Successful life is that, that we should make our bodily necessities of life as far as required, not more than that. I want to eat something. God has given sufficient food. You grow. You live anywhere. You grow foodstuff. You grow grains. You grow fruits. You grow vegetables. Keep cows. Take milk. You can live anywhere. You haven't got to go fifty miles off with a car to attend your office at six o'clock with velocity of hundred miles' speed. Is that successful life, do you think? So where is successful life? We are proposing successful life.
So whatever you do, you just become Kṛṣṇa conscious, and at least he will feel that, "I am . . . my future hope is there. There is Kṛṣṇa." That is successful life. At least he is hopeful that he is going to Kṛṣṇa, even he is working very hard, never mind. "I have been put into this condition of life." So that is successful life. At least one life, anyway, passed on.
Kṛṣṇa gives him assurance that one who understands the philosophy of Kṛṣṇa . . . janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ: anyone who simply understands what is Kṛṣṇa, then his privilege is tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9),
"He does not take any more birth in this material world." Then where does he go? Mām eti: "He comes to Me." Simply try to understand Kṛṣṇa, that's all, even if you don't serve Him. But Kṛṣṇa is so attractive, as soon as you understand Kṛṣṇa, then you have to serve Him. You see? It is so nice.
That is successful life. This is not successful life. This is unsuccessful life, laboring whole life, and he does not know where he is going. Next life, what is, whether cat or dog or animal or this or that, he does not know. He's in the darkness. Adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamisraṁ punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30).
The same repetition of same foolishness and uncontrolled senses, he does not know where he is going. Just like unbridled horses. The man does not know, "Where the horses are dragging me, either in the hell or heaven? I do not know." But the horses are not controlled, under his con . . . simply running, high speed. That these motorcars are running this way and that way. They do not know whether they will reach their destination. Any, at any point, they may be striking each other and finished. This is not successful life.