Those who are blind, those who cannot see, what is that? Ātma-tattvam. Apaśyatām ātma-tattvam (SB 2.1.2), those who are blind to the subject matter of self-realization. There is a subject matter of self-realization that just like we are body, mind and soul. The soul is covered by the underwear: mind, intelligence and ego; and the underwear is covered by the gross coat, this body. This is our position.
So those who are blind to the subject matter of the soul, those who are thinking, "I am this body," they are very less intelligent class. They are almost animal. The animal cannot think beyond his body. A dog is thinking, "I am this body." The cat is thinking, "I am this body." Beyond this, he has no power. He is so low-grade. Therefore, he is called animal. But a human being can understand that, "I am not this body." A human being can meditate; he can see his hands: "Am I this hand? Am I this finger?" No. The answer will come, "No, it is my hand. It is my finger."
Similarly, you study—this is called meditation—you study yourself. So many things, so many subject matter. Take, for example, miseries of life. You can meditate upon that, "I don't want these kind of miseries, but they are enforced upon me." This is subject matter for meditation. So a man dies. A man dies means his body is finished. But a person who is in different sense of knowledge, he wants to think over subject matter, what is that thing which is no longer existing so that the man is dead?
These are the subject matters for one who is interested in self-realization, ātma-tattvam. This is called ātma-tattvam, to understand oneself, what I am. This is very important part of knowledge in human form of life. In the human form of life, if he does not come to this stage of inquiring, "What I am? Am I this body? Am I this mind? Am I this intelligence? Or I am something else?" . . . so apaśyatām ātma-tattvam (SB 2.1.2), those who are blind to see the self, for them there are so many subject matters. The newspaper will supply, the magazine will supply.
Just like, for example, our students in Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, they never read newspaper nor any other magazine. They simply read these Kṛṣṇa consciousness books. We have got so many books: Kṛṣṇa, Nectar of Devotion, Teachings of Lord . . . big, big books, one of the Bhāgavatam in twelve parts.
So we have got about twenty books already published, and our program is to publish at least sixty books like this. So our subject matter is very vast. We have no time to read newspapers, neither any magazines. Vyavasāyātmikā buddhiḥ. Just like a big scientist or a big medical practitioner, he reads scientific magazines, a scientist. A medical man, a doctor, physician, he reads medical journals. He does not waste his time in big, big chat-chat in the newspaper. He has no time.
So those who are interested in self-realization . . . that is the only business for the human form of life. Human form of life means to make solution of all the problems of material life. Sukham ātyantikam. Every one of us, we are searching after happiness, that's a fact. But we are misguided. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamāna.
I am asking somebody, "Will you give me any information how I can become happy?" He is also rascal. He gives you something wrong information. And you try it, and you will fall down, there is no happiness. This is going on. The inquiry is there, "Where is happiness? What I can do?" But unless one is fortunate to come in contact with a person who can give you information of Kṛṣṇa, you cannot have happiness. This is a fact.
So Vedic instruction is there that if you want happiness, if you want solution of the problems of life, then tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). In order to learn that science where I can get happiness, one must approach a guru, a spiritual master. This is Vedic instruction. Not only Vedas; in all the śāstras.
In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said, tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam (SB 11.3.21). Guru . . . who is to seek out that guru? Not ordinary person. Ordinary persons who are trying to know the news of the world, they do not require any guru. There is no necessity. Their subject matter is supplied by the newspaper, magazines, and so many other things. But guru is needed for whom? Jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam: one who is inquisitive to learn about the transcendental subject matter, uttama.
Uttama means . . . ut means transcendental, and tama means the darkness. This world is dark. Just like at night now, because there is no more sunshine, it is dark. Actually it is dark. Simply by sunshine, moonshine, electricity, fire, in this way we keep it glittering. Otherwise, it is dark. This whole universe is dark. By God's arrangement, there is sun, moon, like that, illumining. But there is another world, where there is no need of sun and moon, and that is spiritual world. That is spiritual world, this information is there.
So therefore, uttamam, one who is inquisitive to learn about that spiritual world, not of this dark world . . . the world is dark, I have already explained. Against this there is another world, who is full of light. Because unless there is light, there cannot be darkness. We cannot understand what is darkness unless there is light. Or we cannot understand light unless there is darkness.
So because this world is dark, therefore you can conclude by logical argument there must be another world which is full of light. That is not very difficult to understand. Just like here is light, the other wall is darkness. So because this world is dark, tama, there must be another world which is full of light. Not only your logical conclusion, but it is confirmed by the Vedic literature.