This human form of life is meant for self-realization. This life is not meant for working hard like cats and dogs and hogs for sense gratification. No. This life is not meant for that purpose. We have got developed consciousness, intelligence. We should ask, "What is this life?" The Bhāgavata says, parābhavas tāvad abodha-jātaḥ. (SB 5.5.5).
We are ignorant, we are born ignorant, and we are doing so many things, activities, we are engaged. But we should see whether we are gaining or losing, whether we are conquering or being defeated. That should be our business to see. So, how to test it? The Bhāgavata says, so long you do not come to the platform of understanding yourself, whatever you are doing, it is simply defeat. Zero. Zero has no value. If you go on adding zero, zero, zero, zero, million times, the value is zero. But if there is zero and put on the left side one, it becomes immediately ten.
Therefore, according to . . . not according to; everyone, everyone reasonable man can understand that, "What I am doing? What I am gaining?" In your country especially, I see there is so much frustration among the youngsters. They are finding that this is zero. Some way or other they are trying to realize that this sort of life is zero, actually.
Human life, simply increasing the demands of our senses, these activities are zero activities. Parābhava, defeating. Yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam (SB 5.5.5).
When a human being . . . as long as a human being does not inquire, "What I am? Why I am suffering? I do not wish to die. Why death is enforced upon me? I do not want to be diseased. Why disease is forced upon me? I do not want to become old. Why I become old? I do not wish to die. Why I . . ." These things are very important questions. That is called ātma-tattvam, self-realization.