Business of the human life

Expressions researched:
"business of human" |"business of the human" |"human business"

SB Canto 2

SB 2.9.6, Purport:

According to Bhāgavata philosophy, every human being is meant simply for this tapa and for no other business, because by penance only can one realize his self; and self-realization, not sense gratification, is the business of human life.

SB Canto 4

SB 4.9.67, Purport:

This was not the practice in olden days, as it is evident from the behavior of King Uttānapāda. Immediately after installing his worthy son Dhruva Mahārāja on the throne, he left his home and palace. There are hundreds and thousands of instances like this in which kings, in their mature age, would give up their kingdoms and go to the forest to practice austerity. Practice of austerity is the main business of human life.

SB 4.25.5, Purport:

King Prācīnabarhiṣat found the best spiritual master, Nārada Muni, and he therefore asked him about that knowledge by which one can get out of the entanglement of karma-bandha-phāṅsa, fruitive activities. This is the actual business of human life. Jīvasya tattva jijñāsā nārtho yaś ceha karmabhiḥ. As stated in the Second Chapter of the First Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.2.10), a human being's only business is inquiring from a bona fide spiritual master about extrication from the entanglement of karma-bandha-phāṅsa.

SB 4.28.48, Purport:

The main business of human society is to think of the Supreme Personality of Godhead at all times, to become His devotees, to worship the Supreme Lord and to bow down before Him. The ācārya, the authorized representative of the Supreme Lord, establishes these principles, but when he disappears, things once again become disordered. The perfect disciples of the ācārya try to relieve the situation by sincerely following the instructions of the spiritual master.

SB Canto 10.1 to 10.13

SB 10.10.16, Purport:

The real business of human life is to keep oneself fit for advancement in spiritual realization. Human life is not meant for making the senses unnecessarily strong so that one suffers from disease and one increases in an envious, fighting spirit. In this age of Kali, however, human civilization is so misled that people are unnecessarily increasing in economic development, and as a result they are opening more and more slaughterhouses, liquor shops and brothels. In this way, the whole civilization is being spoiled.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Pittsburgh, September 8, 1972:

Sometimes we are getting better condition of life, sometimes we are getting lower condition of life. There is no guarantee. That will depend on my work. That is practical. In this life also, if you become educated, then your future is very nice. If you are not educated, then your future is not so bright. Similarly, this human form of life, we can make a solution of this repeated birth and death. And that is the only business of human form of life, how to get out of these material conditions of life: birth, death, old age, and disease. We can make solution. And that solution is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on BG 2.58-59 -- New York, April 27, 1966:

If we take the step that "From now we have got the opportunity of human life. Now this life... I have enjoyed material life in various lives, as cats and dogs and in so many lives, the āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca, the same pleasure, eating, sleeping, and sexual intercourse and to take protection... So this is not the business of human life. The human life is just to understand my relationship with the Supreme and engage myself in that engagement." You see? That should be the mission of life. And as soon as we do it, all facilities are open and the little progress you make, you will find that you have no more attachment for material life and material enjoyment.

Lecture on BG 3.21-25 -- New York, May 30, 1966:

If we want to cut off our relationship with the Supreme Lord, or God, by artificial means, then the result will be that we shall be more and more unhappy.Therefore the principle business of the human civilization is to establish, reestablish the lost relationship. The world is suffering by this lost relationship, godless civilization. That should not be tolerated. People should be taught, they should revive their God consciousness, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, by all means and then they will be happy. That is the whole principle.

Lecture on BG 3.27 -- Melbourne, June 27, 1974:

Anyone who has preached... The religious leaders all over the world... Take Lord Jesus Christ or Kṛṣṇa or Mohammed or Lord Buddha. Nobody has said that "You will be happy in this material world." Nobody has said. "You continue this manufacturing of factories, and you will be happy." Has anybody said? No. "Back to home, back to Godhead. Then you will be happy." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, back to home, back to Godhead.We have go speak many things. We have got books. So try to understand and prepare yourself next life to go back to home, back to Godhead. This is the business of human life. All other business are simply useless waste of time.

Lecture on BG 4.34-38 -- New York, August 17, 1966:

So we have formed this association, Internal Association for, of, for Kṛṣṇa, International Society for Kṛṣṇa Consciousness. And I invite everyone of you, not only in America, from all parts of the world, come and join and learn this Kṛṣṇa science, and preach all over the world that people will be happy. It is the business of the human being not to exploit each other. The human being is meant for doing good to others. Lord Caitanya preached this philosophy.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Calcutta, January 27, 1973:

This body is kṣetra, is field of activities according to our karma. But the proprietor of the body, the soul, he's Brahman. He's spirit soul. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre. That Brahman, that spirit soul, is never annihilated after the destruction of this body. Nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre.So we have to understand this fact. This is the business of human life. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. Everyone should be inquisitive to learn about Brahman, the spirit soul. Not like animals. The animals they have got no inquiry about Brahman. They simply eat, sleep beget some offspring and, in due course of time, die. That is not the business of human being. The business of human being is different. That is advised by Prahlāda Mahārāja:

kaumāra ācaret prājño

dharmān bhāgavatān iha

durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma

tad apy adhruvam arthadam

Prahlāda Mahārāja recommends, kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān. Children, kaumāra... Kaumāra means from fifth year to the fifteenth year. These ten years, the boys and girls, especially boys, they should be instructed about religion.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Sydney, February 16, 1973:

In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is said that nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa bhakti 'sādhya' kabhu naya (?). Our loving propensity or our love for God is already there in every living being, but it is now covered due to our ignorance, or due to our contamination with this material nature. So simply we have to awaken that love. That is our business. That awakening of love cannot be possible in other living condition than the human being. The human being, the human form of life, is therefore the perfectional stage, how to develop our love for God, or how we can love God. This is the main business of human life. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. The Vedānta-sūtra says that this life is especially meant for developing or inquiring about our love with Kṛṣṇa, or God. This is the only business. Athāto brahma jijñāsā.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Sydney, February 16, 1973:

Anartha means things we do not want. Artificially we are practiced to things. Just like meat-eating. Meat-eating, we do not practice it from the beginning of our birth. Just after birth the child, the baby, requires little honey or little milk, not the meat. But afterwards, the parents or the guardians are teaching how to eat meat. This is not our human business. Human teeth is meant for eating fruits and grains. That is scientific. Our teeth is made in that way. So anyway, meat-eating, intoxication, illicit sex, as soon as one takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, these four pillars of sinful life is immediately broken.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Hyderabad, April 27, 1974:

I do not wish to die; the death is there. I do not wish to be within the womb of my mother, but I am forced to take a body within the womb of my mother. Then when I get the body, I come out, I am subjected to so many tribulation on account of this body, old age, disease and so many.So actually, this is the problem of living entities. That knowledge can be acquired in the human form of life and it can be solved, not that simply we get the knowledge, but it can be solved. So therefore, real business of human life, to understand oneself, that is called self-realization, brahma-bhūta , and find out the remedy and act accordingly. That is the mission of human life.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Fiji, May 24, 1975:

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is teaching throughout the whole world about the knowledge of the Absolute. There is no question of religion or dogmatism. It is a question of cultural advancement in knowledge. Every human being has got right to understand the absolute knowledge. That is the only business of human being. There is no other business. Unfortunately, for want of training, we are wasting our advanced intelligence for the same business as the cats and dogs are engaged. That is the difficulty. Cats and dogs, they cannot understand what is absolute knowledge. They are busy where to find out food, where to find out shelter, where to find out facility for sexual intercourse, and where to find out shelter to avoid danger, defense, in other words, defense.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Bhuvanesvara, January 22, 1977:

The particular business of human being is stated in the Vedānta-sūtra: athāto brahma jijñāsā. So these four principles of life, āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunam, there is no difference. Only difference is a human being can inquire about what is God or what is Brahman. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. That is the only business of human life. So a cat, a dog cannot inquire about Brahman, but the gentleman inquire about what is God. Because he is human being he could inquire like that. So there is no cause of disappointment. At least our young men in India, at least still inquiring. That is the culture. "What is God?"this is the beginning of human life, when one inquires about Brahman.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Bhuvanesvara, January 22, 1977:

So to inquire about Brahman and to understand Brahman by proper inquiry and by proper answer from the proper source, the cultivation of this knowledge is the business of human being. Therefore a class of men in the society known as brāhmaṇa, brahma jānātīti brāhmaṇaḥ, there is need. There is, necess... The Vedic injunction is tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). In order to understand tad-vijñāna, brahma-vijñāna, one must approach the proper guru or spiritual master.

Lecture on BG 7.4 -- Vrndavana, August 10, 1974:

So gradually, by understanding the teachings of Bhagavad-gītā and practicing it in life, we shall very easily understand the ātma-tattvam. That is the real business of human life.

Lecture on BG 7.11-13 -- Bombay, April 5, 1971:

One should be conscious that "I have got this opportunity of human life. I must be, in this life, simply Kṛṣṇa conscious. I shall simply think of Kṛṣṇa." Satataṁ cintayanto mām. Always cintaya. Satataṁ cintayanto mām, kīrtayanto mām. Always. Teṣām... That verse in the Sixth Chapter,

yoginām api sarveṣāṁ

mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā

śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ

sa me yuktatamo mataḥ

So this is the business of human life, always think of Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 16.10 -- Hawaii, February 6, 1975:

But unfortunately, instead of taking shelter of Kṛṣṇa, we have taken shelter of lusty desire. This is demonic. Therefore it is said, kāmam āśritya duṣpūram. Duṣpūram... Duḥ. Duḥ means very difficult, and pūram means satisfaction. Duṣpūram. We have taken shelter of lusty desires which will never be satisfied. This is our position. Kāmam āśritya duṣpūram. These materialistic person, demon, their desires are never fulfilled-increasing, increasing, increasing, more, more more. So that means, increasing means, we are becoming implicated more and more. The business of human life is how to become free from this material encagement, but the asuras or the demons, instead of becoming free from material entanglement, they become more and more involved.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.1.1 -- Caracas, February 20, 1975:

So an intelligent person is inquisitive to enquire, "Who is the manufacturer of this microphone?" Just like we enquire about a child, "Whose son he is? Who is his father?" similarly, this is human mind, to enquire about the origin. That is the only business of human being. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said, jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā, means the jīva, means human being especially... Jīva means all living being, but above all living beings, the human being is the most awakened consciousness. Therefore his business is to enquire about the Absolute Truth. It is said, jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā.

Lecture on SB 1.1.2 -- London, August 15, 1971:

So even these are the problems, therefore they must be based on religion. Religion means to become well-behaved, to abide... Just like good citizen means well-behaved, to abide by the state laws. So first thing is religion, to learn how to become God conscious. This is the first business of human society.

Lecture on SB 1.1.3 -- London, August 19, 1971:

So here it is stated, nigama-kalpa-taror galitaṁ phalam. All the Vedas, they are summarized in the Vedānta-sūtra. You have heard the name of Vedānta-sūtra. So this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is explanation of the Vedānta-sūtra. Therefore from the very beginning of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the first aphorism of the Vedānta-sūtra is there, janmādy asya yataḥ. In the Vedānta-sūtra the first quote is athāto brahma jijñāsā, "Now we have to inquire about Brahman, the Absolute Truth." That is the business of human being. Because in other life other than the human form of body, we have simply passed our time in the matter of bodily necessities of life, āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunam.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Delhi, November 11, 1973:

Successful life means a human being has come to this human form of life through the evolutionary process. Now he should make such arrangement that next life he may be free from this repetition of birth and death, at least, or he may go to other planets, higher standard of life. As it is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā,

yānti deva-vratā devān

pitṟn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ

bhūtāni yānti bhūtejyā

yānti mad-yājino 'pi mām

That is the human life. You prepare yourself for higher standard of life or to make a permanent solution of your miserable condition of life, namely birth, death, old age and disease. This is required. This is human business, or dharma.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- New Vrindaban, September 5, 1972:

First of all, dharma is meant for the human society. The animal society, they have no, nothing to do about religion, neither they know what is religion, what is this body, what is soul. It is not their business. Dharma is the business of the human society. Therefore in any human society, there is a kind of dharma, religion. It doesn't matter whether it is Christian religion, or Hindu religion, or Buddha religion, or Muhammadam religion, some sort of religious propensities are there. Because without this propensity, dharma, religious, he is not a man, he is animal, because animal has no sense of religion. Dharmeṇa hīna paśubhiḥ samāna, anyone who has no religion, it doesn't matter what kind of religion he has got, but he must have some religion. Without religion he is animal.

Lecture on SB 1.2.7 -- New Vrindaban, September 5, 1972:

Just like in your western countries, Lord Jesus Christ sacrificed His life for God's. Can... He was charged that He was preaching something blasphemous. But He was a devotee of God. He, He preached to the people that there is kingdom of God, you love God, and go to the kingdom of God. Simple truth. That is the actual business of human life. This human life is meant for understanding God because we are part and parcel of God and we have forgotten.

Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- Bombay, December 26, 1972:

So our life (is) being spoiled without Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is our mission, that we are trying to save men from great falldown. Uttisthatā jāgrata prāpya varān nibhodata, this is the Vedic injunction. Don't sleep. Uttisthitā: "Just get up." Jāgrata: "Be awakened." Prāpya varān nibhodata. You have got this benediction of human form of life. Nibhodata. Try to understand the advantage, nibhodata. This is the only business of human birth, being, to understand his constitutional position, to understand God and relationship with God.

Lecture on SB 1.2.10 -- Vrndavana, October 21, 1972:

In the Vedic, in Mahābhārata, we don't find there is any industrial development or trade development. No. Nothing like that. Why Mahābhārata? Even two hundred years ago, before the British advent, there was no industry all over the India. And they were happy. So it is not that simply by increasing your fruitive activities, karmabhiḥ, you can become happy. No, that is not possible. If you simply restrict yourself for life, inquiring about the Absolute Truth, then you'll be happy. Jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā. That is, that is the only business of the human form of life and not working hard like asses and cows. Sa eva go-karaḥ. These examples are there in the... I was giving the example while coming. Who was there? That this ass... Ass, one ass was going. So the ass, he can eat grass anywhere. There are so many grasses. But he's thinking that "Unless I work very hard, the washerman will not give me grass." You see? This is ass intelligence.

Lecture on SB 1.2.12 -- Vrndavana, October 23, 1972:

So people have no education, unfortunately, that the spirit soul is permanent. It is changing different types of body in order to suffer different types of miserable condition of life. They're thinking, easy-going... "I have got now very nice body, eating, sleeping mating and..." That is the business of the hogs and dogs. That is not the business of human being. Human being must be serious to understand the value of life and prepare himself for the next life. The next life, if you go back to Kṛṣṇa... Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama. Kṛṣṇa says, "You can go back to Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇa comes here. He takes His incarnation here to canvass, "My dear sons, please come back home. Why you are suffering here?" Kṛṣṇa comes, Kṛṣṇa canvasses. Sarva-dharmān parityajya

Lecture on SB 1.2.12 -- Delhi, November 18, 1973:

We have been discussing the instruction of Sūta Gosvāmī, what is the purpose of life. Jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā. The only business of the human being is to inquire about the Absolute Truth, tattva-jijñāsā. And that tattva has been explained in the previous verse:

vadanti tat tattva-vidas

tattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam

brahmeti paramātmeti

bhagavān iti śabdyate

So the Absolute Truth is one. There is no doubt about it. But according to our angle of vision, we appreciate the Absolute Truth in different ways, although the Absolute Truth is one. Somebody is realizing the Absolute Truth as impersonal Brahman, and somebody is realizing the Absolute Truth as localized Paramātmā, Supersoul, and somebody is realizing the Absolute Truth as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the last word, Supreme Personality of Godhead, in the matter of understanding the Absolute Truth.

Lecture on SB 1.3.13 -- Los Angeles, September 18, 1972:

Just like a man has got several sons, but all of them, in the beginning, they are illiterate. Now, in their grown-up age, by accepting different departmental knowledge, one becomes a medical practitioner, one becomes engineer, one becomes lawyer, or one becomes vagabond. So not by birth, one becomes engineer or medical man or this or... No. Everything by culture, by education. Similarly, the Vedic culture means everyone is given the chance to become first-class brāhmaṇa. That is called brahminical culture. Everyone is given. Because without becoming a brāhmaṇa, nobody can understand what is God. And the human life is meant for understanding God. That is the only business of human form of life.

Lecture on SB 1.7.7 -- Vrndavana, April 24, 1975:

It is said in the śāstra that in the Kali-yuga people will have to work so hard, like an ass, to get their morsel of food. We have seen in Calcutta, somebody with sacred thread, he was pulling ṭhelā and perspiring. And somebody known to him, he said, Panditji, palale(?), means "I offer my respect to you," and the ṭhelā-wālā says, jitalau(?). This is the position. A brāhmaṇa is pulling ṭhelā; it is working like an ass. Pulling ṭhelā is not the business of human being, but although he thinks himself to be a brāhmaṇa, he is engaged in pulling ṭhelā. This is Kali's position, manda. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyāḥ, unfortunate, unfortunate.

Lecture on SB 1.8.27 -- Los Angeles, April 19, 1973:

So Kṛṣṇa says that: "Anyone who is trying to approach Me, to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, at the same time, he wants to become materially happy, he's not very intelligent." That means he's wasting his time. Our main business is how to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. This is the main business of human life. But if we waste our time for material improvement, and forget chanting, then that is loss, great loss. So such mentality, Kṛṣṇa says: āmi vijña ei mūrkhe viṣaya kene diba. "So this rascal is asking some material prosperity from Me by discharging devotional service. Why shall I give him material prosperity? Rather, whatever he has got, I shall take it away."

Lecture on SB 1.15.29 -- Los Angeles, December 7, 1973:

This is the problem. Now somehow or other, we have come in contact with this material body. We, "I am not this material body, you are not this material... We are soul." That realization required, that "I am not this material body. Therefore I am not American, I am not Indian, I am not white, I am not black. I am pure soul." Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. This is the real business of human society. Athāto brahma jijñāsā.

Lecture on SB 1.16.12 -- Los Angeles, January 9, 1974:

So in order to save the human society from this dangerous condition, without any knowledge of God, without any knowledge of religious principle, there must be some strong king, strong government, to save the people. Because this human life is a chance. Other inferior type of life, animals, birds, beasts, trees, it is not possible. They are also living entities, but human life is developed consciousness. So this is nature's gift, that "Now you try to understand what is God. Now you try to understand what is your relationship with God. Now you practice yourself, how to go back home, back to home, back to..." This is the business of the human society. So unless the king or government looks after it, how people will be advanced?

Lecture on SB 3.25.19 -- Bombay, November 19, 1974:

So nobody can be equal to Parabrahman, and nobody can be greater than Parabrahman. That is Parabrahman. So brahma-siddhaye means simply one should not understand that "I am Brahman," but he must understand what his relationship with the Parabrahman. That is brahma-siddhi. So for brahma-siddhi, for self-realization, people are trying in so many ways. First of all, the business of human life is only meant for this purpose, brahma-siddhaye. So long we are... athāto brahma jijñāsā. This is the Vedānta-sūtra. Brahman... Because, unless you become inquisitive, then how there can be brahma-siddhi? Therefore, this human life is meant for brahma-jijñāsā. Not that simply whole day work.

Lecture on SB 3.25.25 -- Bombay, November 25, 1974:

This is the verdict of Vyāsadeva. Śrama eva hi kevalam. You are very nice, executing your occupational duties. Dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ. Svanuṣṭhitaḥ. You are brāhmaṇa. That's nice. You are executing the brāhmaṇa's duties very nicely, or a kṣatriya, or a vaiśya, or a medical man, engineer, whatever you may be. That's all right. Dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ. But if, by executing your professional or occupational duties, you do not develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness... That is the main business of human life, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So then dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ viṣvaksena-kathā... Viṣvaksena-kathā means kṛṣṇa-kathā. Notpādayed yadi ratim. If you do not become inclined, śraddhā, this śraddhā of kṛṣṇa-kathā, then whatever you are doing—simply wasting your time, and it is a labor of love only, that's all. Śrama eva hi kevalam.

Lecture on SB 3.25.41 -- Bombay, December 9, 1974:

Therefore here it is said, nānyatra mad bhagavataḥ pradhāna-puruṣeśvarāt: "Without coming under My shelter, there is no possibility." There is no possibility. Therefore Kṛṣṇa, out of compassion, He comes when we completely become dull and rascal, we forget the sufferings of this material life, and we think that we are very nicely situated. "I have got so much bank balance and I will live very happily. I have got so nice wife and so many children. How my problem is solved." No, sir, your problem is not solved. (chuckling) Real problem is not solved. This temporary, you may have some facilities. This is called māyā. Māyayāpahṛta-jñāna. The real business of human life is to, as we have several times discussed, is to discuss about the problems of life and inquire about the Brahman. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. That is real business of life. But we are not interested.

Lecture on SB 3.26.26 -- Bombay, January 3, 1975:

Na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācit, na hanyate hanya... They do... These things do not strike even their dull brain, that "If ātmā... I am ātmā. I am the soul. I do not die even after the annihilation of this body. But that means I will have to accept another body. But is this very good job? Why not seek after our original position, when there is no more change of body?" This question does not arise even.But it is very easy. For that reason, Bhagavad-gītā is there. Everyone can avoid this birth and death.That is the business of human life, how to stop..Jarā-maraṇa-mokṣāya. Vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhaḥ. Everything is there. This is the aim of life.

Lecture on SB 3.26.41 -- Bombay, January 16, 1975:

So children should be instructed from the very beginning of their life this bhāgavata-dharma. We are attempting to do that in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We have got an institution, Gurukula, at Dallas, Texas, and they are learning very nicely. Just like this child. From the very beginning he is learning bhāgavata-dharma. He is offering obeisances, he is chanting, he is dancing, he is offering a flower to the spiritual master, and he is offering to the Vaiṣṇavas. In his childish way, while playing, he is becoming accustomed to dharmān bhāgavatān. This is really, really human civilization, from the very beginning of life. Because if we want, we can learn like cats and dog, jumping and eating and sleeping and mating. No. That is not the business of the human life.

Lecture on SB 3.26.46 -- Bombay, January 21, 1975:

So far eating, sleeping, sex life, and defense, everyone is doing in his own capacity. That is not the business. That is there. Even the birds, beasts, they are doing that. The only business of human life: athāto brahma jijñāsā, to inquire about the Supreme, the same Brahman. Brahmaṇaḥ sthānam, bhāvanaṁ brahmaṇaḥ sthānam. Always think of brahma. Sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. These thoughts, these activities, they are required. That is the only business. But we have manufactured so many other business and engagement, leaving aside the real business of life. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is teaching all over the world the real business of life. Those who are fortunate, they will take advantage of this movement and make his life successful.

Lecture on SB 3.26.47 -- Bombay, January 22, 1975:

So long we are not realized, self-realized, then we are no better than these cats and dogs, because they do not know that he is not the body. So if we think that "I am this body," then we are no better than the cats and dogs. So if you want to become happy, first of all we must get this knowledge, that "I am not this body." Now we are busy with the bodily demands of life. We are not busy for spiritual demand of life. That is the business of the human being, that "I am not this material body. I am spirit soul. So my business is different from the business at the present moment we are engaged in." Everyone is engaged for satisfying the bodily necessities of life, everyone.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- London, August 30, 1971:

The aim of human life is to understand God. That is the main business of human life. Main... Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum. Viṣṇu is the Supreme Lord, Supreme Personality of Godhead. People, they do not know what is the ultimate goal of life. The ultimate goal of life is to understand the Lord, the Supreme Lord, Viṣṇu. Viṣṇu means "all-pervading God." God is not localized. God is all-pervading. Just like it is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Delhi, November 28, 1975:

This Bhāgavata literature, this Vedic literature, is giving you information how you can revive your original, eternal life. Nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre. That is the business of human life, not to become mad like hogs and dogs and simply work very hard—"Where is stool?"—and eat it and get some strength, and then enjoy senses. This is not life. This is not civilization.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- London (Tittenhurst), September 13, 1969:

Lord Caitanya says that each and every spirit soul is just wandering throughout the whole universe from one planet to another, one body to another. This business is going on. But the basic principle of that continued transmigration is sex life or sense gratification. Anyway, as long we have got a pinch of sense gratification we have to take birth in any form or any shape within this material world. That is the whole process. Therefore if we are at all interested... And that interest must be there in human life; otherwise it is spoiling. That is the problem, that no more transmigration from one body to another. That problem can be solved in this human form of life. Therefore Ṛṣabhadeva advises His sons, "My dear sons, to work very, very hard simply for sense gratification is not the business of human form of life." Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Hyderabad, April 11, 1975:

Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate. When one is perfectly jñānavān, wise, then his business is vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. Then he can understand that Vāsudeva, the son of Vasudeva, Kṛṣṇa, is everything. That realization required. That is the perfection of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.So this movement is very scientific, authorized, Vedic, and people are accepting them. Therefore I repeatedly request our Indian brothers, "Don't neglect. Take this movement very seriously." That is the only business of human life. Jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Johannesburg, October 22, 1975:

"The spirit soul is never born, neither he dies." Nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre. The spirit soul, nitya, eternal, śāśvata, inexhaustible... Na hanyate, clearly says, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre. So this death is artificial. Therefore we do not like to die. We do not like to be unhappy. We do not like to be without any knowledge. This is our nature. But because this nature is hampered on material condition, therefore the business of the human being is to cure this disease—birth, death, old age and disease. This is the mission of life, not to waste time, not to waste our life, duration of life, just simply jumping like dog and hog. That is not human life.

Lecture on SB 5.5.29 -- Vrndavana, November 16, 1976:

Hinduism, this is a foreign word. Real principle is varṇāśrama-dharma. Varnāśramācāravatā puruṣeṇa paraḥ pumān viṣṇur arādhyate. This is the aim of life, how to worship Viṣṇu. That is explained, and that is the training of this varṇāśrama-dharma.Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya quoted this when Caitanya Mahāprabhu inquired from him what is sādhya-sādhana. "What is the business of the human society and what is the aim of human society?" This was the question put forward by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He first of all quoted varṇāśrama. The human society begins when there is varṇāśrama-dharma. Otherwise it is animal society. There is no human society. That is beginning of human society, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya. Kṛṣṇa says, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭam.

Lecture on SB 5.6.2 -- Vrndavana, November 24, 1976:

But this is the business in the human...Tapaḥ. That is the instruction. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyed sattva. You must purify your existence. This is the only business of human life, tapasya. So tapasya means brahmacārī. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa. Tapasya means brahmacaryeṇa, no sex life. That is tapasya, real tapasya. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa śamena damena ca. Even if you practice yoga system, this regulation must be followed, celibacy, not that fashion yoga system.

Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- Auckland, February 22, 1973:

But at the present moment people are being taught to increase the problem. Increase the problem... Just like I was discussing, they have increased the problems so much so that even in the womb of mother they are being killed. Just imagine how much we have increased the problem. Even there is no security... In India they say, security position, that one is sleeping on the lap of his mother. That is best security. Because the child, when he is sleeping on the lap of his mother, if there is some danger, mother will first of all come forward to save the child. That is natural. But the problems of life has so become complicated that even mother is killing child. Just imagine. The present position of the civilization, that there is no question of security, even on the lap of the mother, and what to speak of otherwise. But the business of human life is to solve the problems of life, but we have increased the problems of life. This is the civilization. Why? Because we are not taking to the process of human life. The process of human life is mentioned here: tapasya, austerity. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa śamena damena ca. This is the process to make solution of the problems of life.

Lecture on SB 6.1.52 -- Detroit, August 5, 1975:

What is this civilization? For getting foodstuff one has to go hundred miles away from home, daily passengers. And some of them are going in the foreign countries also. Recently there was news that in Africa, Uganda, that, the President Amin, he asked some very respectable English gentleman to carry his palanquin just to insult them. But the Englishmen, now they are in a precarious condition. The British Empire is now finished. Now they had to carry this man. And under protest they could not go away because they have got business. So why one should go so far distance? Everyone can produce his foodstuff at home. Nature's arrangement is so nice. If not, little trade. So it is not meant for so much hard labor. Śāstra says, "This kind of laboring hard simply for satisfaction of senses is the business of the hog and pig. It is not the business of the human being." Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye.So human society, they should rectify their mode of civilization by taking this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Then they will be happy.

Lecture on SB 6.1.63 -- Vrndavana, August 30, 1975:

So the nature's law is so nice or so perfect that by seeing only, you will be infected, by seeing only. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ. We are put into such a position that every moment we are being affected by the three modes of material nature. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni. The prakṛti, the nature, is working so expertly. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni. And kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya sad-asad-yoni-janmasu. In this way our transmigration from one body to another, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ, it is due to this infection of contacting different material modes of nature. The whole world is going on. So therefore our business of human life is how to protect ourself from this infection of material nature. That should be the aim of human life, not that allow us to be infected more and more and become implicated in the cycle of birth and death, sometimes lower, sometimes higher. This is not intelligence. The intelligence is how to get out of it.

Lecture on SB 6.2.17 -- Vrndavana, September 20, 1975:

Ṛṣabhādeva instructed His children, hundred sons, "My dear boys, just prepare yourself for tapasya." That is the whole Vedic civilization, tapasya. Tapo divyaṁ. Tapasya for realizing God. This is the only business of the human life, not any other business. Any other business will not help you. Otherwise everyone would have been very rich man. Everyone is trying, whole day and night working. Does it mean that everyone is becoming Birla and like that? No. That is not possible. You can get only what is destined to you, not more than that. You cannot get more than that.

Lecture on SB 7.5.1, Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, January 12, 1973:

So the Bhagavad-gītā is giving us directly information about our relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa personally giving instruction that is His position and what is our position, what is our relationship with Him and what is the ultimate goal of life. These are called in Sanskrit language, sambandha, abhidheya, prayojana. Sambandha means we must know what is our relationship with God, Kṛṣṇa. That is called sambandha. Everyone is speaking about God. That is human nature. Any civilized form of human society has some sort of religious principles, to understand God. That is a fact. So in the human form of life, this is the main question. This is called brahma-jijñāsā. "What is my relationship with God? What I am? Why I am suffering in this material world? Is there a solution?" This is the business of human form of life, not to imitate the animals, how to eat nicely, how to live nicely, how to have sexual intercourse nicely and how to defend.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 Excerpt -- Toronto, June 17, 1976:

So here is the order of God: sarva-dharmān parityajya... So where Bhagavad-gītā ends, the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam begins there, from that point. So here is another instance. Prahlāda Mahārāja, he is teaching that: kaumāra ācaret prajño dharmān bhāgavatān iha . Iha, in this life, our only duty is to understand the bhāgavata-dharma, how to serve God. That is the only business. There is no other business. That is the only business of human life. In another place, it is stated tasyaiva hetoḥ prayeteta kovido na labhyate yad bhramatām upary adhaḥ. Prahlāda Mahārāja also says here that durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma. "My dear friends, you have got this human form of body after many millions of years." Durlabha, very rarely. That is nature's law. We are in the cycle of birth and death. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir. After death we shall get another body, but we do not know what kind of body we are going to get.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1-2 -- Stockholm, September 6, 1973:

Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja is requesting, "My dear friends, you try to learn this science," dharmān bhāgavatān iha, "from this very childhood life." Because this human form of life, he says that, durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma. Mānuṣaṁ janma. This form of body... We have got by evolutionary process. It is a chance given by the nature to understand what is God. This is the main business of this body. Not that economic development. That is not the business of human body. Sense gratification. Sense gratification is there in the animals.

Lecture on SB 7.6.4 -- Vrndavana, December 5, 1975:

Take full opportunity of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Don't waste a single moment. This is the instruction. And even if you develop your economic condition, then what is the gain? Real gain is to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Therefore it is said, na tathā vindate kṣemaṁ mukunda-caraṇāmbujam. You simply dedicate your life to serve Mukunda. Kṛṣṇa's another name is Mukunda. Muka means liberation. Mukti. Muk means mukti. So ānanda, the mukty-ānanda, that is real ānanda, liberation. So therefore our business is how to surrender fully unto the lotus feet of Mukunda, mukunda-caraṇāmbujam, and fully engage in His service. That is the only business of human life. Don't try to make economic development, dharmārtha-kāma-mokṣa. Don't try to become a religious person also. Religious person means strictly following the rules and regulation of varṇāśrama-dharma. That is called religious.

Lecture on SB 7.6.8 -- Vrndavana, December 10, 1975:

Prahlāda Mahārāja's proposal is that spiritual life should begin from very childhood, kaumāram ācaret prājño dharmān bhagavatān. Otherwise that attachment will continue, and you'll never be able to give up this attachment, and the spiritual..., material condition of life, the accepting one body, bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate, accepting one body and accepting another body, this will continue. But the real business of human life is to end this materialistic way of life, that die and again take another..., janma, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi, to be implicated in these four things. Then our suffering will never end. This is spiritual life. Spiritual life means to end the sufferings of material existence. That is Prahlāda... Dharmān bhagavat..., durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 1, 1973:

So Vedānta-sūtra says, answer, the first aphorism is: athāto brahma jijñāsā. Brahman, the Absolute, that is the main business of the human life, to inquire about the Absolute Truth. Here everything is relative truth. I am the son of my father. My father is the son of his father. His father is the son of his father. You go on. Everything is relative. But who is the Absolute? Who is the Absolute? That inquiry is called Brahma-jijñāsā. Who is the original father?

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 6.154-155 -- Gorakhpur, February 19, 1971 (Krsna Niketan):

So many people come to us, "Swamijī, I am in distress in this way and that way." But he never wanted this distress. Why it has come? "Similarly," Bhāgavata says, "when distresses come without your invitation, similarly, your happiness also will come without your invitation, hankering. Rest assured." Because you are under the laws of nature—prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi—so the effect will come. So don't try for moving your distress, or don't try, don't be puffed up with so-called happiness. God is... (break) ...things will be managed. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni. Don't think that you are managing. It is being managed by nature's law. Everything is there, destined. That is called adṛṣṭa. You cannot see, adṛṣṭa. Dṛṣṭa means seeing; a means not. Therefore everyone's business is to cultivate this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the only business of the human society. And there is ample opportunity. And the process is very simple. Why do you losing the opportunity? Don't do it.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.98-102 -- April 27, 1976, Auckland, New Zealand:

If you want to understand God... That is the business of human life. Human life is specially... That is the chance. Because we are in the cycle of birth and death, changing, migrating from one body to another... This is our position. So except human body, lower than the human body, we can understand how they are suffering. Suppose a tree. Here we are sitting so comfortably. A few yards off from this place, there is a tree, and it is standing for thousands of years. Is not that punishment? If I tell Mr. such and such, "You stand up here for five hours," he'll become mad.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Arrival Address -- Vrndavana, September 3, 1976:

So on this platform of bodily concept of life, we remain animal. And to raise from that animal platform to the platform of our spiritual consciousness, that is the business of human life. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This is the Vedānta-sūtra. If we do not inquire about Brahman in this human form of life, which is obtained after many, many births... Bahūnāṁ sambhavante. Many, many millions of years and millions of births. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir. We change our body, but because we are on the animal platform, we cannot understand that we have to change our body. So Kṛṣṇa personally comes, because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ. He's more anxious for us because we are suffering in this material world under bodily concept of life. That is His first instruction.

Initiation Lectures

Initiations -- Sydney, April 2, 1972:

This king, at the time of his death, he inquired, "Now what shall I hear? My life is only for seven days." He was a very magnanimous emperor of this world. Unfortunately, he was cursed by a brāhmaṇa boy to die within seven days, but he did not take any reaction. He submitted. And at the time of his death, because there were seven days only, so he wanted to do something which may emancipate him. So the Śukadeva Gosvāmī, he arrived in the meeting and he advised him to hear about Kṛṣṇa. In this connection he spoke this verse, śrotavyādīni rājendra nṛṇāṁ santi sahasraśaḥ: "For ordinary man, there are many, many hundreds and thousands of subject matters for hearing. But this, these engagement are for those who are apaśyatām ātma-tattvam, persons who do not know what is he, what he is, what is self. They have got many things to hear. But one who is interested for self- realization—that is the only business of human life—for him, he should only hear about Kṛṣṇa." Therefore he was addressed as Rājendra. Try to become like Mahārāja Parīkṣit. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Initiations -- San Diego, June 30, 1972:

Therefore in the beginning, to increase attachment for Kṛṣṇa... Because my business is to increase my spontaneous attachment for God. That is the business of human life. This is a chance. Because in the human form of life you can do that. And as soon as you increase your attachment for Kṛṣṇa, then your life is successful. Successful means that you haven't got to accept any more this material body. You will get a spiritual body and go to Kṛṣṇa, or go to home, go back to Godhead. So if you increase your attachment for Kṛṣṇa, the benefit is that you make a solution for all the problems of life. It is scientific. Mayy āsakta manāḥ pārtha. So in the beginning, in order to increase your attachment for Kṛṣṇa, you have to follow the regulative principles, "Don't do this." Just like a doctor gives you prescription, "Don't eat this. Don't do this," similarly, there are so many "don't"s and so many "do"s. So we have to accept the "do"s, not the "don't"s.

General Lectures

Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 4, 1968:

So we are worshiper of the original Absolute Personality of Godhead, Govindam. Govindam. Go means senses, go means cow, and go means land. And vindam, vindam means who gives pleasure—the pleasure potency of all these three things, senses, cows, and the land. The land. Sarva-loka-maheśvaram, in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said. The proprietor of all land, the maintainer of all land, to give pleasure to the people of all land, is Govinda, Kṛṣṇa. Govindam. And He is the protector, and pleasing to the cows. You have seen many pictures of Kṛṣṇa, He is loving cow. Why cow is loved by Him? Why not another animal? There are many other animals. Why particularly cow? Because cow protection is the most important business of the human society. In offering obeisances to Kṛṣṇa, it is said, namo brahmaṇya-devāya go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca: "I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Person, who is the protector of the brāhmaṇas and the cows." Go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca jagad-dhitāya. The first qualification is that He protects the brāhmaṇas and the cows. Next, He protects the whole world. Jagad-dhitāya kṛṣṇa. And He is Kṛṣṇa, govindāya, this Govinda.

Lecture at International Student Society -- Boston, May 3, 1969:

Therefore, human life should be very much responsible. This life is the preparation for the next life. Next life we have always, but we do not know what kind of life we are getting next. That we should know. That is the business of human form of life, not to waste life like animals and evolve. By the laws of nature, we get another form of life. We are evolving by the evolutionary theory. It is not theory. Of course, Mr. Darwin has called it theory, but in the Padma Purāṇa, Vedic literature... This evolutionary process is very nicely explained in Vedic literature. Aśītiṁs caturaś caiva bhramadbhiḥ jīva-jātiṣu. These Sanskrit words are there in the Padma Purāṇa, that "A living entity is traveling or evolving from lower grades of life to the higher grades of life in 8,400,000 species of life."

Lecture at International Student Society -- Boston, May 3, 1969:

But in the Bhagavad-gītā it is recommended that by progressing, you may go to the topmost planet of this universe. Ā-brahma-bhuvanāl-lokāḥ. That is called Brahmaloka or Satyaloka. But everywhere the four problems of birth, death, old age, and disease are there. But if you come to the spiritual sky and the planets there, then there is no more death, birth, old age, and disease. Life eternal, full of knowledge, and blissful life. That should be attained, that should be endeavored in this human form of life, setting aside all others. That should be the business of human life.

Lecture with Allen Ginsberg at Ohio State University -- Columbus, May 12, 1969:

In the Vedic literature you'll find, Vedas, "God has many energies." Parāsya śaktiḥ. Śakti means energy, power. Vividhaiva, multi, various. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate svabhāva... Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva, na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate. This is the injunction of Vedas. "You cannot find anyone equal or greater than God. Nobody can be equal with God; nobody can be greater than God." Then he is not God. Na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca. Sama means equal; adhika means greater. Na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate. They have analyzed who is God. The great sages, the liberated sages, they are not fools, rascals, that they will accept anyone God. No. They will test. This is the test. If you find somebody, that he is neither lower than anyone, neither equal to anyone, then he is God. There are other, many definitions of God. Aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47). Analytical study. Try to understand God. This is the business of human form of life, not that simply eating, sleeping and mating and defending.

Sunday Feast Lecture -- Los Angeles, May 21, 1972:

So there are two things. There are two living entities. One is trying to forget God, and another is trying to remember God. That's all. There are two kinds of people, or men. Men, not the animals. Animals cannot understand what is God. It is the business of human beings. So if you want to know God sincerely, seriously, then God is within yourself. He'll give you intelligence how you can know Him. But if you want to forget God, challenge God, "There is no God. God is dead," then He'll give you such intelligence that you'll always think that there is no God, that God is dead, like that. He'll give some arguments. There are so many atheists, they are also putting their arguments. So wherefrom the argument comes? It comes from God, that "You take this argument and forget God forever."

Lecture at Indo-American Society 'East and West' -- Calcutta, January 31, 1973:

So now it is very happy moment that Indo-American Society. I wish that the Indo-American society should give a special stress to know why these four miserable conditions of life cannot be solved. And there is a solution. We can give you the solution. In the Bhagavad-gītā there is solution:

janma karma me divyaṁ

yo jānāti tattvataḥ

tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma

naiti mām eti kaunteya

That is culture. That is really business of the human being that "I am put into this material condition of life. I am changing from one kind of body to another. Who knows that I am not going to become a tree next life?" But there is another species of life like tree, like birds, like beasts. There is no guarantee. There is no scientific guarantee that "You are not going to be tree, you are again going to become American." No, there is no guarantee.

Lecture -- Hong Kong, January 31, 1974:

Do not try to imitate others. Do not try to imitate the hog and the pig to eat stool. That is not human bodies' foodstuff. You eat your own foodstuff. Tena tyaktena bhuñjīthāḥ. This is life. Food is already there, but the difficulty is that we do not know that we should be satisfied with the foodstuff allotted to us by God. Īśāvāsya. The foodstuff belongs to Kṛṣṇa, God. You cannot manufacture in the factory this nice foodstuff—apple, orange, banana and others, so many hundreds and thousands. So therefore the only business of human form of life is to inquire about the Absolute Truth, the Supreme Lord, the Supreme Being. That should be our inquiry. That should be the subject matter of education.

Lecture at St. Pascal's Franciscan Seminary -- Melbourne, June 28, 1974:

t is said in the Vedic literature that ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi. Kṛṣṇa is a name of God. So it is said that Kṛṣṇa's name, Kṛṣṇa's form, Kṛṣṇa's attributes, Kṛṣṇa's activities.. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi begins from the name. So ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ. Indriya means senses. We cannot understand what is Kṛṣṇa, or God—His name, His form, His attributes, His pastimes... We cannot understand by these blunt material senses. Then how it is to be understood? After all, this human life is meant for understanding God. That is the only business of human life. The nature, material nature, gives us this opportunity to have this human form of life. The facility of this life, of this form of life, is given to us just to understand God. Other forms of life, cats and dogs, trees and so many other things... There are 8,400,000 forms of life. So in other forms of life it is not possible to understand what is God.

La Trobe University Lecture -- Melbourne, July 1, 1974:

Real business of human life is to understand the spirit soul, and so far the material body is concerned, just like seasonal changes, we feel pains and pleasure. Just like water. In this winter season, on account of the seasonal change, we do not like to touch water at the present moment. But the same water in the summer season will be very pleasing. So the water is the same, but due to seasonal changes, sometimes the water is very pleasing and sometimes it is very painful. So this material world, so long we shall remain in the material world, the pains and pleasure on account of this material body we have to feel. But if we come to the spiritual platform, that is, understanding of the soul, then in any condition we shall be happy.

Life Member House Lecture -- Hyderabad, April 14, 1975:

Human life is meant for tapasya. That is not possible by the hogs and dogs. Tapasya, austerities. By austerities, by tapasya we can purify our existence. You are existing at the present moment because we are changing body, bhūtvā bhūtvā pralī... Therefore it is polluted existence. This is not pure existence. Pure existence is eternal life, blissfulness and knowledge, full of knowledge. That is pure life. So the human life is meant for purifying our existence. Stop this continuation of birth, death, old age and disease and live eternally blissful life of knowledge. That is the business of human life. But people do not take this fact very seriously. They have become so dull-headed. Now there is freedom from this continuation of birth, death, old age and disease, they cannot believe it. They cannot consider it. They think, "Ah, it is going on." So the modern civilization is quite different from the Vedic civilization. Vedic civilization means to make a solution of this problem: stop this process of birth, death, old age and disease. That is Vedic civilization. That is human civilization.

City Hall Lecture -- Durban, October 7, 1975:

So therefore we have to first of all establish our relationship with God. Your establish..., is already established. Just like the father and the son—the relationship is already there. It is not... But still, sometimes the son goes out of home and may be forgetting his father. Similarly, we are out of home. We have come from the spiritual world in this material world. We have forgotten our father. So we have to revive this relationship with our father, or God, or Kṛṣṇa. That is the main business of human life. In other species of life lower than the human being it is not possible to revive our old relationship with God. But in this life... Therefore this is the greatest opportunity. After all, we are under the grip of material nature's law.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on William James:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ. This material selfishness is māyā. Actually that is not selfishness. Real selfishness is to know the relationship with God. But persons who are engrossed with the spell of māyā, illusory energy, they do not know that. Mostly, 99.9%, they have vague idea of God, and how they will know the relationship? So, so that our actual business, first business is to have complete idea, complete sense of God and our relationship. That is the business of human life. Therefore in the Vedic process, the real business is realize God. Either you take yoga system or jñāna system, and bhakti is cent percent simply realization of God. That is the business of human life. He hasn't got to do any other thing. That is practical understanding of God. A perfect human being knows that "My necessities of life is supplied by God, so I have no business to improve the economic condition." That cannot be done also. Nobody is going to be very rich, all of them. According to the destiny he gets his position. So one who is self-realized, he does not want to improve the material condition of life, but he wants to improve the spiritual conception of life. That is human life.

Philosophy Discussion on Sigmund Freud:

Prabhupāda: That means Freud is a most imperfect person. He is taking sex as very important thing, which the dog enjoys. As a dog's life and a hog's life, the hog has got very good facility. The monkey has got very good facility for sex life, and he is thinking this is ultimate goal, and then sleep. So that is going on. So if sex life is so big thing, the hogs, they have got good facility. The pigeons, they have got very good facility. I think every hour they have four times sex life, these pigeons. So if that is, then you become a pigeon. You pray to God that "Make me a pigeon, make me a hog." Why you are becoming philosopher? Now our philosophy is different—not to become a pig. Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye . The life simply for sense gratification, and for that purpose working so hard, but that is the business of the pig. That is not the business of the human being. Human being is tapasya. Tapasya means stop sex life. That is tapasya. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa

Philosophy Discussion on Thomas Henry Huxley:

Prabhupāda: This kind of conception, that "I shall survive, I am Englishman," this is a false egotism and bewildered soul. Whatever he may be, Englishman or this man or that man, he must die. That is the law of nature. So intelligent man first of all makes provision "How I shall not die." That is real business of human being. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, that if one simply understands Kṛṣṇa, then he survives; otherwise one has to die. There is no doubt.

1969 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Allen Ginsberg -- May 12, 1969, Columbus, Ohio:

Prabhupāda: The Bhāgavata says that dharma is not meant for acquiring money. Money is not meant for satisfying senses. Sense gratification should be accepted simply to maintain this body. That's all. The real business is tattva-jijñāsā, to understand. The human life is meant for understanding the Absolute Truth. Jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā naś ceha yat karmabhiḥ. Kāmasya nendriya-pritir labho jīveta yāvatā. Kāmasya, sense gratification, does not mean you have to increase the volume of sense gratification. No. Jīveta yāvatā, you have to accept sense gratification so far as you can live very nicely. The real business is jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā. Every human being should be inquisitive to know the Absolute Truth. That is the real business of human life. So to come to that business, you won't find mass of people. It is not possible. You don't expect.

Room Conversation with Allen Ginsberg -- May 12, 1969, Columbus, Ohio:

Prabhupāda: The yogis, the mental speculators, they are trying to understand the Absolute in impersonal, without any personal form. And the yogis, they are trying to find out Kṛṣṇa within their heart, meditation. And some are trying to find out the Absolute Truth in person by reciprocating love. So all these things are in Kṛṣṇa. And Bhāgavata says after explanation of that verse that it is the only business of human being to find out the Absolute Truth. Now, the next verse, the Absolute Truth is explained, analyzed, vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam. Now, Absolute Truth is always one. There is no... Absolute Truth cannot be two. Then it is relative truth. Absolute Truth means one. So the knowledge of the Absolute Truth is one. Vadanti tat tattva-vidas. Tattva-vidas means those who are in knowledge of the Absolute Truth, they say that Absolute Truth is one. But He's realized in three phases. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate. Brahman means impersonal, and Paramātmā is localized, and Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So these are different stages.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- February 26, 1973, Jakarta:

Prabhupāda: What is our relationship with God? This science. Religion means this science. In the Vedānta-sūtra, it is said, athāto brahma jijñāsā. This human life is meant for understanding the Absolute Truth. Otherwise, what is the difference between cats and dogs and human beings? If simply eating, sleeping, and sex life, and defend is the business of human life, then these things are there in the animal life also. They also eat. They also sleep. They have also sex life, and they also defend according to their capacity. We defend with atomic bomb and they defend their own nails and claws. The different spirit is there. So that is not the aim of human life. The aim of human life—this opportunity's given by nature to have a human form of life—is to understand God.

Room Conversation with Indian Guests -- July 11, 1973, London:

Guest (3): They teach Sanskrit, English?

Prabhupāda: That is what. We are preparing them so that they can read our literature which is in Sanskrit and English. As soon as they can read, that's education finished. They will understand, practical demonstration, ārati, worship of the Deity, and they play mṛdaṅga, they chant, they join Hare Kṛṣṇa chanting. They are not meant for any technology.

Guest (3): No.

Prabhupāda: No. That we do not train. We are training them to become actual devotee, brāhmaṇa. Not for become technologists. Technologists, there are many.

Guest (1): I think the spiritual element is also essential in life.

Prabhupāda: Oh yes. That is the only business of human life.

Room Conversation with Educationists -- July 11, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: This is not religion. This is the only business. Religion is different thing. Suppose... Just like... I have already explained, that you are sleeping, and you have got a good engagement. And somebody's trying to awake you, that "You have to go there. Just get up! Get up!" So this kind of business is not religion. Religion is a, what is a kind of faith, a sentiment. That is different thing. It is the main business of human being. Because we are part and parcel of... Just like a boy, he's very rich man's son. Some way or other, he's out of his home, and he's suffering for want of food, want of shelter. And somebody's giving information that "I know you are such and such big man's son. Why you are loitering in the street? Why don't you go back to your home, back to your father?" So is it not the best business. So everyone is suffering. That I have already explained, how they are suffering. We are trying to save his suffering by dispatching him back to home, back to Godhead. This is our business. So it is not religion. It is the most important humanitarian work. What do you think?

Room Conversation -- September 2, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: If I study myself, I think, if I take this finger, am I this finger? The answer will be no. It is my finger. So my eyes, my head, everything "mine." Then where is "I"? Unless this inquiry comes into the living form of life, human form of life, he's not a human being. He's animal because animals never inquire. He's satisfied. A dog is satisfied. He knows that "I am this body." According to the dog's body, he barks. That's all. No more inquiry. Therefore actual human form of life, actual business of human form of life, begins from this inquiry. Brahma-jijñāsā. So this brahma-jijñāsā is being explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, what is Brahman? That is, dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ. So dehī, the owner of the body, is Brahman. Therefore Vedic injunction is, "Just realize what you are." Ahaṁ brahmāsmi.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Richard Webster, chairman, Societa Filosofica Italiana -- May 24, 1974, Rome:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Kṛṣṇa... Ignorance is no excuse. If there is law and if you do not know the law, and you commit offense, that is no excuse, that you do not know the law. Similarly, human life is meant for understanding God. That is the main business of human life. If one does not know this law, then he is sinful.

Room Conversation with devotees about Twelfth Canto Kali-yuga, and Conversation with Guest -- June 15, 1974, Paris:

Prabhupāda: Yes, certainly. It does not require education, knowledge or anything. If he agrees to surrender to the lotus feet of God, then his life is perfect. That is stated in the Vedic literature, naradita yadi hari sthapasata tat kim (?). "If one has surrendered himself to the lotus feet of God and worshiped Him, there is no more need of austerity and penances." And naradita yadi hari sthapasata tat kim (?). "If one has not learned how to surrender to God and worship Him, then all his austerities, knowledge, are useless." Antar-bahiḥ yadi hari sthapasata tat kim (?), "If one can see God within and outside, then where is the necessity of austerity?" And naradita..., nan tad yadi bahi hari sthapasata tat (?), "If one has not learned to see God within and without, then where is the value of his austerity and penances?" Therefore God realization is the only business of the human being.

Room Conversation with Professor Durckheim German Spiritual Writer -- June 19, 1974, Germany:

Prabhupāda: We advocate, "Eat Kṛṣṇa's prasādam, the remnants of foodstuff which is offered to Kṛṣṇa." This is our philosophy. And apart from this philosophy, because one living entity is food for another living entity, it does not mean that I shall eat my children also. There is discretion, that human being, they should offer these fruits, vegetables, milk as it is prescribed in the śāstra to God, Kṛṣṇa, and take. That is human civilization, not for the satisfaction of the tongue we have to maintain big, big slaughterhouse and eat them. No, that is not human civilization. The main business of the human society is to understand God, and as soon as he understands God, he understands that every living entity is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Then how we can eat? That because Kṛṣṇa eats, Kṛṣṇa allows, then we eat. So responsibility is Kṛṣṇa's. This is our philosophy. Yes.

Room Conversation with Professor Durckheim German Spiritual Writer -- June 19, 1974, Germany:

Satsvarūpa:

kāmasya nendriya-prītir

lābho jīveta yāvatā

jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā

nārtho yaś ceha karmabhiḥ

(SB 1.2.10)

"Translation: Life's desires should never be aimed at gratifying the senses. One should desire to live only because human life enables one to inquire about the Absolute Truth. This should be the goal of all works." (German)

Prabhupāda: Te, what is that? Jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā, inquiring about the Absolute Truth, that is the only business of human being.

Room Conversation with Pater Emmanuel (A Benedictine Monk) -- June 22, 1974, Germany:

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. We are also chanting Christ or Kṛṣṇa, the same thing. So let us join to together and chant. If you have got objection to chant Kṛṣṇa, you chant Christ or Christo. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktis tatrārpitā niyamitaḥ smaraṇe na kālaḥ. He says that God has got many multi names. Any one of them you chant because each and every name has the same potency as God the person, because His name and He, there is no difference. And if we become designationless, if we give up these titles, "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian," and simply chant God's name, then we become on the spiritual platform immediately, without any discrimination that "Here is Hindu, here is Muslim, here is Christian, here is white, here is black," that. We are preaching that human form of life is meant for God realization or to learn how to love God. That is real business of human being. So either do it as a Christian or as a Muslim or as a Hindu, it doesn't matter. But do this business.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with three Trappist Monks, Psychologists from the University of Georgia, and Atlanta Lawyer, Michael Green -- March 1, 1975, Atlanta:

Prabhupāda: The spiritual life should begin kaumāra, just at the beginning of five years." Why? Durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma: "This human form of life is very rarely obtained, and we do not know when we shall die. So before our next death we must be spiritually equipped. That is the business of human life." There is no guarantee when death will come. A child may also die tomorrow. There is no guarantee. Therefore spiritual education should begin as soon as a child can understand something. Because there is no guarantee that he will remain for many years. There is no guarantee. So the business of human life is to revive our lost relationship with God. So if we miss, then I may get another body, not even human body. Then I miss the opportunity. There are 8,400,000 types of forms. Just like the trees, they are all... (break) ...human form of life. And that may take millions of years. So if we miss this opportunity of human life, to revive our relationship with God, and next life I become something else, then how much great loss it is, just try to understand.

Morning Walk -- May 8, 1975, Perth:

Prabhupāda: So we have to study Caitanya Mahāprabhu's life. Except—this is the clear and simple truth—except chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, there is no other business of the human being. So this preaching is also chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. This is preaching. That has been shown by all the disciples of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. All the Gosvāmīs, Haridāsa Ṭhākura and others, only did that, how to develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness, no other business. That is sannyāsa. He has no other business. To preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness, to practice Kṛṣṇa consciousness, to convince Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that's all, no other business.

Press Conference -- July 9, 1975, Chicago:

Prabhupāda: We should approach God, how to love Him. That is our business. Otherwise, God is supplying food to the elephant who can eat forty kilogram at a time, or forty kg. And the ant eats only one grain of sugar. So God is supplying all of them. So there is no question of asking God to give us our food. It is already there. We should not waste our time to ask God for our sense gratification. That arrangement is already there. We shall try to know God and try to love Him. That is the business of human form of life. If we are missing that occupational duty, how to learn how to love God... Our philosophy... Or this is the philosophy, that that is the first quality religious system which teaches how to love God.

Conversation with Professor Hopkins -- July 13, 1975, Philadelphia:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Now God... Ask any religious system "What is God?" he cannot... What is God? They cannot explain. And we are saying, "Here is God, Kṛṣṇa." So which is better? If you search after gold and you do not know what is gold... Eh? And if you... If some authorized friend gives, "Here is gold. You take it." That is easier.

Prof. Hopkins: So the strength and the value is in knowing...

Prabhupāda: Oh yes.

Prof. Hopkins: Knowing what gold is.

Prabhupāda: That is the only business of human being, to know the Absolute Truth, God. That is the only business. Otherwise what is the difference between cats and dogs and human being? They do not care to know what is God. So if human being also in the same status, doesn't care to know what is God, then what is the difference between dogs and human being?

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- April 22, 1976, Melbourne:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: You explained very nicely how these boys and girls, they will sit on the floor. What is the need to manufacture chair? So a civilization which is geared to unnecessarily increasing the necessities is simply glorified...

Prabhupāda: Wasting time.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: That is not the real business of human life.

Prabhupāda: But they are thinking, "This is advancement. To sit on the floor is primitive, but to sit on the chair is civilized."

Garden Conversation -- June 27, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: One who is inquisitive or anxious to know about the Supreme, then there is necessity of guru. Otherwise, what is the use of it? One who is not inquisitive to understand the Supreme, he has no business for a guru. But everyone has necessity to understand the Supreme. That is human life. A dog cannot inquire what is God, because he is dog. But a man can do that. He has got that developed intelligence. So if a man does not inquire about the Supreme Truth, he is no better than a dog. If one does not seek after spiritual master, he's a dog. He's in the standard of dog. Because that inquiry is the particular business of human being, to inquire about the Supreme. If he does not inquire, then still he's on the platform of dog. First of all, you have understood it or not? So any human being with developed intelligence must go to a spiritual master. If he does not go, then he's still in the animal platform.

Room Conversation -- July 7, 1976, Baltimore:

Prabhupāda: So make a magazine to expose this. Idaṁ hi puṁsas tapasaḥ śrutasya vā sviṣṭasya sūktasya ca, you, by your knowledge, you describe the glories of the Lord, then you are my guru. This is our... If they say "Why do you bother about God?" that is the business of human being. A human being, he is given the chance to understand God, and you people are stopping, putting stumbling block in his understanding of God. You're the greatest miscreant. I have got a chance to get one million dollars, and if you check it, I cannot get it, how much mischievous you are for me. Is it not? What do you think?

Interview with Newsweek -- July 14, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: Yes, not only United States, but everywhere people do not know what is spiritual life. They have no knowledge how to develop spiritual life, although it is... The only business of human form of life is to understand spiritual life.

Interview with Religious Editor Of the Associated Press -- July 16, 1976, New York:

Interviewer: What I was trying to ask you a while ago, do you think that these particular Vedic disciplines and spiritual principles, concentration on the spirit instead of the body, has a particular usefulness in Western society nowadays?

Prabhupāda: It is useful for every human being. If the Western society thinks that they are not human being, that is another thing. (laughter)

Bali-mardana: In other words, this is the business of human life.

Interviewer: What's your view of Judaism and Christianity?

Prabhupāda: I have not studied, but any "ism," if it is meant for making the soul free from this bodily condition, that is first class "ism." Otherwise, it is simply waste of time.

Morning Walk -- August 11, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: Real business of human life is to take responsibility of spiritual advancement. So if one remain brahmacārī, he has no disturbance in that responsibility. But if he becomes a gṛhastha, that disturbance is there. You cannot take wholeheartedly the spiritual responsibility

Evening Darsana -- August 12, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: So far prayer is concerned, God is great, accepted, either by the Christian or the Muhammadan or the Hindus or the followers of Vedic principles. Now "God is great, glorify Him, and that is the business of human life," that they are not taking. Practically. That is the defect. And that is to be done. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. Brahmā means the great. Brhavad brhanantvad iti brahma.(?) Brahmā means the greatest. Now here we get the information God is great. So naturally one should be inquisitive to know how He is great. That is human life. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. Just like if I introduce, "Here is a gentleman, very rich." So naturally next inquiry will be, "How he is rich? What is the position that he is very rich?" These inquiries are natural. If I simply remain satisfied by hearing that he is rich, that is also good. You have got some respect. But if you know how he is rich, to what extent he is rich, then your respect will be increased.

Press Interview at Muthilal Rao's House -- August 17, 1976, Hyderabad:

Guest (2): But I am so preoccupied with my...

Prabhupāda: You are taking so many education...

Guest (2): ...that I don't have to time to contemplate or study such things. Don't you think it's the responsibility of people like you to...

Prabhupāda: That means you are not properly trained up. The thing is, the first business of human being is to inquire about the spiritual subject matter. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This is the Vedānta philosophy. Now we have got this human form of body, it is your duty to inquire about the spiritual subject matter. But if your guardians, if your parents, if your government does not teach you, then it is our misfortune.

Press Interview at Muthilal Rao's House -- August 17, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: Because in the human form of life one can understand what is God, and if he does not become, he remains an animal. Animal cannot understand. So therefore his business is how to athāto brahma jijñāsā. This is not our manufactured word, this is the Vedānta words. Atha, now we have got this human form body, based on that transmigration of the soul after millions and millions of years, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante, you have got this human form of life, now it is your business to inquire about the Absolute Truth. This is the business of human life. And āhāra-nidra-bhaya-maithuna, how to eat, how to sleep, how to enjoy sex life and how to defend, that is animal business. If you remain busy with these four principles of bodily necessities of life, āhāra-nidra-bhaya-maithuna, then you remain on he animal platform. Beyond that, when you inquire about God, that is human life. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. So we are trying to raise him from this animal life to human life. This is our business.

Press Interview -- October 16, 1976, Chandigarh:

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa says that anyone who is paṇḍita, in knowledge, he does not give any importance to the body, either living or dead. So the India's particular culture is how to elevate the soul to the highest platform of perfection. That is India's culture. The whole Vedic literature is meant for that, and Bhagavad-gītā is the essence of all Vedic literature. And the purpose is that soul is now entrapped within this material world, and the human life is the opportunity for getting oneself out of this entrapment of material existence. So if we do not take care of this important business of human life—as it is explained in the Vedānta-sūtra-athāto brahma jijñāsā. This life is meant for understanding about the Brahman or the spirit soul.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Ratan Singh Rajda M.P. 'Nationalism and Cheating' -- April 15, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Well, first of all, if you accept that you have got the cheating propensity, then all other things come.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Right. So many things, everything. Yeah, practically this whole civilization now is a cheating civilization.

Prabhupāda: Whatever name you can give, it is not civilization. That we have to... Not that "How they are cheating." But it is not human civilization; it is animal. Just as animals cheat naturally. Animal fight. So we have to prove this is animal civilization. (Bengali or Hindi) This is not human civilization. Without Kṛṣṇa consciousness it is not human civilization. That we have to prove. How it is not? You have to prove that "This is animal civili... This is not human civili..." Real human business is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's para-upakāra. In ignorance they are doing all nonsense. Stop them. Give them knowledge. This Kṛṣṇa conscious movement is real civilization.

1973 Correspondence

Letter to Roger -- Calcutta 26 January, 1973:

Thank you very much for your kind sentiments. By engaging in this Krsna Consciousness Movement you will be perfecting your own life as well as helping others to also come to the platform of God-consciousness. This is the real business of human life, though unfortunately the majority of human beings are neglecting. Now it is our business to wake them up to Krsna Consciousness. Please read my books very carefully and become convinced on this point. Chant Hare Krsna, take prasadam, and follow the regulative principles very rigidly. This will make you more and more advanced in spiritual life.