Every Act Has a Purpose

[ancient_paztriot]

Syamasundara dasa: Leibnitz was a German mathematician and philosopher who maintained that in the universe, every act has a purpose, and the purpose of the universe is to realize the goal set forth by God.

 

Srila Prabhupada: Yes, actually the goal is to reach God. the ignorant do not know this. Instead, they are hoping for something that can never be realized. this is the version of Srimad-Bhagavatam:

 

na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum

durasaya ye bahir-artha-maninah

andha yathandhair upaniyamanas

te ’pisa-tantryam uru-damni baddhah

 

“Persons who are strongly entrapped by the consciousness of enjoying material life, and who have therefore accepted as their leader or guru a similar blind man attached to external sense objects, cannot understand that the goal of life is to return home, back to Godhead, and engage in the service of Lord Visnu. As blind men guided by another blind man miss the right path and fall into a ditch, materially attached men led by another materially attached man are bound by the ropes of fruitive labor, which are made of very strong cords, and they continue again and again in materialistic life, suffering the threefold miseries.” (Bhag. 7.5.31) throughout history, people have been trying to adjust situations by manipulating the material, external energy, but they do not know that they are bound fast by the laws of material nature. No one can violate the laws of nature. As Caitanya Mahaprabhu explained:

 

krsna bhuli’ sei jiva anadi-bahirmukha

ataeva maya tare deya samsara-duhkha

 

“Forgetting Krsna, the living entity has been attracted by the external feature from time immemorial. Therefore the illusory energy [maya] gives him all kinds of misery in his material existence.” (Caitanya-caritamrta, Madh. 20.117) Maya, the illusory energy, ties the living entity by his neck, just as on ties a dog. The dog thinks, “I am very happy and free. My master is controlling me.” In Bhagavad-gita it is also stated:

 

prakrteh kriyamanani

gunaih karmani sarvasah

aha¥kara-vimuòhatma

kartaham iti manyate

 

“The spirit soul bewildered by the influence of false ego thinks himself the doer of activities that are in actuality carried out by the three modes of material nature.” (Bg. 3.27) Prakrti, material nature, is controlling the living entity by her different modes, but in ignorance the living entity is thinking, “I am inventing, I am acting, I am progressing.” This is called maya, illusion. No one can progress or improve without Krsna consciousness. The living entities have come into this material world because they want to imitate Krsna. Therefore they have been given a chance to engage in so-called enjoyment. At the same time, Krsna is so kind that He has given them the Vedas, the right directions. He says, “All right, if you want to enjoy, enjoy in this way so that one day you may come back to Me.” If a child insists on acting improperly, the father may be very careful in giving him what he wants, and at the same time directing him.

 

There are two kinds of activities. One is pravrtti, by which we become very much attached to the material world. By the other type of activity, nivrtti, we become detached. Both activities are mentioned in the Vedas. However, there is a plan. Because the living entities have forgetten or disobeyed Krsna and are trying to enjoy life by imitating Him, they are placed into this material world. Under the supervision of the superintendent of this material world, Durga, these living entities can return home, back to Godhead. That is the plan, and tere is really no other. Every one of us has to go back home, back to Godhead. If we do so immediately and voluntarily, we save time; otherwise we waste time. We have to come to this point. Therefore Bhagavad-gita says: bahunam janmanam ante (Bg. 7.19) After struggling for many births, the wise man surrenders unto Krsna. The final point is surrender, and maya gives the living entity trouble in many different ways so that he will eventually come to this point. When he becomes frustrated in his attempts at sense gratification, it should be understood that he is receiving special favor. When Krsna is anxious to reform the living entitiy, He bestows His mercy by first of all taking away all his money. This is a special favor. The living entitiy always wants to delay, but by special favor Krsna draws the living entity to Him by force. This is explained in Caitanya-caritamrta. The living entity wants Krsna, or God, but at the same time he wants to enjoy the material world. This is inconsistent, because desiring God means rejecting the material world. Sometimes the living entity is caught between these two desires, and when Krsna sees this, He places him in a hopeless condition. he takes away all his money, and then the living entity sees that all his so-called relatives and friends turn from him, saying, “Oh, this man is useless. He has no money.” In this hopeless condition, the living entity surrenders to Krsna.

 

All beings are trying to be happy in this material world, but it is nature’s plan to give them trouble. In other words, every attempt at happiness will be frustrated so that eventually the living entitiy will turn to Krsna. This is the plan: to bring the living entitiy back home, back to Godhead. This plan does not apply to just a few living entitites. It is not that some will remain here and others will go back to Godhead. No, the whole plan is that everyone must come back to Godhead. Some living entities are very obstinate, just like bad boys. the father says, “Come on,” but the boy says, “No, I’ll not go.” It is then the father’s business to drag him. At the end of Bhagavad-gita, Krsna says:

 

sarva-guhyatamam bhuyah

srnu me paramam vacah

isto ’si me dròham iti

tato vaksyami te hitam

 

“Because you are My very dear friend, I am speaking to you the most confidential part of knowledge. Hear this from Me, for it is for your benefit.” (Bg. 18.64) Then He says, “Surrender unto Me, and I will give you all protection.” (Bg. 18.66) In Bhagavad-gita, Krsna instructed Arjuna in karma-yoga, jnana-yoga, and other yogas, but His final instruction was to surrender.