The whole Vedic instruction is just to deliver all suffering humanity from the threefold miseries of material existence. That is the aim and object of Vedic civilization. That means this human form of life is meant for finishing all kinds of troubles. That should be the effort of human being. Actually, they are doing so. Everyone is trying to minimize the miseries of life and get happiness of life. That is the impetus of all activities. But unfortunately, they do not know how to do it.
The first thing is that one should very nicely understand the position of material existence. The Sanātana Gosvāmī, who approached Lord Caitanya, he presented himself that, "My dear Lord, people in general, they speak of me that I am very learned man," grāmya vyavahāre kaha paṇḍita (CC Madhya 20.100), "I am very learned man. But actually when I think of myself, what kind of learned man I am, I do not know what I am." So this type of advancement of knowledge, for simply for material comforts, without knowing about oneself, "What I am?" they're simply useless labor. One should try to understand what he is.
That is also the beginning of Vedānta-sūtra. Athāto brahma jijñāsā: one should be inquisitive to understand about himself, Brahman, or the Supreme Brahman. That is the real necessity of this human form of life. The animals, they cannot inquire about himself or about the Supreme. But a human being can inquire that "I want to become happy, but miseries are coming upon me one after another."
At least, one should know what are the miseries. The miseries are three kinds of miseries. It is not the question of one religion or another religion. The miserable condition of life is for everyone, either he is Hindu or he is Muslim or Christian or Jew. It doesn't matter. Anyone who has accepted this material body has to undergo the miserable condition of material existence. That is a fact.
And what are the miserable condition? There are three types: adhyātmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika. Adhyātmika means pertaining to the body, mind. Everyone is experienced that, "I'm not feeling today well due to some sickness of my body or some mental disturbance." This is called adhyātmika. And there are other miseries, inflicted by other living entities: my enemies, some animal, some mosquito or some bug.
There are so many living entities, they are also trying to give me some trouble. This is called adhibhautika. And there is another type of misery, which is called adhidaivika. That is natural disturbance—severe cold, severe heat, some famine, some earthquake, some disaster, some hurricanes. There are so many things, natural disturbance.