I beg to acknowledge receipt of your kind invitation dated Chandigarh, 19-3-76, addressed to my Bombay address. I am very glad to learn that you are endeavouring to understand the prime goal of life, without which the facility of human life becomes futile. I have just come back from Delhi yesterday and I'm preparing for going to Australia by the 10th April, therefore, I am very sorry that I must inform you I will not be able to attend the function, however, I am sending herewith the answers to your questions, as far as I know. As we have received this knowledge from the greatest authority, Krishna, these answers will be acceptable in every sphere of spiritual activity.
First question: What is the true aim of human life?
Answer: The real aim of life is to go back to Home, back to Godhead. We all living entities in different forms of body numbering 8,400,000 forms beginning from the aquatics up to the best advanced form of human life, there is a regular evolution by the laws of nature. The real fact is that we living entities although part and parcel of God, on account of our own disobedience have come down to this material world under different circumstances. We have different types of material dresses to fulfill the tendency for sense gratification, and this by the laws of nature, by association with the 3 modes of material nature. We are transmigrating through different forms of life. So this human form of life is given to us as an opportunity to understand our position because in the human form of life we have more developed consciousness than the lower forms of life like the aquatics, insects, plants, birds, beasts and the civilized and uncivilized human beings. So the point is that a human being must know the aim of life is to go back to Home, back to Godhead.
Question #2: Which is the exact path to attain this aim?
Answer: God is great and we are all subordinate to God. In other words, God is the Supreme Master and we are all living entities, servants of God. Therefore, the path which teaches this fact, that a living entity is eternal servant of God, that is the only single path which leads one back to Home, back to Godhead.
Question #3: How many leaders have actually achieved this aim?
Answer: This aim is a fact, and the path is a fact, and anyone who takes this path, he can achieve the goal. According to our authorities who have achieved this goal, there are many, many acaryas. In the recent years, within 1500 years, the following acaryas are actually leaders of this goal of life. They are Ramanujacarya, Madhvacarya, Visnu svami, and Nimbarka, and latest within the last 500 years is Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. There are many such leaders who have achieved the goal of life and if you want to follow them, the path is very clearly mentioned.
Question #4: why all the present religions and spiritual systems came into existence, contradicting each other when humanity is meant to follow only one religion?