB 1.7.7 -- Vrndavana, April 24, 1975" link_text="Lecture on SB 1.7.7 -- Vrndavana, April 24, 1975">
<div class="heading">The aim of human life is to approach Viṣṇu. But the materialistic persons, they do not care for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but they manufacture their own plan with materialistic idea.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 1.7.7 -- Vrndavana, April 24, 1975|Lecture on SB 1.7.7 -- Vrndavana, April 24, 1975]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Because our aim of life is to approach Lord Viṣṇu. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum ([[Vanisource:SB 7.5.31|SB 7.5.31]]). The modern civilization, they do not know it, na te viduḥ, that what is the aim of life. The aim of life is to satisfy Lord Viṣṇu. This the aim of life. Just like ordinarily, the common citizen, a good citizen, his duty is to abide by the laws of the state. That is called good citizen. And if you do not become a good citizen, then you are put into the prison house, good citizen and bad citizen. Similarly, the aim of human life is to approach Viṣṇu. But the materialistic persons, they do not care for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but they manufacture their own plan with materialistic idea. Durāśayā ye bahir-artha... Bahir-artha, the external necessity, that is called bahir-artha. The bahir-artha and anartha is the same thing. Because that is not necessity.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB1833LosAngelesApril251972_4" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="228" link="Lecture on SB 1.8.33 -- Los Angeles, April 25, 1972" link_text="Lecture on SB 1.8.33 -- Los Angeles, April 25, 1972">
<div class="heading">Ātyantika means ultimate. Duḥkha means sufferings. That should be the aim of human life. So they do not know what is ātyantika-duḥkha.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 1.8.33 -- Los Angeles, April 25, 1972|Lecture on SB 1.8.33 -- Los Angeles, April 25, 1972]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Science means that you advance in knowledge so that your miserable condition of life can be reduced, minimized. That is science. Otherwise, what is this science? They are simply promising; "In future." "But what you are delivering just now, sir?" "Now just now you suffer as you are suffering, go on suffering. In future we shall find out some chemicals." No. Actually ātyantika-duḥkha-nivṛtti. Ātyantika, ultimate. Ātyantika means ultimate. Duḥkha means sufferings. That should be the aim of human life. So they do not know what is ātyantika-duḥkha. Duḥkha means suffering. So ātyantika-duḥkha is pointed out in the Bhagavad-gītā. "Here is the ātyantika-duḥkha, sir." What is this? Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi ([[Vanisource:BG 13.8-12 (1972)|BG 13.9]]). Birth, death, old age and disease.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB1842MayapuraOctober221974_5" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="245" link="Lecture on SB 1.8.42 -- Mayapura, October 22, 1974" link_text="Lecture on SB 1.8.42 -- Mayapura, October 22, 1974">
<div class="heading">So our affection for this material world has to be cut into pieces. That is the aim of human life.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 1.8.42 -- Mayapura, October 22, 1974|Lecture on SB 1.8.42 -- Mayapura, October 22, 1974]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">So our affection for this material world has to be cut into pieces. That is the aim of human life. The living being, nobody knows when he dropped into this ocean of material existence. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has sung, anādi karama-phale, paḍi' bhavārṇava-jale. Anādi. Ādi means the beginning of creation, and anādi means before that. This creation, this material world, it is created and annihilated, as is the nature of anything material. We have got experience from our body, or any body. Everything here is created and annihilated.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB1842MayapuraOctober221974_6" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="245" link="Lecture on SB 1.8.42 -- Mayapura, October 22, 1974" link_text="Lecture on SB 1.8.42 -- Mayapura, October 22, 1974">
<div class="heading">"The aim of human life, the goal of human life, is to satisfy the Supreme Lord, Viṣṇu."
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 1.8.42 -- Mayapura, October 22, 1974|Lecture on SB 1.8.42 -- Mayapura, October 22, 1974]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">First of all the Indians are requested to make his life perfect, because how to make life perfect, the process and everything is in India, because here there is varṇāśrama-dharma, the division of the human society: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, and āśrama. Now these things are rejected by the Indians, but this is the most scientific method for making life perfect. This is the most scientific method. This was the answer of Rāmānanda Rāya when he was questioned by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, "What is the aim of perfection of life, and how to accomplish it?" This is the question was given by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So the answer was, immediately,</p>
:varṇāśramācāravatā
:puruṣeṇa paraḥ pumān
:viṣṇur ārādhyate panthā
:nānyat tat-toṣa-kāraṇam
:([[Vanisource:CC Madhya 8.58|CC Madhya 8.58]])
<p>"The aim of human life, the goal of human life, is to satisfy the Supreme Lord, Viṣṇu." Viṣṇur ārādhyate.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB11533LosAngelesDecember111973_7" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="301" link="Lecture on SB 1.15.33 -- Los Angeles, December 11, 1973" link_text="Lecture on SB 1.15.33 -- Los Angeles, December 11, 1973">
<div class="heading">You cease from this repetition of birth and death. This will be the result. This is the actual aim of human life. Animal life and human life, this is the difference, we repeatedly say.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 1.15.33 -- Los Angeles, December 11, 1973|Lecture on SB 1.15.33 -- Los Angeles, December 11, 1973]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">You come to the temple, engage in the temple service. Naturally your mind will be absorbed in Kṛṣṇa. This temple is open not for making a force; just to make this process, niveśita-ātmā, always absorbed in Kṛṣṇa though. That is the process. Always, twenty-four hours. Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ ([[Vanisource:CC Adi 17.31|CC Adi 17.31]]). This is the process. Twenty-four hours we shall be engaged. Not that five minutes' meditation and then twenty-three hours, forty minutes engaged in other business. No. Twenty-four hours engaged in Kṛṣṇa's business. That is called niveśita-ātmā. Then what will be the result? Now, upararāma saṁsṛteḥ. Upararāma means then you become, you cease from this repetition of birth and death. This will be the result. This is the actual aim of human life. Animal life and human life, this is the difference, we repeatedly say. The animal cannot understand, neither they can perform how to check birth, death, old age. That is not possible for the animals. But human being can do that. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti ([[Vanisource:BG 4.9 (1972)|BG 4.9]]). What is that process? Niveśitātmā: always be absorbed in Kṛṣṇa thought and you are saved from the repetition of birth, death and old age.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB11621HawaiiJanuary171974_8" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="336" link="Lecture on SB 1.16.21 -- Hawaii, January 17, 1974" link_text="Lecture on SB 1.16.21 -- Hawaii, January 17, 1974">
<div class="heading">We have to purify our existence. That is the aim of human life. We have to purify our existence.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 1.16.21 -- Hawaii, January 17, 1974|Lecture on SB 1.16.21 -- Hawaii, January 17, 1974]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">But this is not the process of human civilization. Therefore, at the present moment, the population is so much degraded. There is no restriction. That is the difference between animal life and human life. Human life is meant for restriction. The more you restrict your material sense gratification, the more you are advanced. This is the standard. Not that "Because I have got the tendency to act like this, let me do it unrestrictedly." That is not human civilization; that is cats' and dogs' civilization. Human civilization means tapasya, austerity. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyet sattvam ([[Vanisource:SB 5.5.1|SB 5.5.1]]). Sattva. We have to purify our existence. That is the aim of human life. We have to purify our existence.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB2115BostonDecember221969_9" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="354" link="Lecture on SB 2.1.1-5 -- Boston, December 22, 1969" link_text="Lecture on SB 2.1.1-5 -- Boston, December 22, 1969">
<div class="heading">Our Vedic culture is not so blind. Vedic culture has got an aim, what is the aim of human life, not aimless life. Aimless life is animal life.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 2.1.1-5 -- Boston, December 22, 1969|Lecture on SB 2.1.1-5 -- Boston, December 22, 1969]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Parīkṣit Mahārāja, you know, I have several times spoken, he had only seven days to meet his death. He was young man, but some way or other, he was cursed by a brāhmaṇa boy, not a brāhmaṇa, that he would meet death within seven days, and... This is Vedic culture, that before death one should prepare very nicely to go back to Godhead. This is Vedic culture. The modern civilization, they do not know what is going to happen after death. But our Vedic culture is not so blind. Vedic culture has got an aim, what is the aim of human life, not aimless life. Aimless life is animal life. They have no aim. By the laws of nature they are going on, transforming from one body to another, and ultimately they are coming by evolutionary process to the human form of life. And especially this civilized human form of life, it is very responsible life. One has to make his choice whether he wants to continue his materialistic way of life and change the body, one after another. That is very risky job.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB32521BombayNovember211974_10" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="443" link="Lecture on SB 3.25.21 -- Bombay, November 21, 1974" link_text="Lecture on SB 3.25.21 -- Bombay, November 21, 1974">
<div class="heading">If you satisfy Kṛṣṇa, Hari, by your talent, by your activities, then you are successful. That should be the aim of human life.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 3.25.21 -- Bombay, November 21, 1974|Lecture on SB 3.25.21 -- Bombay, November 21, 1974]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">If you want perfection of your activities... Different men have got different activities. That's all right. But try to make it perfect, saṁsiddha. Siddhaye, brahma-siddhaye. We have discussed all these things. And how it can be done? Saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam ([[Vanisource:SB 1.2.13|SB 1.2.13]]). If you satisfy Kṛṣṇa, Hari, by your talent, by your activities, then you are successful. That should be the aim of human life. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam ([[Vanisource:BG 18.66 (1972)|BG 18.66]]). You don't try to engage yourself, entangle yourself for repetition of birth and death.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB551LondonAugust301971_11" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="513" link="Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- London, August 30, 1971" link_text="Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- London, August 30, 1971">
<div class="heading">The aim of human life is to understand God. That is the main business of human life.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- London, August 30, 1971|Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- London, August 30, 1971]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">The aim of human life is to understand God. That is the main business of human life. Main... Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum ([[Vanisource:SB 7.5.31|SB 7.5.31]]). Viṣṇu is the Supreme Lord, Supreme Personality of Godhead. People, they do not know what is the ultimate goal of life. The ultimate goal of life is to understand the Lord, the Supreme Lord, Viṣṇu. Viṣṇu means "all-pervading God." God is not localized. God is all-pervading.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB551JohannesburgOctober201975_12" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="515" link="Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Johannesburg, October 20, 1975" link_text="Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Johannesburg, October 20, 1975">
<div class="heading">The aim should be how again we come to the original position like God or the same type of body—blissful, full of knowledge and eternal. That is the aim of human life.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Johannesburg, October 20, 1975|Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Johannesburg, October 20, 1975]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">So the aim should be how again we come to the original position like God or the same type of body—blissful, full of knowledge and eternal. That is the aim of human life. Therefore it is said, tapo divyam: ([[Vanisource:SB 5.5.1|SB 5.5.1]]) "My dear son, don't become like cats and dogs and work hard for the bodily necessities of life. This human form of life is meant for austerity." "Why austerity? Let us enjoy." "No." Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena sattvaṁ śuddhyet: "If you accept the path of austerity, then your existence will be purified." Now, at the present moment, the existence is not purified; therefore we have to accept birth, death, old age and disease. This is not our business. But because we have got this material body, the nature's law forces to accept all these things—birth, death, old age and disease. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam ([[Vanisource:BG 13.8-12 (1972)|BG 13.9]]).</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB5518StockholmSeptember61973_13" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="523" link="Lecture on SB 5.5.1-8 -- Stockholm, September 6, 1973" link_text="Lecture on SB 5.5.1-8 -- Stockholm, September 6, 1973">
<div class="heading">If you really want happiness, then you purify your existence and you'll get continued eternal happiness of bliss and knowledge. This should be the aim of human life.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 5.5.1-8 -- Stockholm, September 6, 1973|Lecture on SB 5.5.1-8 -- Stockholm, September 6, 1973]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">You'll find in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that by studying nature you can get so many instruction, perfect. So one devotee made the nature his spiritual master, and studying nature and getting so much information. So if you study like that, here as it is given, the example, viḍ-bhujāṁ ye. So viḍ-bhujām means the pigs or the hog. They are also eating nicely, getting fat, and having sex intercourse very freely, so does it mean that human being is also meant for this business, like the hogs and dogs. This is the point. This is the instruction. This body is not meant for such enjoyment for the senses, but this body is meant for tapaḥ, austerity, as Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmī showed example. He came to the point of neti. How to come to that point, tapasya. Why? By that process your existential position will be purified. And if you say, what is the use of purifying? There is use, because you want happiness, but your happiness is disturbed. You cannot have perpetual, uninterrupted happiness in this body. Therefore, if you really want happiness, then you purify your existence and you'll get continued eternal happiness of bliss and knowledge. This should be the aim of human life.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB553BostonMay41968_14" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="532" link="Lecture on SB 5.5.3 -- Boston, May 4, 1968" link_text="Lecture on SB 5.5.3 -- Boston, May 4, 1968">
<div class="heading">Every living entity have diverted their energy in a different way. That is the miscalculation of the present civilization. They have forgotten that the aim of human life is to advance oneself in spiritual realization.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 5.5.3 -- Boston, May 4, 1968|Lecture on SB 5.5.3 -- Boston, May 4, 1968]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Every living entity will multiply. That is another thing. I mean to say from cow you get milk. From milk you get butter and so many milk products. And from the fields you get sufficient grains and fruits. So your economic question is solved immediately. If you have got some land, the land is..., immense land is still lying vacant all over the world. Yes. But they have diverted their energy in a different way. That is the miscalculation of the present civilization. They have forgotten that the aim of human life is to advance oneself in spiritual realization. So time should be saved as much as possible, and that time should be utilized for spiritual realization. But we have encumbered our civilization in such a way that we have lost all simple living thing. We have manufactured in so many ways encumbered ways of life. Therefore we have neglected spiritual life. And because we have neglected spiritual life there is no peace. If you want really peaceful life, then you have to make your material necessities simplified and engage your time for spiritual cultivation. Then you will have peace. And that is the best type of civilization.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB5610BombayDecember281976_15" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="575" link="Lecture on SB 5.6.10 -- Bombay, December 28, 1976" link_text="Lecture on SB 5.6.10 -- Bombay, December 28, 1976">
<div class="heading">Without varṇāśrama, there cannot be any human civilization, because the aim of human life is to understand God. That is the aim of human life.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 5.6.10 -- Bombay, December 28, 1976|Lecture on SB 5.6.10 -- Bombay, December 28, 1976]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">The varṇāśrama-dharma, that is beginning of human civilization. So in this age they have already given up. There is no varṇāśrama. In India it is simply in name. Actually, there is no varṇāśrama. The, most of the people, they are śūdras. But without varṇāśrama, there cannot be any human civilization, because the aim of human life is to understand God. That is the aim of human life. Unfortunately, they have given up this idea, the aim of life is to understand God. You inquire all over the world, 99.9% will deny God or they have no clear idea of God. Even the so-called religionists, they have also no clear idea. Maybe some power; no clear idea. Neither they are interested to know. But so far we are concerned, we have got full description of the Lord and His pastimes, His activities. Everything is recorded in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and other Vedic literatures.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB6112LosAngelesJune251975_16" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="604" link="Lecture on SB 6.1.12 -- Los Angeles, June 25, 1975" link_text="Lecture on SB 6.1.12 -- Los Angeles, June 25, 1975">
<div class="heading">Actually, we are being educated, we go to school, to college, to become responsible man. So this responsibility should be "How to stop this repetition of birth." In many places this is advised. And that is the only aim of human life.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 6.1.12 -- Los Angeles, June 25, 1975|Lecture on SB 6.1.12 -- Los Angeles, June 25, 1975]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Therefore, unless we take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, the human civilization is doomed. It is not human civilization. Human civilization is responsible life. Actually, we are being educated, we go to school, to college, to become responsible man. So this responsibility should be "How to stop this repetition of birth." In many places this is advised. And that is the only aim of human life. Punar-janma-jayāya. I have told you many times that when Viśvāmitra Muni went to Daśaratha Mahārāja to take Rāmacandra and Lakṣmaṇa to kill one demon in the forest... Viśvāmitra Muni is brāhmaṇa. He was so powerful, he could himself kill that demon, but because he is brāhmaṇa, he is not allowed to kill. A brāhmaṇa must be nonviolent. So therefore he went to the kṣatriya, Mahārāja Daśaratha. This is kṣatriya's business.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB611314LosAngelesJune261975_17" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="607" link="Lecture on SB 6.1.13-14 -- Los Angeles, June 26, 1975" link_text="Lecture on SB 6.1.13-14 -- Los Angeles, June 26, 1975">
<div class="heading">To fulfill the human life aim of human life, we have to become first-class human being. The first-class human being, ideal human being, is the brāhmaṇa.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 6.1.13-14 -- Los Angeles, June 26, 1975|Lecture on SB 6.1.13-14 -- Los Angeles, June 26, 1975]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">So to fulfill the human life aim of human life, we have to become first-class human being. The first-class human being, ideal human being, is the brāhmaṇa. And the second class, the kṣatriya; the third class, vaiśya; and fourth class, śūdra. So at the present moment, Kali-yuga, kalau śūdrā-sambhavāḥ. In Kali-yuga there is no first class, second class, or even third class. All fourth-class men, śūdrā-sambhavāḥ. So therefore they are unable to perform all these tapasya or brahmacarya. Then what is their hope for progress? That has been enunciated in the śāstra, Brahma-vaivarta Purāṇa, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu has given us the formula that,</p>
:harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalaṁ
:kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā
:([[Vanisource:CC Adi 17.21|CC Adi 17.21]])
<p>To make one's life successful, to reach to the goal of life, it is very difficult. (break) ...discharge all these principles, tapasā, brahmacarya. Śamo damaḥ titikṣa satyam. Satyam means truthfulness.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB6148DallasJuly301975_18" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="682" link="Lecture on SB 6.1.48 -- Dallas, July 30, 1975" link_text="Lecture on SB 6.1.48 -- Dallas, July 30, 1975">
<div class="heading">How to keep oneself always with Kṛṣṇa, that is the aim of human life. And if we do not do that, that is sinful. Then we become punishable, that "You were given the chance to understand yourself, Kṛṣṇa and your relationship with Kṛṣṇa. You did not take this chance."
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 6.1.48 -- Dallas, July 30, 1975|Lecture on SB 6.1.48 -- Dallas, July 30, 1975]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">So how to keep oneself always with Kṛṣṇa, that is the aim of human life. And if we do not do that, that is sinful. Then we become punishable, that "You were given the chance to understand yourself, Kṛṣṇa and your relationship with Kṛṣṇa. You did not take this chance." Oh, he is punished: "All right, you become again animal, again in the cycle of birth and death." So we should be very, very careful. Do not think that "We are independent, and we can do whatever nonsense I like." That is very risky life. Do not think like that, foolishly. There is a regular... There is Yamarāja. Because we are sons of Kṛṣṇa, when Kṛṣṇa wants that "These My sons, rascals, are suffering in this material world. Let them come back home," therefore He comes personally. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata, tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmyaham ([[Vanisource:BG 4.7 (1972)|BG 4.7]]). He desires that, that "These rascals, they are rotting in this material world, birth after birth. Let them come back." Because He is more affectionate. So... And if he does not utilize this human form of life to take the advantage of going back to home, back to Godhead, that is sinful. Then he is punished.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB6163VrndavanaAugust301975_19" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="696" link="Lecture on SB 6.1.63 -- Vrndavana, August 30, 1975" link_text="Lecture on SB 6.1.63 -- Vrndavana, August 30, 1975">
<div class="heading">Our business of human life is how to protect ourself from this infection of material nature. That should be the aim of human life, not that allow us to be infected more and more and become implicated in the cycle of birth and death, sometimes lower, sometimes higher. This is not intelligence.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 6.1.63 -- Vrndavana, August 30, 1975|Lecture on SB 6.1.63 -- Vrndavana, August 30, 1975]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">So the nature's law is so nice or so perfect that by seeing only, you will be infected, by seeing only. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ ([[Vanisource:BG 3.27 (1972)|BG 3.27]]). We are put into such a position that every moment we are being affected by the three modes of material nature. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni. The prakṛti, the nature, is working so expertly. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni. And kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya sad-asad-yoni-janmasu ([[Vanisource:BG 13.22 (1972)|BG 13.22]]). In this way our transmigration from one body to another, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ ([[Vanisource:BG 2.13 (1972)|BG 2.13]]), it is due to this infection of contacting different material modes of nature. The whole world is going on. So therefore our business of human life is how to protect ourself from this infection of material nature. That should be the aim of human life, not that allow us to be infected more and more and become implicated in the cycle of birth and death, sometimes lower, sometimes higher. This is not intelligence. The intelligence is how to get out of it. In the lower animal forms of life the nature takes care.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB622VrndavanaSeptember61975_20" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="703" link="Lecture on SB 6.2.2 -- Vrndavana, September 6, 1975" link_text="Lecture on SB 6.2.2 -- Vrndavana, September 6, 1975">
<div class="heading">The aim of human life is to satisfy Viṣṇu. That is Vedic civilization.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 6.2.2 -- Vrndavana, September 6, 1975|Lecture on SB 6.2.2 -- Vrndavana, September 6, 1975]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">By the varṇāśrama-dharma one can please the Supreme Lord Viṣṇu.</p>
:varṇāśramācāravatā
:puruṣeṇa paraḥ pumān
:viṣṇur ārādhyate puṁsaṁ
:nānyat tat-toṣa-kāraṇam
:([[Vanisource:CC Madhya 8.58|CC Madhya 8.58]])
<p>The aim of human life is to satisfy Viṣṇu. That is Vedic civilization.</p>
:ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā
:varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ
:svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya
:saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam
:([[Vanisource:SB 1.2.13|SB 1.2.13]])
<p>Saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam. You are brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha... Varnāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ.</p>
<p>But what is the aim of life? Aim of life is to satisfy the Viṣṇu, Lord Viṣṇu. But they do not know it. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ ([[Vanisource:SB 7.5.31|SB 7.5.31]]). At least at the present moment, nobody knows that he has to satisfy the Supreme Lord. That is the aim of life.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB6211AllahabadJanuary161971_21" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="711" link="Lecture on SB 6.2.11 -- Allahabad, January 16, 1971" link_text="Lecture on SB 6.2.11 -- Allahabad, January 16, 1971">
<div class="heading">Human civilization, a civilized human being must follow some religious principles. That is the aim of human life. And anyone who does not follow any religious scripture, he is simply animal.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 6.2.11 -- Allahabad, January 16, 1971|Lecture on SB 6.2.11 -- Allahabad, January 16, 1971]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Bhagavad-gītā begins from this knowledge that living soul is eternal, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre ([[Vanisource:BG 2.20 (1972)|BG 2.20]]). But they are in ignorance. They take it as a matter of fact that "This life, this body, is all in all, and after death there is no more any body, so who cares for sinful activities?" That is another ignorance. And in order to give them direction there are so many religious scriptures in human society. Therefore it is said, dharmeṇa hīnāḥ paśubhiḥ samānāḥ. If one is not following the principles of religious scriptures... It doesn't matter whether it is Hindu religion or Christian religion or Muslim religion. It doesn't matter. But human civilization, a civilized human being must follow some religious principles. That is the aim of human life. And anyone who does not follow any religious scripture, he is simply animal. That is the position of the present world. We may claim to be Hindu or Muslim or Christian, but nobody cares for religion. They are simply karmīs. Therefore they are all sinful.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB7669MontrealJune231968_22" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="758" link="Lecture on SB 7.6.6-9 -- Montreal, June 23, 1968" link_text="Lecture on SB 7.6.6-9 -- Montreal, June 23, 1968">
<div class="heading">This chanting process introduced by Lord Caitanya should be seriously taken up so that our aim of human life will be successful. We have forgotten.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 7.6.6-9 -- Montreal, June 23, 1968|Lecture on SB 7.6.6-9 -- Montreal, June 23, 1968]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">In England, the Britain, the Beatles, they are also chanting. So this is getting popular in the Western countries, and it will get, I am sure. So this chanting process introduced by Lord Caitanya should be seriously taken up so that our aim of human life will be successful. We have forgotten. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum ([[Vanisource:SB 7.5.31|SB 7.5.31]]). We have forgotten... The modern civilization has... In your country I was reading a little history that in 1813 or some year the government introduced that "We trust in God," "Trust in God," and that was declared by the secretary to be published on the coins or on the paper currency, and we see sometimes. But simply trust in God is not sufficient. We must know what is God. Trusting something oblivion, something fantasy, that is no trust. You must know where to put your trust. That is Bhagavad-gītā. You have to know this, what is God.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB7610VrndavanaDecember121975_23" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="765" link="Lecture on SB 7.6.10 -- Vrndavana, December 12, 1975" link_text="Lecture on SB 7.6.10 -- Vrndavana, December 12, 1975">
<div class="heading">It is therefore not actually to make it null and void, but to make it purified. That is the aim of human life: to purify our desires. That purification is possible by Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 7.6.10 -- Vrndavana, December 12, 1975|Lecture on SB 7.6.10 -- Vrndavana, December 12, 1975]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">In this way it is going on, vāsanā. Therefore we have to become vāsanā—less—without any vāsanā, means without any material desires. Vāsanā cannot... It is therefore not actually to make it null and void, but to make it purified. That is the aim of human life: to purify our desires. That purification is possible by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam ([[Vanisource:CC Madhya 19.170|CC Madhya 19.170]]). If you simply desire how to serve Kṛṣṇa, then that is really desirelessness. Desirelessness means not to become without desire. You desire to serve Kṛṣṇa, then these material desires will automatically finish. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor ([[Vanisource:SB 9.4.18-20|SB 9.4.18]]). So you fix up your mind at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, then non-Kṛṣṇa desires will be finished. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa. Everything will be there: the hands will be there, the legs will be there, the eyes will be there, the ears will be there—everything will be there. But if you change your desire, they will be purified.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="Nectar_of_Devotion_Lectures" class="sub_section" sec_index="2" parent="Lectures" text="Nectar of Devotion Lectures"><h3>Nectar of Devotion Lectures</h3>
</div>
<div id="TheNectarofDevotionVrndavanaNovember41972_0" class="quote" parent="Nectar_of_Devotion_Lectures" book="Lec" index="32" link="The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 4, 1972" link_text="The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 4, 1972">
<div class="heading">By the supervision of superior order, superior vigilance, we get a certain type of body. This may be a king's body or a poor man's body, an animal body, or anything, we get. That is by superior order. So we should not create another body. That is the aim of human life.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 4, 1972|The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 4, 1972]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">As soon as we get a material body—it doesn't matter whether a rich man's body or a poor man's, poor man's body—the material body is itself subjected to threefold miseries of this material condition. Therefore Arjuna was advised by Kṛṣṇa: āgama apāyino anityāḥ tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata. You cannot avoid the miserable condition of this body. That is not possible. So we have to tolerate. There is no other excuse. But do not create another body. That is devotional service. Karmāṇi nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhājām (Bs. 5.54). Due to our past karma, we have got a certain type of body. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa ([[Vanisource:SB 3.31.1|SB 3.31.1]]). By the supervision of superior order, superior vigilance, we get a certain type of body. This may be a king's body or a poor man's body, an animal body, or anything, we get. That is by superior order. So we should not create another body. That is the aim of human life. We should not create another body.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="TheNectarofDevotionVrndavanaNovember61972_1" class="quote" parent="Nectar_of_Devotion_Lectures" book="Lec" index="34" link="The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 6, 1972" link_text="The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 6, 1972">
<div class="heading">The aim of human life is to get out of the clutches of māyā, repetition of birth and death and transmigration from body to another. That is the real aim of life. That is real freedom.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 6, 1972|The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 6, 1972]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for turning everyone to become a pure Vaiṣṇava. Pure Vaiṣṇava. That is the actual aim of human life. As we are discussing this morning, mumukṣavaḥ. The aim of human life is to get out of the clutches of māyā, repetition of birth and death and transmigration from body to another. That is the real aim of life. That is real freedom. So if we neglect this opportunity, then we are called ātma-hā. Ātma-hā means committing suicide. Just like a person, knowingly, knowingly committing suicide, cutting his throat, similarly, a human being, getting so much opportunity, especially in India... We have got so many books of knowledge, especially the Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Vedānta-sūtra. Vedānta-sūtra means Śrīmad-Bhāgavata. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is explicit narration of the Vedānta-sūtra.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="TheNectarofDevotionVrndavanaNovember111972_2" class="quote" parent="Nectar_of_Devotion_Lectures" book="Lec" index="39" link="The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 11, 1972" link_text="The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 11, 1972">
<div class="heading">Any other business means we are becoming entangled in this material world. And the aim of human life is to get out of these clutches of material world. People do not know it.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 11, 1972|The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 11, 1972]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">So people do not know that our only business is to take shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. That is the only business. We have no other business. Any other business means we are becoming entangled in this material world. And the aim of human life is to get out of these clutches of material world. People do not know it. They do not know. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum ([[Vanisource:SB 7.5.31|SB 7.5.31]]). So it is very difficult; still, Caitanya Mahāprabhu ordered to distribute this knowledge all over the world. So let us try. Even the people do not take our instruction, that is not our disqualification. Our qualification is let us try our best. The māyā is very strong. To take the living entities out of the clutches of māyā is not very easy thing.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="Sri_Caitanya-caritamrta_Lectures" class="sub_section" sec_index="3" parent="Lectures" text="Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures"><h3>Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures</h3>
</div>
<div id="LectureonCCMadhyalila20121124NewYorkNovember251966_0" class="quote" parent="Sri_Caitanya-caritamrta_Lectures" book="Lec" index="72" link="Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.121-124 -- New York, November 25, 1966" link_text="Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.121-124 -- New York, November 25, 1966">
<div class="heading">The sādhu-śāstra, the God Himself comes, He sends His confidential servant, He sends His son to reclaim us, and we should take advantage of these facilities and make our life successful. That should be the aim of human life.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.121-124 -- New York, November 25, 1966|Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.121-124 -- New York, November 25, 1966]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">There is a story in the Bhāgavata that once Indra, the king of heaven, he was condemned by his spiritual master, Bṛhaspati, that "You are so foolish. You should have become a hog." So he became a hog. So after some days, when the throne of the heavenly kingdom was vacant, Brahmā went to reclaim this hog, Indra, that "Come to your place." So when the hog was requested that "You are Indra. Why you are suffering? Now you come. I have come to take you," so the hog says, "Oh! I do not know what I am, Indra. I have got my responsibility. I cannot leave this place." Just see. Even the hog—you can just imagine what is the standard of his living—he thinks also that "I am very happy. I am very happy." The stool-eating and this nasty place, and "Oh, I have got a very comfortable life." So this is the, I mean to say, prakṣepātmikā. So the sādhu-śāstra, the God Himself comes, He sends His confidential servant, He sends His son to reclaim us, and we should take advantage of these facilities and make our life successful. That should be the aim of human life.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="Initiation_Lectures" class="sub_section" sec_index="8" parent="Lectures" text="Initiation Lectures"><h3>Initiation Lectures</h3>
</div>
<div id="InitiationLectureExcerptLondonSeptember71971_0" class="quote" parent="Initiation_Lectures" book="Lec" index="41" link="Initiation Lecture Excerpt -- London, September 7, 1971" link_text="Initiation Lecture Excerpt -- London, September 7, 1971">
<div class="heading">It is not the aim of human life, to become a tiger. It is, the aim of human life is to become a devotee of Viṣṇu, Vaiṣṇava. That is perfection of life.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Initiation Lecture Excerpt -- London, September 7, 1971|Initiation Lecture Excerpt -- London, September 7, 1971]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">So it is not the aim of human life, to become a tiger. It is, the aim of human life is to become a devotee of Viṣṇu, Vaiṣṇava. That is perfection of life. So we are, this movement, we are giving the highest benediction to the human society. They are becoming Vaiṣṇava. There is great necessity of Vaiṣṇava at the present moment because everyone has become śūdras. Kalau śūdra sambhava. And because it is, everywhere the śūdras are there, how there can be peace? They do not know. They have no brain how to make the society peaceful and prosperous. They are śūdras. They have no intelligence. There is necessity of creating brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇava. This movement is meant for that purpose. So be careful. Don't be turned again to śūdra and mlecchas. Go on making progress to become pure Vaiṣṇava.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="General_Lectures" class="sub_section" sec_index="11" parent="Lectures" text="General Lectures"><h3>General Lectures</h3>
</div>
<div id="LectureBombayMarch181972_0" class="quote" parent="General_Lectures" book="Lec" index="104" link="Lecture -- Bombay, March 18, 1972" link_text="Lecture -- Bombay, March 18, 1972">
<div class="heading">It is to be understood that when a person takes birth, he's śūdra. He has to be educated. He has to be given transcendental knowledge. That is the aim of human life. Unfortunately, these things are now stopped.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture -- Bombay, March 18, 1972|Lecture -- Bombay, March 18, 1972]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">All of us, we are born ignorant; otherwise why we are sent to a school? Why the children are sent to a school? Because they're abodha-jāto. By birth they are all śūdras, abodha. Therefore according to Vedic system there are saṁskāras, reformatory methods, and when the child is taken for saṁskāra, that is called upanayana. Upanaya means bringing him nearer to understand spiritual life. That is sacred thread ceremony. Janmanā jāyate śūdraḥ. Everyone is born ignorant. Otherwise why a person even born in brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya family, why this upanāya saṁskāra is there? Because it is to be understood that when a person takes birth, he's śūdra. He has to be educated. He has to be given transcendental knowledge. That is the aim of human life. Unfortunately, these things are now stopped.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="Philosophy_Discussions" class="sub_section" sec_index="13" parent="Lectures" text="Philosophy Discussions"><h3>Philosophy Discussions</h3>
</div>
<div id="PhilosophyDiscussiononJohnDewey_0" class="quote" parent="Philosophy_Discussions" book="Lec" index="10" link="Philosophy Discussion on John Dewey" link_text="Philosophy Discussion on John Dewey">
<div class="heading">If the person is serious, if he inquires what is the aim of human life, then he is supposed to be intelligent. Otherwise, the animals, they cannot inquire what is the aim of life.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Philosophy Discussion on John Dewey|Philosophy Discussion on John Dewey]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Śyāmasundara: And we take practical actions to change that environment and thus fulfill human needs.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes. That is nice. That inquiry will clear everything. If the person is serious, if he inquires what is the aim of human life, then he is supposed to be intelligent. Otherwise, the animals, they cannot inquire what is the aim of life. They are simply eating, sleeping. That's all. But a human being must be inquisitive what is the value of life.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="PhilosophyDiscussiononThomasAquinas_1" class="quote" parent="Philosophy_Discussions" book="Lec" index="32" link="Philosophy Discussion on Thomas Aquinas" link_text="Philosophy Discussion on Thomas Aquinas">
<div class="heading">The life is meant for understanding the Absolute Truth. That is the aim of human life. The whole Vedic civilization is based on this principle.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Philosophy Discussion on Thomas Aquinas|Philosophy Discussion on Thomas Aquinas]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: This is very good. First of all they must know what is the welfare of the human being. Unfortunately, with advancement of so-called material education, the human society is missing the aim of life. The aim of life is declared openly in the Vedānta philosophy, athāto brahma jijñāsā. This is the aim of human life. In the Bhāgavata it is said, jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā. The life is meant for understanding the Absolute Truth. That is the aim of human life. The whole Vedic civilization is based on this principle. But on account of deviating from the original Vedic civilization, they have dedicated the human form of life in so many unnecessary scientific discoveries, that discovery, which will not give him any relief to the human society. The real tribulation of life is birth, death and disease and old age. So the so-called advancement of material civilization has not solved the real problem of life, and the aim of human life is to solve the real problem of human life. The real problem of life, that we are eternal, as eternal as God, but we are subjected to birth and death. So with the poor fund of knowledge in the Kali-yuga, people being very bad, or slow for self-realization, and they create their own way of life, mandāḥ sumanda-matayo ([[Vanisource:SB 1.1.10|SB 1.1.10]]), and they are unfortunate and, and disturbed.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" class="section" sec_index="5" parent="compilation" text="Conversations and Morning Walks"><h2>Conversations and Morning Walks</h2>
</div>
<div id="1969_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" class="sub_section" sec_index="2" parent="Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" text="1969 Conversations and Morning Walks"><h3>1969 Conversations and Morning Walks</h3>
</div>
<div id="RoomConversationwithAllenGinsbergMay121969ColumbusOhio_0" class="quote" parent="1969_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="14" link="Room Conversation with Allen Ginsberg -- May 12, 1969, Columbus, Ohio" link_text="Room Conversation with Allen Ginsberg -- May 12, 1969, Columbus, Ohio">
<div class="heading">Our mission is the intelligent persons of the world may know that this is not, simply seeking after sense gratification is not the aim of human life.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Room Conversation with Allen Ginsberg -- May 12, 1969, Columbus, Ohio|Room Conversation with Allen Ginsberg -- May 12, 1969, Columbus, Ohio]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: But it is the mission of human life to come to that point. So at least there must be some center or institution who may give them this idea. It is not that everyone will come. Just like there are many educational department. I know in Calcutta in our boyhood age, at that time Sir Ashutosh Mukherjee was vice-president. So he opened some classes in the university. In each class there were four or five professors, and at that time the professors' salary was 1300 dollar, 1400 dollar. And the fees were collected, at most thirty-six dollar per month. You see? But still the classes were to be maintained because the ideal must be there. So our mission is the intelligent persons of the world may know that this is not, simply seeking after sense gratification is not the aim of human life. Human life is meant by... Just like Bhāgavata says, jīvasya tattva-jijnasa. Vedānta says, athāto brahma jijñāsā. The same thing. Bhāgavata is nothing but explanation of Vedānta. So Vedānta says that this human form of life is meant for inquiring about Brahman.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="1971_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" class="sub_section" sec_index="4" parent="Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" text="1971 Conversations and Morning Walks"><h3>1971 Conversations and Morning Walks</h3>
</div>
<div id="ConversationwithProfKotovskyJune221971Moscow_0" class="quote" parent="1971_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="8" link="Conversation with Prof. Kotovsky -- June 22, 1971, Moscow" link_text="Conversation with Prof. Kotovsky -- June 22, 1971, Moscow">
<div class="heading">If there is something good, good experience, why it should not be adopted? That is our point of view. And besides that, in the modern civilization they are missing one point: the aim of human life, scientifically.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Conversation with Prof. Kotovsky -- June 22, 1971, Moscow|Conversation with Prof. Kotovsky -- June 22, 1971, Moscow]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: It is impossible. Our idea is that best ideas from the original idea. Just like in the Bhāgavata there is a description of communistic idea, and it is being described to Mahārāja Yudhisthira. So if there is something good, good experience, why it should not be adopted? That is our point of view. And besides that, in the modern civilization they are missing one point: the aim of human life, scientifically. The aim of human life is self-realization, ātmā-tattvam. It is said, parābhavas tāvad abodha-jātaḥ yāvan na jijñāsa ātmā-tattvam. Unless the human society comes to the point of self-realization, whatever they are doing, they are being defeated, parābhava. I think you know this word, parābhava. Parābhava. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jātaḥ. So actually it is happening so. The modern society, human society, there is advancement, economic advancement, so many things, advancement. Still, in the matter of keeping peace and tranquility there is fight, individually, socially, politically, nationally. So if we think very cool-headed, then in spite of so much improvement in so many branches of knowledge, we are keeping the same mentality of quarreling. That is also visible in lower animal society. So our conclusion, according to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that this body, human body, it is not meant for working very hard for sense gratification.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="1973_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" class="sub_section" sec_index="6" parent="Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" text="1973 Conversations and Morning Walks"><h3>1973 Conversations and Morning Walks</h3>
</div>
<div id="RoomConversationFebruary261973Jakarta_0" class="quote" parent="1973_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="2" link="Room Conversation -- February 26, 1973, Jakarta" link_text="Room Conversation -- February 26, 1973, Jakarta">
<div class="heading">The different spirit is there. So that is not the aim of human life. The aim of human life—this opportunity's given by nature to have a human form of life—is to understand God.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Room Conversation -- February 26, 1973, Jakarta|Room Conversation -- February 26, 1973, Jakarta]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: This human life is meant for understanding the Absolute Truth. Otherwise, what is the difference between cats and dogs and human beings? If simply eating, sleeping, and sex life, and defend is the business of human life, then these things are there in the animal life also. They also eat. They also sleep. They have also sex life, and they also defend according to their capacity. We defend with atomic bomb and they defend their own nails and claws. The different spirit is there. So that is not the aim of human life. The aim of human life—this opportunity's given by nature to have a human form of life—is to understand God. Nobody can deny—unless he is a crazy fellow—the existence of God. That is not possible. There must be. I may know it or not know it, it doesn't matter. Therefore religion means to understand God and to awaken your dormant love for God. This is religion. Now there may be difference of process, according to country, time, people.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="RoomConversationwithIndonesianScholarFebruary271973Jakarta_1" class="quote" parent="1973_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="4" link="Room Conversation with Indonesian Scholar -- February 27, 1973, Jakarta" link_text="Room Conversation with Indonesian Scholar -- February 27, 1973, Jakarta">
<div class="heading">If one is actually eager and serious for fulfilling the aim of human life, then he has to take to this principle of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Room Conversation with Indonesian Scholar -- February 27, 1973, Jakarta|Room Conversation with Indonesian Scholar -- February 27, 1973, Jakarta]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: So one has to become... If one is actually eager and serious for fulfilling the aim of human life then he has to take to this principle of Kṛṣṇa consciousness-man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru, mām evaiṣyasi satyaṁ te pratijāne priyo 'si me. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So one has to become, if one is actually eager and serious for fulfilling the aim of human life, then he has to take to this principle of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru, mām evaiṣyasi satyaṁ te pratijāne priyo 'si me ([[Vanisource:BG 18.65 (1972)|BG 18.65]]). So if you do not teach this lesson to the human society then he will remain in the darkness. This is the purport. This is the purpose of Bhagavad-gītā.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="1976_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" class="sub_section" sec_index="9" parent="Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" text="1976 Conversations and Morning Walks"><h3>1976 Conversations and Morning Walks</h3>
</div>
<div id="MorningWalkMarch251976Delhi_0" class="quote" parent="1976_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="62" link="Morning Walk -- March 25, 1976, Delhi" link_text="Morning Walk -- March 25, 1976, Delhi">
<div class="heading">Māyā are hindrances for advancement of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the aim of human life. That, you forget that.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Morning Walk -- March 25, 1976, Delhi|Morning Walk -- March 25, 1976, Delhi]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: The material civilization means ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā. By false egotism they are bewildered and rascals. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has translated this, that jaḍā-bidyā jato, māyāra vaibhava: "All this material advancement of civilization is the paraphernalia of māyā." Because you cannot enjoy it, but you are thinking, "I possess so much. I possess so much." You'll not be allowed to enjoy, but still.... Therefore all these material possessions are the paraphernalia of māyā. So what is the wrong there? Now, wrong is this, jaḍā-bidyā jato, māyāra vaibhava, tomāra bhajane bādhā. They are hindrances for advancement of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the aim of human life. That, you forget that. So tomāra bhajane bādhā, anitya saṁsāre, moha janamiyā. The result is that he becomes more attached to this temporary world and remains the rascal. Because without being rascal, nobody comes in this material world to enjoy. As soon as anyone has come to this material world, he's a rascal. Kṛṣṇa-bahirmukha hañā bhoga vāñchā kare, nikaṭa-stha māyā tāre jāpaṭiyā dhare (Prema-vivarta).</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="RoomConversationApril201976Melbourne_1" class="quote" parent="1976_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="80" link="Room Conversation -- April 20, 1976, Melbourne" link_text="Room Conversation -- April 20, 1976, Melbourne">
<div class="heading">You know? What is the aim? Tell me. What is the aim of human life? Tell me. We shall accept you as guru. Tell me.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Room Conversation -- April 20, 1976, Melbourne|Room Conversation -- April 20, 1976, Melbourne]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: No, first of all you agree that there is someone who cheats. First of all you agree that you do not know what is the aim of your life. Do you agree or not?</p>
<p>Mike Barron: I think I know.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Eh?</p>
<p>Mike Barron: I think I know.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: You know? What is the aim? Tell me. What is the aim of human life? Tell me. We shall accept you as guru. Tell me. What is the aim of life?</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="RoomConversationwithReporterJune31976LosAngeles_2" class="quote" parent="1976_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="109" link="Room Conversation with Reporter -- June 3, 1976, Los Angeles" link_text="Room Conversation with Reporter -- June 3, 1976, Los Angeles">
<div class="heading">They must know God scientifically. That is the actual aim of human life.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Room Conversation with Reporter -- June 3, 1976, Los Angeles|Room Conversation with Reporter -- June 3, 1976, Los Angeles]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: Simply faith, blind faith we do not endure. And therefore they are becoming godless. And gradually, if we do not understand factually what is God, then the whole human civilization will be godless. To become godless means again animal. That is the difference between animal and man. In the animal society there is no question of religion, faith, God. These things are not there. The human civilization, if it becomes like that, without any faith in God, without any understanding of God, then where is the difference between cats and dogs and human beings? They must know God scientifically. That is the actual aim of human life. Suppose the dog is sleeping on the street without any care whether a car is coming and smash it. He's also sleeping sound sleep. And we are sleeping in a very nice apartment. So after all, sleeping. And he is also enjoying sleeping, I am also enjoying sleeping. So do you think to change the, I mean to say, circumstances of the sleeping? I am sleeping in a very nice apartment, he's sleeping on the floor. Does it mean this is advancement of civilization?</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="InterviewwithProfessorsOConnellMotilalandShivaramJune181976Toronto_3" class="quote" parent="1976_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="148" link="Interview with Professors O'Connell, Motilal and Shivaram -- June 18, 1976, Toronto" link_text="Interview with Professors O'Connell, Motilal and Shivaram -- June 18, 1976, Toronto">
<div class="heading">Endless greediness and endless lusty desires. That will keep us within the category of material existence. Then we remain mūḍha, life after life. That is not the aim of human life.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Interview with Professors O'Connell, Motilal and Shivaram -- June 18, 1976, Toronto|Interview with Professors O'Connell, Motilal and Shivaram -- June 18, 1976, Toronto]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: If you want peace and happiness, then you have to transcend the platform of rajas-tamaḥ and come to the platform of goodness. Then you have to transcend the goodness platform and come to the vasudeva platform, Kṛṣṇa consciousness platform. This is progress. Tadā rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ kāma-lobha. Rajas tamas means kāma and lobha, endless greediness and endless lusty desires. That will keep us within the category of material existence. Mūḍhā janmani janmani aprāpya mām ([[Vanisource:BG 16.20 (1972)|BG 16.20]]). Then we remain mūḍha, life after life. That is not the aim of human life. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate ([[Vanisource:BG 8.19 (1972)|BG 8.19]]). We take once type of body and struggle and again die, and again accept another, another type of body. There are 8,400,000 different types of body. This is going on.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="RoomConversationWithFrenchCommanderAugust31976NewMayapurFrenchfarm_4" class="quote" parent="1976_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="244" link="Room Conversation With French Commander -- August 3, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm)" link_text="Room Conversation With French Commander -- August 3, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm)">
<div class="heading">We should know what is the aim of human life. Then we have to construct the social political, everything, favorable to that end. But they do not know what is the aim of life. That is the whole mistake.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Room Conversation With French Commander -- August 3, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm)|Room Conversation With French Commander -- August 3, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm)]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: That, here is the society. You train them. You have got all children. You train them in that way, so that... Whatever is done is done. Now you can make very good society, Kṛṣṇa conscious society. Not that one mistake has been done, you should continue. Rectify it. The difficulty is the modern society, the leaders, they do not know the aim of life. They are blindly doing everything like animals. Their philosophy is like the animals. Eat, drink, be merry and enjoy, that's all. This is the philosophy of the animals. And human philosophy is to understand first of all what I am. I am this body or something else? That is human life. But nobody questions this, there is no institution to teach this science, therefore the whole human society is misguided. Just like if I want to train my boy to become a medical man, then I teach him biology, botany, similar... So if... Because I know I shall make my boy a medical man. Similarly, we should know what is the aim of human life. Then we have to construct the social political, everything, favorable to that end. But they do not know what is the aim of life. That is the whole mistake. I think that in Bible there is a story, prodigal son? So we are prodigal son. We are all sons of God, now we have become prodigal sons. What is the meaning of prodigal? "Without any responsibility," is it not? Do whatever you like.</p>
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<div id="ConversationwithSevenMinistersofAndhraPradeshAugust221976Hyderabad_5" class="quote" parent="1976_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="278" link="Conversation with Seven Ministers of Andhra Pradesh -- August 22, 1976, Hyderabad" link_text="Conversation with Seven Ministers of Andhra Pradesh -- August 22, 1976, Hyderabad">
<div class="heading">The aim of human life is he supreme perfection. Our life is progressive. By evolution we have come to this human form of life through many forms of life.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Conversation with Seven Ministers of Andhra Pradesh -- August 22, 1976, Hyderabad|Conversation with Seven Ministers of Andhra Pradesh -- August 22, 1976, Hyderabad]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: From Śās-dhātu, śāstra and śastra. Śastra means weapon. If you do not act according to the śāstra then there is śastra. Śastra means weapon, government. If you violate the rules of the government then there is police department, there is military department which will force you to accept the government regulation. And from the same śās-dhātu is śiṣya, one who voluntarily accepts the discipline.</p>
:yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya
:vartate kāma-kārataḥ
:na sa siddhim avāpnoti
:na sukhaṁ na parāṁ gatim
:([[Vanisource:BG 16.23 (1972)|BG 16.23]])
<p>The aim of human life is parāṁ gatim. Parāṁ gatim means the supreme perfection. Gatim means progress, and parām means the supreme. Our life is progressive. By evolution we have come to this human form of life through many forms of life.</p>
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<div id="Correspondence" class="section" sec_index="6" parent="compilation" text="Correspondence"><h2>Correspondence</h2>
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<div id="1975_Correspondence" class="sub_section" sec_index="10" parent="Correspondence" text="1975 Correspondence"><h3>1975 Correspondence</h3>
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<div id="LettertoWJCarpenterNewDelhi30November1975_0" class="quote" parent="1975_Correspondence" book="Let" index="716" link="Letter to W.J. Carpenter -- New Delhi 30 November, 1975" link_text="Letter to W.J. Carpenter -- New Delhi 30 November, 1975">
<div class="heading">Now knowing the aim of human life, one is constantly being misguided. The aim of life is Visnu, or Krishna.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Letter to W.J. Carpenter -- New Delhi 30 November, 1975|Letter to W.J. Carpenter -- New Delhi 30 November, 1975]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">In the Srimad-Bhagavatam material existence is compare to a forest full of plunderers, dacoits, jackals, tigers and other ferocious animals. The jackals are compare to one's wife and children. In the dead of the night jackals cry very loudly, and similarly one's wife and children in this material world also cry like jackals. The children say, "Father is wanted: give me this, I am your dear son." Or the wife says, "I am your dear wife. Please give me this. This is now needed." In this way one is plundered by the thieves in the forest. Now knowing the aim of human life, one is constantly being misguided. The aim of life is Visnu, or Krishna (Na te vidhu svartha-gatim hi visnum) Everyone works very hard to earn money, but no one knows that his real work is to serve Krishna, the supreme Personality of Godhead. Instead of spending money to advance the cause of Krishna consciousness, one spends his hard earned money on clubs, brothels, liquor, drugs cigarettes, slaughterhouses and so forth. All these activities are sinful, and because we are engaged in such sinful activities constantly we are constantly reaping the result of our sinful work, which is suffering in one way or another.</p>
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<div id="1976_Correspondence" class="sub_section" sec_index="11" parent="Correspondence" text="1976 Correspondence"><h3>1976 Correspondence</h3>
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<div id="LettertoMrDhawanVrindaban2April1976_0" class="quote" parent="1976_Correspondence" book="Let" index="214" link="Letter to Mr. Dhawan -- Vrindaban 2 April, 1976" link_text="Letter to Mr. Dhawan -- Vrindaban 2 April, 1976">
<div class="heading">What is the true aim of human life? The real aim of life is to go back to Home, back to Godhead.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Letter to Mr. Dhawan -- Vrindaban 2 April, 1976|Letter to Mr. Dhawan -- Vrindaban 2 April, 1976]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">As we have received this knowledge from the greatest authority, Krishna, these answers will be acceptable in every sphere of spiritual activity.</p>
<p>First question: What is the true aim of human life?</p>
<p>Answer: The real aim of life is to go back to Home, back to Godhead. We all living entities in different forms of body numbering 8,400,000 forms beginning from the aquatics up to the best advanced form of human life, there is a regular evolution by the laws of nature. The real fact is that we living entities although part and parcel of God, on account of our own disobedience have come down to this material world under different circumstances. We have different types of material dresses to fulfill the tendency for sense gratification, and this by the laws of nature, by association with the 3 modes of material nature. We are transmigrating through different forms of life. So this human form of life is given to us as an opportunity to understand our position because in the human form of life we have more developed consciousness than the lower forms of life like the aquatics, insects, plants, birds, beasts and the civilized and uncivilized human beings. So the point is that a human being must know the aim of life is to go back to Home, back to Godhead.</p>
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