Sl. No. 24 - Sermon - (What is the aim of human life?)

Dhaka - East Bengal Brahmomandir. Lecture in the function of Tatwavidyalaya
Thursday, 24th Agrahayan 1293 Bengali Calender [1887 A.D.]

I was requested to speak on the subject–‘The aim of human life’. Though my health is weak, still I shall try to explain this subject as far as possible.

In all the things created by the Supreme Lord, inanimate objects, plants insects, beasts, birds and human beings, He has a deep design. Whatever objects we see, about whichever subject we discuss, we find that in everything there is a purpose. We find two things in human beings—one is purpose and the other is aim. Knowing the ways and means for the fulfilment of the respective purpose of any matter, given by the compassionate creator, man can know Him by seeing the state of affairs. We do not pay any attention to a piece of stone lying in the forest, but if we find it to contain any design or artwork or when we find the ruins of a large building then the faculty of our inquisitiveness starts working to dig out the cause. Thoughts as to wherefrom has it come, that it must have been made by a good artist, appear in our minds. Thus while roaming in a forest, if we find some flowers strewn on the ground, we may not be attracted, but a garland of flowers lying on the ground draws our attention. We think that some florist must have made it, it could not have come here automatically. The faculty of curiosity, that leads us to achieve knowledge about the maker of the stone piece by seeing the artwork in it, or the florist of the garland, the same curiosity leads us to know the creator by seeing the earth.

He has provided this world with various technics and while on the one hand we are benefitted by them, on the other hand, with them we are achieving Him too. An ignorant man cannot understand anything while looking at a grass, but the botanist finds so much of information contained in it. Just see the trees and plants and creepers around, they contain so much of information. Medicines made out of them are of such great help to us. There is nothing anywhere that is created without a purpose. The Supreme Lord has given ways and means to fulfil the respective purpose in each of His creation. If the seed of a mango tree is planted in a tub instead of proper land, the tree will grow and will also survive for two or four months but will not grow in a proper manner and will not proceed to fulfil its purpose. This is because, the way the creator would have grown the tree has been obstructed.

The creator has given certain inputs to His creations for some specific purpose and made arrangements for the environment to support it. That purpose cannot be fulfilled if there is obstruction to this arrangement. The purpose of the seed of a tree is to produce fruits. The process through which the fruit will come into being is inherent in the seed and other auxilliary things required for it like, light, broad area, soil etc, are also present. If for any reason, these supports are resisted, the seed will not be able to produce fruits. This is for all the trees. Every tree is serving a purpose. The plants produce so many fruits, grains, medicines. It is impossible to describe how much physical relationship we have with these plants.

And every life in this world has a purpose. Beasts and birds and insects, all are moving towards their purpose. Those who have acquired knowledge by their long and wide experience have learnt how beneficial animals are to us, how helpful the ferocious animals, and even snakes are to us. According to some learned people, the world would have been harmed had there been no snakes. With this it transpires that God has given a purpose to each of His creations.

Apart from purpose, the human life has aim too. Other things do not have aims. The mango tree does not know why it is bearing fruits. The sun does not know why it is giving rays. But still it does. They follow the purpose but cannot know why. They have no aim, but their purpose is fulfilled by natural law. But human beings have two parts—the body and the soul. Human beings contain the elements of inanimate objects, plants, beasts and birds and insects, that is the elements of all the matters of the entire universe. Human body contains the elements of the inanimate objects and the plants. When it is alive, it contains animal nature like eating, sleeping etc. This apart the higher nature that it has, is called humanity. By this he is enabled to know the creator of the world and be blessed. Similar to the purpose of the body, the soul also has both purpose and aim. The body is the machine, and the soul is the operator. This body is a house for me to live in. The body is to the soul, what a cage is to a bird. One can see with the eyes, do work with the hands. But do the eyes see? Does the hand work? Had it been true, then why does not the dead body see or work inspite of having eyes and hands? This is because eyes do not see. It is the soul inside that sees and works with the hands. The body falls sick if it is not maintained well, not protected by proper food and activities. It then fails to achieve its purpose. That is why the wise people have said, Shariramadyam khaludharmasadhanam (Means : The body is indeed the foremost medium of meritorious action). The basis of spiritual practice is the body. Some people ignore their body while resorting to spiritual practice. But this should not be done. The body is a wealth given by God. Those who neglect or ignore this, insult the creator. Sometimes out of our ignorance we fall ill. That creates hurdle in achieving our purpose. Those who are young in age, should learn the process and take due care to protect their bodies. Once the health breaks down, one will be pained all the time and will suffer both in the fields of family life and that of dharma. The other creations of God do not understand their purpose, but man has been endowed with the wisdom to understand that. When man can understand the purpose of the body, he should not neglect it.

The Supreme God has given everything to man with which He has built the universe. This is because man will be able to get the knowledge of the entire universe within himself. We have to understand our own purpose and aim, the way we understand the purpose of other matters. I can understand the purpose of my body, but it is difficult to understand the purpose of my soul, because the body is an external object and the soul is internal. In the course of analysing “Who am I”, if I conclude that “I am the body” then I cannot understand my purpose. I can understand my purpose only when I realise that I am different from my body. The conclusion of mistaking body as the soul or self, has been called samsar by the wise people. If after eating, drinking and wearing the best of clothes, one thinks that the purpose of hunger thirst and clothing has been fulfilled then one is grossly mistaken. That is why the preceptors of earlier times had advised people to contemplate - “I am not the body—I am different from the body.” Man engages in cogitation on the subject of the self when he realises, “I am not the body”. He then finds that every human being is created with an assigned task. He then realises that the entire universe is a big machine and every human being constitutes its smaller components. On a visit to an industry containing machines, one finds that various small components put together form a large component and an assembly of such large components form the large machine. It contains even small pins and pieces of belts. The machine cannot run without any one of these. The human society is a very large machine. Each man is its small component. We should never think that others are not doing any important work for the world such as we are doing. Everyone is doing something for the world.

In Ramachandra’s project of building the bridge across the ocean, even as great warriors like Nal, Neel and Hanuman had helped, so did the little squirrel contribute its share as far as possible. The ocean of the world is also like that. It is located between the mortal life and the life beyond. Here like the bigger people, the smaller ones too are contributing their mite.

Man cannot understand his purpose, cannot realise himself until he gets rid of the illusion that “I am the body”. So he hops around from work to work—cannot rest peacefully. Man does not achieve perfect calmness until he reaches his zone of purpose. Those who have not properly realized self knowledge, move around various work, face hurdles and later understand their purpose. But those who think that they are the bodies, can never realize their purpose.

The purpose of one person cannot be fulfilled by another. There are various trees like mango, lemon etc. The utility of one such tree cannot be met by another. Even within the same class there are many divisions. There are many varieties of mangoes and lemons among themselves, but the purpose of one cannot be served by another. Similarly there are varieties among human beings. Each man is different from the other. The purpose of one class or one individual cannot be served by another. The work that is his life’s vow and doing which gives man happiness, begets enthusiasm—develops his soul. He proceeds to do that work—even against opposition by thousands of people, even if the Himalayas stand before him,—based on the understanding that “The Supreme Lord is asking me to do this.” The man who realises the purpose of his work remains equally unflinchingly enthuastic, both in his youth and in old age. He is never weak in fulfilling that purpose of his life. That work is my purpose doing which the heart floats on enthusiasm, happiness and self satisfaction. Again our heart becomes almost dead by the lack of enthusiasm, unhappiness and fatigue when I take up a work that is not the work of my life. What if that purpose of work is a petty one. That work may be one of a porter, a clerk, a writer, a preacher, a cultivator, a teacher, or even a businessman. Who can say that the purpose of a man is only to preach religion and not working as a porter? It has been discussed earlier itself that everyman is a component of the machine that is the human society. One will do just that work for which one is born on this earth, someone else cannot do that work in that manner. The porter will do his work—the preacher will preach religion. No work is petty.

Work may be the purpose of humans but not the aim. Like purpose there is a way to understand the aim of the human beings too. Ever since our childhood we like larger things. The child extends its hands to pick up the larger one of the two sweet meats held before him. What else? Since childhood the human beings have a love for beautiful things. The child wants the beautiful moon, the beautiful flower, the red piece of cloth. The child is attracted also towards things that deliver well being. The child loves the one who loves him. Such things are not taught by anybody, they appear in our mind spontaneously since childhood.

We also have a feeling of reliance since childhood. During childhood one feels that mother can do anything. The child shows his legs to even tigers and lions while sitting in his mother’s lap. While everybody panics during a storm, the child laughs in his mother’s lap. “What is there to fear as I am in my mother’s lap?” All these states of mind keep working since our childhood—we do not know why. As we grow older and the more we enter into the worldly life, we deliberate on physical science and watch the moon, the sun, the stars and planets, the mountains and oceans etc. Yet however big be the objects we notice, nothing gives us total satisfaction. Our heart runs towards still larger things—towards the unlimited. That is why the sages have said Bhumaiva sukham, nalpe sukhamasti (Means : Whatever verily is vast is delight, whatever is limited does not give everlasting happiness)—I am not satisfied even after seeing all the beautiful things of the world, I am moving towards limitless beauty. Similarly the heart is not satisfied by the limited love of the world. It runs towards the unlimited—the soul wants to go to that ever deliverer of well being. Who is that big endless, beautiful, loving gracious repository of reliance? It is Brahman!!

Anandam brahmano vidyan na bibheti Kutashchana,
Yatoba imani bhutani jayante yeno jatani jeevanti,
Yat prayantya visamvishanti, tadbijijnasa swatad brahma.