We have become so dull, like the animals. The animals, they cannot question. They are suffering. Everyone knows animal life is full of suffering, but they cannot realize. But a human being can realize. And when the question comes, when he becomes intelligent enough that "Why I am suffering?" then his human life begins. Otherwise, he is animal. The animal cannot inquire. An animal is being taken to the slaughterhouse, but he cannot question or inquire that "Why I am taken by force in this slaughterhouse?" That is animal. But if you take one human being to be killed, if he understands, he'll make a great noise, that "This man is going, taking me. Why I am being . . ." so on, so on. Yes. That is human life. That is the distinction between human life and animal life, that one can understand that "Why I am put into this condition of suffering?" This is called brahma-jijñāsā. That is the beginning of Vedānta philosophy: athāto brahma jijñāsā. Then we understand, one after another.
So we should take advantage. Not that we shall live like animal, without any inquiry, without finding out the remedy, how to stop this miserable condition of life. We are actually trying. Everyone is working so hard, struggle for existence. He is trying. Why one is trying to get money? Because he thinks that "If I get money, then the distressed condition in which I am suffering, it can be mitigated." So the struggle for existence is going on. Everyone is trying to become happy. But that is not in the material way. Material way, we are trying to get happiness, that means sense gratification. That is not happiness. Happiness means spiritual happiness. That is happiness. This material happiness is temporary. That is not happiness, but perverted happiness. It is exemplified just like we are trying to find out water in the desert. Actually in the desert there is no water, but an animal, he sees that there is water in the desert, as we also see. But we are human being. We know in the desert there is no water, it is a reflection of the sunshine. But animal does not know. He's thirsty, he looks after the water in the desert. So this is the distinction between animal and human life.
So by understanding knowledge, real life, from sādhu-śāstra-guru-vākya, by approaching saintly persons, sādhu . . . Śāstra means authorized scriptures. Sādhu, śāstra and guru, and spiritual master, this is the source of knowledge. And the Vedic injunction is tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). In order to learn that higher, transcendental platform of knowledge, one should approach a guru, bona fide guru, who knows.