Just like we are instructing our students, "My dear boys, do not have illicit sex life, do not eat meat, fish, eggs; do not indulge in intoxication, up to drinking tea and smoking; and do not indulge in gambling." Of course, it is very difficult, especially in the Western countries. Not now; some, about thirty years ago, in this city of London, one of my Godbrothers came to preach, and he met Lord Zetland. So Lord Zetland asked this Swāmījī whether he can be turned into a brāhmin. The Swāmījī replied: "Yes, you can become a brāhmin." "How?" "Now, you have to give up these four things: no illicit sex life, no meat-eating, fish-eating, no gambling, no intoxication." He said, "It is impossible." He replied: "Impossible."
So actually, in the Western countries, these things are ordinary things, so they do not take it as any bad thing or any sinful. But according to Vedic śāstra, these four principles are the basic principles or the four pillars of sinful life. Striya-sūnā-pāna-dyūta yatra pāpaś catur-vidhā (SB 1.17.38).
So the real purpose of life, as it is advised by Ṛṣabhadeva, tapo divyam: "My dear boys, just accept austerity and penances for transcendental realization," divyam. Divyam means the platform where God can be understood. Just like Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). If we can understand God on the transcendental platform, not in this material platform by imagination or speculation . . . that is not God. One has to understand God on the transcendental platform, śuddha-sattva. Sattvaṁ viśuddhaṁ vasudeva-śabditam (SB 4.3.23). On the vasudeva platform we can understand Vāsudeva. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya.
So here it is advised: tapo divyam. The whole business is . . . everyone is hankering after happiness. That's a fact. The karmīs, the ordinary workers, fruitive workers . . . just like big, big city, they are whole day and night the motorcars going this way and that way, this way and that way, whoosh, woosh, woosh, woosh, woosh, woosh, woosh . . . why? For finding out, "Where is happiness? Where is happiness? Where is happiness?" Happiness. But happiness we are not receiving, because in this contaminated world happiness is not possible; therefore we have to get out of this body, material body. Then there will be happiness.
In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tad atīndriya-grāhyam (BG 6.21). What is real happiness, that will be realized when you are on the transcendental sense gratification. At the present moment we are on the material sense gratification. So material sense gratification will not give us real happiness. Everyone is trying to get happiness; so therefore Ṛṣabhadeva said, tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyet sattvam. Your exis . . . first of all, purify your existence; then talk of happiness.