In every misery, there is no control. Ultimately, all the miseries are summarized in four things: the misery of birth . . . we do not . . . we have forgotten how much miserable condition we passed during our stay in the womb of mother, in a suffocated condition. You just imagine. Some of you might have seen the picture how the child remains within the womb of the mother. It is air-tight packed. And there are many germs who are biting the delicate skin of the child. And when the child is little grown up, at seven months, it feels too much pain. Therefore the mother can feel that the child is moving. It wants to come out, and prays . . . one who is fortunate, he can pray to God, "Please give me relief from this condition. This time I shall try my best not to come again in this position of life."
So there is severe pain of birth. Similarly, there is severe pain during death. And for disease and old age, everyone has got experience. When you are diseased, simple, if you have got some headache . . . so these miseries are there always. If we forget and if we think that we are living very comfortably, this is called illusion.
So we have to prepare for eternal life, blissful life, and life full of knowledge. If we do not do that, then our this human form of life is missing, is misused. That is the philosophy not only of Lord Buddha but Lord Caitanya, Śaṅkarācārya or Lord Jesus Christ. Anyone you take, nobody will recommend that you make your plan and live in this material world very happily. Nobody has recommended. Everyone has said that this life is the preparation stage of your next best life. If you do not believe in that, if you think that this life you can make this world happy by arrangement, by scientific advancement, that is not possible. That is not possible. It is plainly and very straightly said in the Bhagavad-gītā:
- daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī
- mama māyā duratyayā
- mām eva ye prapadyante
- māyām etāṁ taranti te
- (BG 7.14)
It is very difficult to surmount the stringent laws of material nature. It is not possible. If you surrender to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then it is possible. So this Kṛṣṇa conscious movement is very scientific movement. It is based on authentic scriptures and experience and recommended by personalities like Lord Caitanya, Rāmānujācārya and many stalwart scholars and devotees. So we are spreading this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement . . . Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means the teachings of Bhagavad-gītā in practical demonstration of life. So we are requesting you to study this movement. And it is very easy. It is . . . you do not require any very large quality . . . big qualification to understand this movement. Anyone, even a child, can take part in this movement. We have got practical experience. When we chant, even children, they also take, they also chant, they also dance.
So we request you that on this great auspicious day of Lord Buddha's birthday, there should be . . . Lord Buddha laid down the basic principle of meditation, that people should not forget the ultimate goal of life; they should meditate upon what is the mission of my life, what is the end of my life. Not that just like animals we shall spoil our life simply by eating, sleeping or sex life or so-called defending. We may discover so many defending instruments or weapons, but there is no defense from the cruel hands of death. However you may be advanced in manufacturing so many nice things, you cannot manufacture anything which can save you from death or from disease or from old age.