EATING, SLEEPING, MATING & DEFENDING – THE ANIMALISTIC LIFE

Dedicated to my spiritual master His Divine Grace Abhaya Charan Bhaktivedanta Swami 'Srila Prabhupada'

Introduction


Vedic literatures confirm that there are 8,400,000 varieties of life. Each form is unique in itself. And the living entity transmigrates into different forms based on the stringent laws of material nature as a reaction to one’s actions. But to revolve in the cycle of transmigration in a series of these vast varieties of lives is an imprisoned life for the condemned conditioned souls. The human form of life is a chance to get out of this imprisoned life, and as such the only occupation of the human being is to reestablish his lost relationship with God.

Human life - The purpose

Human life is meant for cultivation of spiritual knowledge, in eternal relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In the lower animal species, the living entity completely forgets his relationship with the Lord, and consequently he is constantly busy eating, sleeping, fearing and attempting to gratify his senses. Such a life of forgetfulness is the aim of modern civilization, which seeks to attain such an animalistic life by improved economics. Real civilization, however, means stopping such animalistic life.

Whatever form of material existence one is in, one is invariably ignorant of his real situation. In other words, existence in the material world is due to the multiple reactions to our sinful lives. Ignorance is the cause of sinful life, which consequently is the cause of one's dragging on in material existence. The human form of life is the only loophole by which one may get out of this entanglement. One who fails to use the human form of life for self realization risks gliding down into lower species of life and thus temporarily loses the chance to make spiritual advancement. Srila Prabhupada says that every intelligent man should at least experiment with Krishna consciousness and gamble atleast this one life by surrendering & devoting himself to Krishna. An intelligent man should think and understand that he has been enjoying this eating, sleeping, mating and defending for so many lives. These things are available for one to enjoy even in bird and animal bodies. Now in this human form of life, which one gets after many a life of pious activities, he must learn to regulate the four principles of animalistic life—eating, sleeping, defending and mating—and devote time to develop Krishna consciousness. In this way one’s life will be successful.

In the Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad (3.8.10) the perplexed man is described as follows:

“yo va etad aksaram gargy aviditvasmal lokat praiti sa krpanah”

He is a miserly man who does not solve the problems of life as a human and who thus quits this world like the cats and dogs, without understanding the science of self-realization.

Vedic wisdom underlines the fact that this human form of life is a most valuable asset for the living entity who can utilize it for solving the problems of life; therefore, one who does not utilize this opportunity properly is a miser.

Conclusion

In summary, a fully responsible man should always be conscious of the prime duty of the present human form of life. The activities to meet the immediate necessities of material life are not everything. One should always be alert in his duty for attainment of the best situation in the next life. Human life is meant for preparing ourselves for that prime duty.

Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada


Dr Jagadeesh TG
Prabhupada Dasa
RadhaKrishna Sevak

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Jagadguru Srila Prabhupada - The Real Soul Doctor

ULTIMATE PROBLEMS OF LIFE & SOLUTIONS FROM BHAGAVAD GITA

Dedicated to my spiritual master His Divine Grace Abhaya Charan Bhaktivedanta Swami 'Srila Prabhupada'

The Bhagavad-gitä is the preliminary study of the transcendental science of Krishna consciousness, and it is the duty of all responsible heads of state to chalk out their economic and other programs by referring to the Bhagavad-gitä. We are not meant to solve economic questions of life by balancing on a tottering platform; rather, we are meant to solve the ultimate problems of life which arise due to the laws of nature. Civilization is static unless there is spiritual movement. The soul moves the body, and the living body moves the world. We are concerned about the body, but we have no knowledge of the spirit that is moving that body. Without the spirit, the body is motionless, or dead.

The human body is an excellent vehicle by which we can reach eternal life. It is a rare and very important boat for crossing over the ocean of nescience which is material existence. On this boat there is the service of an expert boatman, the spiritual master. By divine grace, the boat plies the water in a favorable wind. With all these auspicious factors, who would not take the opportunity to cross over the ocean of nescience? If one neglects this good chance, it should be known that he is simply committing suicide.

There is certainly a great deal of comfort in the first-class coach of a train, but if the train does not move toward its destination, what is the benefit of an air-conditioned compartment? Contemporary civilization is much too concerned with making the material body comfortable. No one has information of the real destination of life, which is to go back to Godhead. We must not just remain seated in a comfortable compartment; we should see whether or not our vehicle is moving toward its real destination. There is no ultimate benefit in making the material body comfortable at the expense of forgetting the prime necessity of life, which is to regain our lost spiritual identity.

The boat of human life is constructed in such a way that it must move toward a spiritual destination. Unfortunately this body is anchored to mundane consciousness by five strong chains, which are: (1) attachment to the material body due to ignorance of spiritual facts, (2) attachment to kinsmen due to bodily relations, (3) attachment to the land of birth and to material possessions such as house, furniture, estates, property, business papers, etc., (4) attachment to material science, which always remains mysterious for want of spiritual light, and (5) attachment to religious forms and holy rituals without knowing the Personality of Godhead or His devotees, who make them holy. These attachments, which anchor the boat of the human body, are explained in detail in the Fifteenth Chapter of the Bhagavad-gitä. 

-from Science of Self Realization by Srila Prabhupada
-for more read insights read 'BG - As it is' by Srila Prabhupada 15.3-4

Jagadguru Srila Prabhupada -The Real 'Soul Doctor'

Prabhupada Dasa

RadhaKrishna Sevak

www.folknet.in

www.twitter.com/drjgdsh