Who are we? Why are we here in this material world? Is the aim of life just to work hard and earn money? Find the answers here.

All of us, who are living in this material world, have our own share of joys and sorrows. It is seldom that we remember or try to thank God in our daily lives when we are happy. But when unforeseen miseries hit us, we seek the help of God to pull us out. At times, one might also come across the question of finding one’s existence and seek an opportunity to find the meaning and purpose of life.

One may come across questions like – “Who am I? Why do I have to go through all these miseries?  Is there a way to get out of these miseries? Or am I supposed to bear the pain throughout life?” In fact each and every person has an opportunity to realize the higher self within him when he is happy and doing well.

So, have you ever wondered about the reason behind your existence? Have you ever asked yourself who you are? Have you ever realized that you are more than your body?

The answer would be a “No” for many of us. In that case, one has to walk down the lane to find out about the real self. It sounds like it is irrelevant to dig deeper and know more about yourself when you think you know who you are. Knowing your name, who are your parents, or what you do for a living, is just an identity you have got in this material world. Beyond that you have a soul which moves you, and there is a higher purpose for your life other than just to work for the sake of earning a livelihood.

Srila Prabhupada states that, at present the human society is being misled by leaders who do not know the aim and objective of human life, which is self-realization and reestablishment of the lost relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. According to Vedic civilization, the perfection of life is to realize one’s relationship with Krishna, or God.

If we look around and observe our society and the current affairs of the world, we can easily understand what Srila Prabhupada meant to say in the above paragraph. Each one of us is driven to earn money. The main motivation in our lives today is centralized on one single aspect – ‘Money’. But that is not what our lives are bound to, if you are looking for a meaningful life.

If you want to lead a perfect life, there can be one way you can achieve your goal. Srila Prabhupada says, “All living entities are part and parcel of God. The parts are meant for serving the whole, just as the legs, hands, fingers and ears are meant for serving the total body. We living entities, being part and parcel of God, are duty-bound to serve Him.”

All of us in the real sense offer our services to someone or the other in this material world. It might be the family, country or the society. But in reality, how many of us are satisfied with what we procure or render? There is a sense of frustration amongst everyone who is in search of satisfaction. The solution to this rests in the simple act of surrendering oneself to God or Krishna. When one knows that it is important to water the root of a tree and not the leaves or stems or other parts in order to nurture it, it is not difficult to understand the fact that one has to become a servant of Krishna.

There are certain imbalances in the world which might look like it is too unfair and God has done nothing to solve it. There are countries which are rich and others which are poverty stricken. There are the Rich and the Poor, the Good and the Bad. And one might question as to why God has done nothing to set right these imbalances.

In the Bhagavad-gita it is stated that those who attempt but do not fully traverse the path of approaching God—in other words, those who have failed to achieve complete success in Krishna consciousness—are given the chance to take birth in the families of the spiritually advanced or in aristocratic families. In both families one can get a good chance to make further progress from the point where he left in his previous life.

In any social system the people who wield power over the masses are given more privileges than those who are at the ground level due to the responsibility that goes with the role. When a person realizes his position in this material world and surrenders himself to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, one will lead a life that is laid on the foundation of the teachings of Lord Krishna.

Srila Prabhupada has written that the human body is an excellent vehicle with which one can reach eternal life. If one neglects this good chance it is nothing but an act of committing suicide.