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Problem of human life

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

This is only one-fourth, this material world. So our problem of human life is to get out of these material clutches and transfer ourselves to the spiritual world. That is real problem.
Lecture on BG 4.9 -- Bombay, March 29, 1974:

The soul, in its original spiritual body, can be transferred from this material world to the spiritual world. And there is the spiritual world as I've already explained, that is three times creation of the Lord. This is only one-fourth, this material world. So our problem of human life is to get out of these material clutches and transfer ourselves to the spiritual world. That is real problem. Not this food problem, that problem. This will go on. So long you are in the material world, such problems will come and go. They're not permanent. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Āgamāpāyinaḥ anityāḥ tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata. These problems, they'll come and they'll go. Just like seasonal changes.

mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya
śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ
āgamāpāyino 'nityās
tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata
(BG 2.14)

That is real knowledge. We should not be disturbed by the material problems. You cannot avoid them. So long... Just like if you are in the winter season, how you can avoid cold, infection by cold, or affection by cold? You cannot avoid. That does not mean, because it is the season is very cool and you cannot take bath. No. You must take bath. That is Aryan civilization. Still in India we'll find in the villages severe cold. Still the people are taking bath early in the morning. They are accustomed. But now we are giving up. Now we are rising at seven o'clock because we are advanced in education. And if there is maṅgala-ārātrika, it is nuisance. This is our advancement of civilization at the present moment. But if you go in the villages, you'll find that the villagers rising early in the morning, they're taking bath, changing cloth, and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa as far as possible. Still in the mass of people of India, the Kṛṣṇa consciousness is still existing, it is not yet lost.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Although I am changing my body, I am living. Therefore, when I change this body, I shall continue to live. This is the bare truth. Why you do not understand? Life is continuous. Simply you are changing bodies. Now how I am preparing for the next nice body which is eternal? That is the problem of human life, not that to be carried away by cats and dogs and meat and fish and everything.
Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Boston, April 28, 1969:

Just like if you are posted in a nice position, you try to utilize that position very intelligently. Just like if you have, anyone, although any post here is temporary, but anyone tries... Similarly, we should try to utilize this human form of life very intelligently. There is another verse in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa, labdhvā su-durlabham idaṁ bahu-sambhavānte... That is the way of Vedic instruction. Everywhere you'll find. Labdhvā su-durlabham idaṁ bahu-sambhavānte. After many, many births... Unfortunately, they do not believe in the next birth, or past birth—always in ignorance. But that is a fact, and we are repeatedly exemplified that I am living. Although I am changing my body, I am living. Therefore, when I change this body, I shall continue to live. This is the bare truth. Why you do not understand? Life is continuous. Simply you are changing bodies. Now how I am preparing for the next nice body which is eternal? That is the problem of human life, not that to be carried away by cats and dogs and meat and fish and everything. No. This is the main theme of this instruction, that tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena, yena śuddhyet sattvam (SB 5.5.1). Tapo divyaṁ putra, putrakā yena sattvaṁ śuddhyet. Just try to purify your existence. Just like I gave you the list of purification from lowest stage of life to the highest, so, I mean to say, as the change of body, just like change of dress, you like a nice dress, giving up the old dress, similarly, change of body is going on. You accept the first-class body next life, first-class body next life which is eternal, which is not subjected to the tribulations of this body. That should be the aim of human civilization, not that simply getting money and spending for sense gratification. That is cats' and dogs' civilization. That is not human civilization. One should utilize the opportunity.

General Lectures

I do not like to be old man, but still, it is compulsory. I do not like to suffer from disease, but it is compulsory. These, these are to be solved. That is really problems of human life.
Lecture -- Los Angeles, May 18, 1972:

Just like I was speaking that there is a spiritual world. It is not the subject matter of our speculation. But when God says, "Yes, there is a spiritual world, that is My headquarters," that is all right. That is all right. Yes. So we receive knowledge from Kṛṣṇa, the best authority. Therefore our knowledge is perfect. We are not perfect, but our knowledge is perfect. Because we receive knowledge from the perfect. The same example, that I am not perfect to understand who is my father, but my mother is perfect, and because I accept the perfect knowledge of my mother, therefore my knowledge of father is perfect. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is for giving perfect knowledge to the human society: what He is, what is God, what is this material world, why you have come here, why you have to undergo so much tribulation, miserable condition of life, why I die. I do not like to die, but death is compulsory. I do not like to be old man, but still, it is compulsory. I do not like to suffer from disease, but it is compulsory. These, these are to be solved. That is really problems of human life.

Philosophy Discussions

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.
Philosophy Discussion on Thomas Aquinas:

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 (SB 1.1.10), and they are unfortunate and, and disturbed. Disturbance is always there, but they are not mindful about the real disturbances of life. Now, on the whole in this age, practically the human being has become like animal. The animal, although always in disturbed condition, cannot understand the aim of life, what is his position. So this type of civilization is very, very dangerous to the human society, that they have no aim of life.

Correspondence

1973 Correspondence

Just some days ago I was discussing with Professor Alister Hardy—Head of Religious Experimental research unit Oxford, it was his opinion that the problems of human life are over-population, environmental pollution etc.. But from Bhagavad-gita we understand that God is the father of all living beings, so the father must be competent to provide for all the children.
Letter to Spiritual Sons and Daughters -- Bhaktivedanta Manor 27 July, 1973:

Human life begins when there is systematic education in the science of God consciousness. Just some days ago I was discussing with Professor Alister Hardy—Head of Religious Experimental research unit Oxford, it was his opinion that the problems of human life are over-population, environmental pollution etc.. But from Bhagavad-gita we understand that God is the father of all living beings, so the father must be competent to provide for all the children, and in the case of the Supreme Father this is actually so—we get it from Vedic Literature "nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13)—Amongst all the Eternals there is one chief Eternal Being and he is engaged in supplying and fulfilling the desires of all the others." Therefore our conclusion was that the real problem is not over-population or pollution, malnutrition etc., but the actual problem is Godlessness. So you are all intelligent boys and girls—therefore my request to you is that you study this science of Krishna Consciousness and solve all the problems of the world by systematic propaganda as far as you are able to do it.

Page Title:Problem of human life
Compiler:Labangalatika, Visnu Murti, Kanupriya
Created:03 of Sep, 2009
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=4, Con=0, Let=1
No. of Quotes:5