760708CC.WDC
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila 20.103

Washington, D.C., July 8, 1976
Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.) "Translation: Actually I do not know how to inquire about the goal of life and the process for obtaining it. Being merciful upon me, please explain all these truths."
Prabhupada:
'sadhya'-'sadhana'-tattva puchite na jani
krpa kari' saba tattva kaha ta' apani
The injunction in the Bhagavad-gita is that tad viddhi, try to understand. Not try, but must try. The human life is meant for understanding tattva, the Absolute Truth. That is the special advantage of the human life. If a human being does not inquire or he's not trained up to inquire about it, it is a great disadvantage and it is enviousness. In the human life, the chance is there to make a solution of the whole problem, struggle for existence, survival of the fittest. This is going on life after life. Now here is a chance, human life, he can understand what is the goal of life and how to achieve it. He can be trained up. So if that opportunity is refused to the human society by the guardians, by the government, it is a great misservice, a great disadvantage. To keep them in darkness of animal propensities... Because we are changing our body, here is a chance, after many evolutionary process, many thousand and millions of years. We are going to the park. How many plants and creepers are there, how many animals, how many aquatics? We have to come through all these processes, evolutionary process. So here is a chance. Therefore for the human being it is advised that try to understand the goal of your life. Tad vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet samit-panih srotriyam [MU 1.2.12]. That is Vedic instruction. Must try. So from the very beginning, if children are not trained up to inquire about the goal of life, they are kept in darkness, simply eat, drink, be merry and enjoy, that is not civilization. They must be trained up. The opportunity must be given so that he can inquire more and more about the goal of life.
The goal of life is, as Caitanya Mahaprabhu will explain, that we are intimately related with God. Someway or other, we are fallen down in this material world, and we are by mistake accepting this body as self, and we are being trained up also only to see the bodily interests just like cats and dogs. The animals also, they are interested with the body only. They have no other interest. But if a human being is kept in the same darkness, simply bodily interest, that is a great disadvantage. So Sanatana Gosvami, he understands that, because he has already begun,
'ke ami', 'kene amaya jare tapa-traya'
iha nahi jani-'kemane hita hara'
There are so many things with which we have to struggle. This is called struggle for existence. Even the modern scientists, they call... It is not a very peaceful situation. The same question was raised by Sanatana Gosvami that Why there should be struggle for existence? Why not easy life, peaceful life? Why some outer elements, they are giving us opposition? I want to be happy, but there is opposition. That is struggle for existence. This question should be there: Why? Even with a fly we have to fight. I am sitting, without doing any harm to the fly, but it attacks, bothering me. There are so many. Even if you sit down without any offense... Just like you are passing on the street, there is no offense, but from one house all the dogs begin to bark: "Why you are coming here? Why you are coming here?" There was no cause of his barking, but because it is dog, his business is "Why you are coming, why you are coming?" Similarly, we have no freedom to go from one place to another at present moment. There is immigration department: "Why you are coming? Why you are coming?" In many places we have been refused to enter. We have been refused from the airplane. "No, you cannot enter, go back." So I had to go back. So, so many disadvantages. Padam padam yad vipadam na tesam [SB 10.14.58]. In this material world, you cannot live very peacefully. Not very; not peacefully at all. There are so many impediments. The sastra says, padam padam yad vipadam: every step there is danger. Not only from these lower animals, but from the human society, by nature, on which we have no control. So in this way, our life is not very happy in this material world, and we should be advanced in inquiring about it, that why there are so many impediments. That is human life.
So how to inquire? How to become happy? What is the goal of life? Sanatana Gosvami... Not only Sanatana Gosvami, he's representing us. We do not know, we do not know. So by the mercy of Caitanya Mahaprabhu or by the mercy of the servants of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, one can be enlightened as to the..., what is the goal of life, why there is struggle for existence, why there is death. I do not want to die; why there is birth? I do not wish to enter into the mother's womb and remain packed-up condition for so many days; I do not want to become old man; but these things are enforced upon me. Therefore our business is..., real business is how to solve these questions, not to arrange for economic development. Economic development, whatever we are destined, we shall get it. Either happiness or distress, we shall get it. Just like we don't try for distress, but it comes. It is enforced upon us. Similarly, the little happiness which you are destined to obtain, that will also come. That is sastra's advice. Don't waste your time to get artificially some happiness. Whatever you are destined to get happiness, it will come automatically. How it will come? Yatha duhkham ayatnatah. The same way. Just like you don't try for distress, but it comes upon you. Similarly, even if you don't try for happiness, whatever you are destined, you will get.
So don't waste your time bothering about this so-called happiness and distress. Better engage your valuable time to understand what is the goal of life, why there are so many problems, why you have to struggle for existence. This is your business... This is Krsna consciousness movement, that we are inducing people to understand the problem. It is not a sectarian movement or so-called religious movement. It is not a religion. It is educational cultural movement. Every man has to understand the goal of life. Every man has to understand why there is struggle for existence, if there is any remedy, if there is any process where we can live very peacefully without any disturbances, without any... These are the things to be learned in human life, and one should approach... Just like Sanatana Gosvami, he was minister, very educated, well placed, but he has approached Caitanya Mahaprabhu. So we should approach the Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu or His representative, and surrender. Tad viddhi pranipatena [Bg. 4.34]. The way is not challenging, "Can you show me God?" These are challenges. Not this way. God is everywhere, but first of all make your eyes to see God, then you challenge, "Can you show me God?" This attitude will not help us. Submissive. Tad viddhi pranipatena. This is the injunction of the sastra. If you want to understand the science, transcendental science, tad viddhi try to understandbut pranipatena, very humbly. Just like Sanatana Gosvami is submitting very humbly.
So tad viddhi pranipatena pariprasnena [Bg. 4.34]. First of all pranipat, then pariprasnena, questioning. Don't waste your time by questioning some spiritual master or somebody unless you have pranipat. You must be ready to accept the answer which he gives; then make inquiry. If you think that "I have to test his answer, because I am more learned or more advanced than him," then don't go there, don't propose anything or inquire anything. You first of all settle up, that whatever, "I am going to inquire something from somebody," so whatever answer he'll give, you'll accept. Then there is question of inquiry. Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Sanatana Gosvami, he is completely surrendering. He said that "I am blank. I do not know actually how to inquire You. So kindly You speak everything, what is the subject matter of inquiry and what is the answer of such inquiry. I am completely blank slate. I am simply submitting to You." Sadhya, the goal of life, and sadhana, the process by which one can approach.
So "I do not know anything about it, simply I'm depending on Your mercy." That is krpa kari. That is surrender. In this way, we can make advancement in our spiritual education, and we must carry out the order of the spiritual master. Just like you are singing daily, guru-mukha-padma-vakya cittete kariya aikya ara na kariha mane asa. Ara na kariha mane asa **do not think otherwise. Simply whatever... First of all, select who will be your spiritual master. You must know the preliminary law. Just like if you want to purchase gold, at least you must know where gold is available. If you want to purchase diamond... So you must know, if you are so foolish that you go to a butcher shop and ask him to supply diamond or gold, then you'll be cheated. You must know at least where to go and purchase gold or diamond. These are valuable things. So that requires little intelligence and sincerity. If we are sincere that "I want to purchase gold or diamond..." This is crude example, but the spiritual inquiry..., if one is actually serious about understanding the goal of life, spiritual knowledge, then Krsna is situated in everyone's heart. He understands how this person is sincerely seeking. Then He'll give direction that "You do this." He is giving direction in every respect. We want to do so many things, so Krsna is giving us facility.
He is giving all facilities. But when one becomes actually very much eager to understand Krsna, God, He is very glad to give instruction, that "You go to such and such person and you submissively inquire, and you'll be..." Guru-krsna krpaya paya bhakti-lata-bija [Cc. Madhya 19.151]. By the mercy of guru, by the mercy of Krsna, one can make advancement in spiritual understanding. So one must be sincere. Then every direction is there.
Thank you very much. (end)

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