Tapasya, human life is meant for tapasya. We know in our Indian history all big, big kings, they went to the forest, tapasya. The King Bharata, Bharata Mahārāja, under whose name this planet is called Bhārata-varṣa, he left his kingdom, young wife, children, everything, at the age of twenty-four years, and he went for tapasya. So the Pāṇḍavas also. Everyone. The last stage of life should be especially meant for tapasya. Not that up to the point of death we shall remain addicted to this worldly life. No.
So this life is meant for purifying our existence. That means stop this cycle of birth and death. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). We should always keep in front. We may think, we may be puffed up, as very much advanced in material comfort, but . . . you may do so, but at the same time you should keep in front, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi.
You should always think that, "What advancement we have made? Have we stopped dying? Have you stopped birth?" There are so many contraceptive method, but the population is increasing, the birth is going on. Similarly we have discovered so many nice medicines, but people are dying. You cannot stop this, birth, death. They are trying to remain as young men, as young women, but they are getting older.
So intelligent men should always keep in front that what advancement we have made—simply struggling. A struggle, a heavy struggle, a hard struggle. That struggle. And we are thinking, "This is advancement." You struggling just like ass. So the whole day and night you are working.
Actually I am working very hard, but I am thinking that I am advancing. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi. We are trying to find out so many medicine, so many humanitarian work. What is that? There is famine, there is struggle. Why don't you do something so that people will not be anymore in famine, any more in distress—there will be no more scarcity of water. That is required.
So these are the problems, and so however we may solve all these problem, the problem of material existence, birth, death, old age and disease, that cannot be stopped, either you become Brahmā or something like that. That is not possible. That is possible only by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā:
- mām upetya punar janma
- duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam
- nāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ
- saṁsiddhiṁ paramāṁ gatāḥ
- (BG 8.15)
Mām upetya tu kaunteya, duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam. This world is recommended by the creator of this world as duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam. It is the place for miseries. And that also temporary. If you make . . . want to make compromise, "All right, it may be miserable life. I will stay here," oh, that also you'll not be allowed. You'll be kicked out after some days.