So such kind of welfare activity concerning the body, like hospital and so many other things, they are good undoubtedly, but the ultimate goal is to see the interest of the soul. That is ultimate goal. That is the whole Vedic instruction. And Kṛṣṇa begins from this point. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā (BG 2.13). So when Caitanya Mahāprabhu wanted to do some para-upakāra...
- bhārata bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra
- (manuṣya) janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra
- (CC Adi 9.41)
These welfare activities did not mean that welfare to this body. It was meant for the soul, the same thing as Kṛṣṇa wanted to impress upon Arjuna, that "You are not this body. You are soul." Antavanta ime dehaḥ nityasyoktāḥ śarīriṇaḥ, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). So real welfare activity means to see to the interest of the soul. So what is the interest of the soul? The interest of the soul is that the soul is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, God. Just like small spark of fire is part and parcel of the big fire, similarly, we living entities, we are very minute, small spark of the Supreme Brahman, Para-brahman, or Kṛṣṇa. So as the spark within the fire looks very beautiful, the fire also looks beautiful, and the spark also looks beautiful, but as soon as the sparks fall down from the fire, it becomes extinguished.