The goal of life is, as Caitanya Mahāprabhu 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 Sanātana Gosvāmī, he understands that, because he has already begun,
- 'ke āmi', 'kene āmāya jāre tāpa-traya'
- ihā nāhi jāni-'kemane hita hara'
- (CC Madhya 20.102)
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 Sanātana Gosvāmī, 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, bothers. 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 the 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. Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadāṁ na teṣām (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 śāstra says, padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām: 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. That is human life.
So how to inquire? How to become happy? What is the goal of life? Sanātana Gosvāmī . . . Not only Sanātana Gosvāmī; he's representing us. We do not know. We do not know. So by the mercy of Caitanya Mahāprabhu or by the mercy of the servants of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, 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 śāstra'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? Yathā duḥkham ayatnataḥ (SB 7.6.3). 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.