Prabhupāda: This life is also meant for next life. Evolution. Why evolution? From aquatics to the birds, beasts, insect, animals, then we come to the human form of life, especially in a civilized human form of life. So if you prepare yourself in this life, then next life you can improve more. You can become demigod; you can go to higher planetary system, where duration of life, standard of comfort, is very, very high, thousand times, thousand times comfortable than at the present moment. Similarly, you can transfer yourself to the abode of God. These are stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. You'll find:
- yānti deva-vratā devān
- pitṟn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ
- bhūtejyā yānti bhūtāni
- mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām
- (BG 9.25)
So this life is preparation.
Guest: What does that mean? Excuse me?
Devotee: You can speak, ask questions, afterward.
Guest: The thing you just said then . . .
Devotee: Yes. You can ask questions after the lecture.
Prabhupāda: (to guest) At the end of this, if you come.
So if you do not prepare yourself in this life, if you simply become engaged in sinful activities, then you'll be degraded. As you are elevated to the human form of life, if you do not utilize this human form of life, if we behave like animals, then we shall be converted again into animals. People not, I mean to say, afraid of becoming animals. I have asked so many people that, "Suppose if you become animal in the next life?"
He says: "What is the harm?" People have become so degraded that one does not become afraid of becoming animal.