Human life is important

Expressions researched:
"importance of human life" |"human life is important" |"human life is so important" |"human life is more important" |"human life is very important"

BG Preface and Introduction

Men must be intelligent to realize the importance of human life and refuse to act like ordinary animals.

BG Introduction: In this world men are not meant for quarreling like cats and dogs. Men must be intelligent to realize the importance of human life and refuse to act like ordinary animals. A human being should realize the aim of his life, and this direction is given in all Vedic literatures, and the essence is given in Bhagavad-gītā. Vedic literature is meant for human beings, not for animals. Animals can kill other living animals, and 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.

SB Canto 2

Since every second of human life is important, an enlightened man should be very careful to utilize time very cautiously.

SB 2.2.3, Purport: The great kings, leaders and soldiers fight with one another in order to perpetuate their names in history. They are forgotten in due course of time, and they make a place for another era in history. But the devotee realizes how much history and historical persons are useless products of flickering time. The fruitive worker aspires after a big fortune in the matter of wealth, woman and worldly adoration, but those who are fixed in perfect reality are not at all interested in such false things. For them it is all a waste of time. Since every second of human life is important, an enlightened man should be very careful to utilize time very cautiously. One second of human life wasted in the vain research of planning for happiness in the material world can never be replaced, even if one spends millions of coins of gold. Therefore, the transcendentalist desiring freedom from the clutches of māyā, or the illusory activities of life, is warned herewith not to be captivated by the external features of fruitive actors.

Not all human beings are intelligent, so the importance of human life is not always understood.

SB 2.3.1, Purport: In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya 20.122-123) it is said that Lord Kṛṣṇa, out of His causeless mercy, prepared the Vedic literatures in the incarnation of Vyāsadeva for reading by the intelligent class of men in a human society which is almost totally forgetful of the genuine relation with Kṛṣṇa. Even such an intelligent class of men may be forgetful in their relation with the Lord. The whole bhakti-yoga process is therefore a revival of the lost relation. This revival is possible in the human form of life, which is obtained only out of the evolutionary cycle of 8,400,000 species of life. The intelligent class of human being must take a serious note of this opportunity. Not all human beings are intelligent, so the importance of human life is not always understood.

SB Canto 5

Lord Ṛṣabhadeva tells His sons about the importance of human life. The living entity who is awarded the human form must act differently from animals.

SB 5.5.1, Purport: In this verse Lord Ṛṣabhadeva tells His sons about the importance of human life. The word deha-bhāk refers to anyone who accepts a material body, but the living entity who is awarded the human form must act differently from animals. Animals like dogs and hogs enjoy sense gratification by eating stool. After undergoing severe hardships all day, human beings are trying to enjoy themselves at night by eating, drinking, having sex and sleeping. At the same time, they have to properly defend themselves. However, this is not human civilization. Human life means voluntarily practicing suffering for the advancement of spiritual life.

After realizing the glories of human life. Such people should take up the mission to spread the importance of human life throughout the whole world.

SB 5.6.13, Purport: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said:

bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya-janma yāra

janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra

[Cc. Ādi 9.41]

As stated in this verse, Bhārata-varṣa is a most pious land. The followers of Vedic literature understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His different incarnations, and they are privileged to glorify the Lord by following the directions of Vedic literature. After realizing the glories of human life. such people should take up the mission to spread the importance of human life throughout the whole world. This is the mission of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Human life is so important. So many things are to be learned, neither in the school, college, educational institution, society, nothing of the sort.

Lecture on SB 1.16.25 -- Hawaii, January 21, 1974: Here in Hawaii we see that children, children and elderly persons also, the whole day and night, simply jumping in the sea. Someone is swimming, somebody is doing something else, somebody is swimming. How they're wasting time. But they have taken, "This is civilization. This is civilization." Human life is so important. So many things are to be learned, neither in the school, college, educational institution, society, nothing of the sort. Just like a dog is also jumping, a man is also jumping. This is going on. But that is not civilization. Real civilization means these things are to be acquired in real life, personal life, then that is civilization.

Because human life is important. So Parīkṣit Mahārāja, although he was on the threshold of death, he was allowed seven days time.

Lecture on SB 2.3.1 -- Los Angeles, May 19, 1972: Because human life is important. So Parīkṣit Mahārāja, although he was on the threshold of death, he was allowed seven days time. He was cursed to death, but he was given seven days time. "You, king, you shall die within seven days—after seven days—being bitten by serpent." This is was the curse given to him. He accepted. He could counteract it. Parīkṣit Mahārāja was Vaiṣṇava. He was very powerful. But he thought that "Yes, I am offender. The brāhmaṇa boy has cursed me, I shall accept it." So, he prepared himself for death. For seven days he placed himself on the bank of the Ganges without drinking a drop of water, and for seven days continually, he heard Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from Śukadeva Gosvāmī.

Philosophy Discussions

Why consider the human life is important and the animal life is not important?" These are the questions of ethical law.

Philosophy Discussion on Soren Aabye Kierkegaard: Prabhupāda: Just because animal has no soul, so they can be killed. This is another theory. So why the animal has no soul? So imperfect knowledge. So on the basis of imperfect knowledge this ethic or this humanitarian, what is the value? We do not give any value to all this understanding. Where is the ethics? If you protect the human life by giving him something by killing—there are so many medicines, but the killing is very prominent—then next point should be that if you say that the human life is important, so nonimportant animal-killing can be supported to save the important. Then the question will be, "Why it is important? Why consider the human life is important and the animal life is not important?" These are the questions of ethical law. Where are these discussions on the ethical laws?

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Mister Popworth and E. F. Schumacher -- July 26, 1973, London: Prabhupāda: When there is no food, so human life is more important than animal life. So the human life should be saved at the sacrifice of animals. That is another question. But where there is complete facilities to get very nice, nutritious food, why these poor animals should be killed?

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

They do not know the importance of human life. "Eat, drink, be merry, and enjoy." That's all.

Morning Walk -- June 22, 1974, Germany:

Haṁsadūta: This week is the big world football matches. So everyone goes to see that. They either stay at home and watch television or they go to the fields.

Prabhupāda: Because they have been taught like that. What is their fault? They do not know the importance of human life. "Eat, drink, be merry, and enjoy." That's all. And then become a dog. That's all. They do not know. And they say, "Never mind I shall become a dog. After all, I will forget everything."

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Human life is so important, and we are simply wasting this valuable life with this temporary adjustment of so-called happiness or distress, big, big plans.

Room Conversation -- April 13, 1977, Bombay:

Girirāja: Well, he agreed that the modern civilization is a failure and that people are not happy, that people were more happy before.

Prabhupāda: It is a dangerous civilization. You... You should... (pause) Dangerous civilization that labdhvā su-durlabham idaṁ bahu-sambhavānte. After many, many millions of years one gets the chance of becoming a human being, especially civilized and especially in India. They will bring the same. And Kṛṣṇa personally says that if this chance is missed and a person does not become God realized, then he again returns back to the..., to the... Today I am a prime minister. Tomorrow, if I become a dog... What is this civilization? And they will have to become. Nature's law we cannot avoid. And there is no question, "Why you are touching me? I am prime minister." Who cares for you? You have to take account of your activities, karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa [SB 3.31.1]. So human life is so important, and we are simply wasting this valuable life with this temporary adjustment of so-called happiness or distress, big, big plans.

1974 Correspondence

I wish that from the very beginning of life everyone should be enlightened with Krsna Consciousness, because the human life is very important for fulfilling this mission.

Letter to Mr. Saxena -- Hyderabad 23 April, 1974: I am very much pleased to know that you are trying to organize a home for retired gentlemen for fully devoting the rest of their lives for service to Lord Krsna. My Krsna Consciousness movement is especially meant for this purpose. I wish that from the very beginning of life everyone should be enlightened with Krsna Consciousness, because the human life is very important for fulfilling this mission. The mission of human life is to understand the real constitutional position of the spirit soul and to know that everyone of us living entities is an eternal servant of Krsna.