You can prepare yourself for your next body. So ultimate goal is to get a body in the kingdom of God. That is—saṁsiddhiṁ paramaṁ gataḥ—that is highest perfection. You can get a body next in . . . as a human being in the rich man's family, or as a king, or as a leader, or as a cat, as a dog, as a tree. That will depend on your work. Similarly, you can get your next body as associates of God, Kṛṣṇa. That is stated, that you can have: mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām (BG 9.25). "Those who are My devotees, they come to Me," Kṛṣṇa says.
And what is the benefit of going to Kṛṣṇa? Mām upetya kaunteya duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam nāpnuvanti (BG 8.15): "If someone comes to Me, then he does not get any more this material body to come to this material world." What is the harm if I come to the material world? That duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam. This material world is full of miseries, and that also temporary. Even if you accept that I shall adjust my miserable condition of life, but still nature will not allow you to live there. You may think that, "We are Americans. We have got enough money, vast land, resources. I shall live as American." But you can live as American, say, for fifty years. You'll not be allowed to live as American or as Indian or this or that.
Even as Brahmā you will be not allowed. Brahmā has got his one day millions of years. He will also not be allowed. The ant will not be allowed, a cat will not be allowed, an elephant will not be allowed, a man will not be allowed, a demigod will not be allowed to live forever. Hiraṇyakaśipu tried to live forever. He underwent severe penances to become immortal. It was not possible. That is not. Of course, the lunatic scientist says that, "By scientific advancement we shall become immortal." They are lunatic. It is not possible. Because in the past there is no such incidence, so in the present there is no such incidence, how you can expect in the future such incidence? That is not possible.