Transcending the Hard Struggle for Existence

In the contemporary world, the "hard struggle for existence" is often discussed through the lens of biological evolution and the survival of the fittest. However, Śrīla Prabhupāda provides a much deeper, spiritual diagnosis of this phenomenon. He explains that the living entity, though originally a part of the spiritual energy, has come into contact with material nature. Due to the influence of the mind and the six senses, the soul undergoes a grueling battle to dominate material resources—a struggle that ultimately proves futile as the laws of nature are "hard and fast." This article explores the nature of this struggle and the Vedic path to transcending it.

Nature of the Struggle

Śrīla Prabhupāda often compares the modern human struggle for existence to the life of a hog. A hog labors hard in a filthy place for sense enjoyment, unaware of its degraded state. Similarly, conditioned souls toil day and night, calculating bank balances and material achievements, while remaining under the spell of illusory energy.

• A hog's life is degraded in its standard of happiness, which entails living in a filthy place, engaging in sex enjoyment at every opportune moment, and laboring hard in a struggle for existence, but this is unknown to the hog.
• Apart from human beings, other species like cats and dogs are also struggling very hard day and night for existence. Thus the struggle for existence continues, and the conditioned soul changes from one position to another.
• Every one of these living entities, they are making . . . having a hard struggle for existence. But under the spell of the illusory energy, they are thinking, "We are happy," although whole day and night they are unhappy; their desires are not fulfilled.

Illusion of Progress and Darwin's Theory

The material world is likened to the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. Everyone is fighting for survival, and at every step, danger lurks. Prabhupāda acknowledges Darwin's theory but provides the spiritual context that Darwin missed: the struggle is rooted in the mind and the six senses.

• Somehow or other we have come in contact with material nature, and because of the mind and the six senses, we are struggling hard to exist. That is Darwin's theory - the struggle for existence, survival of the fittest.
• By endeavoring to dominate material nature, the living entity simply struggles hard for existence. Indeed, he struggles so hard to enjoy himself that he cannot even enjoy the material resources.
• The living entities serving material energy are struggling hard for existence and happiness, which is presented to them as illusion. But those in the spiritual energy are placed under the direct service of the Lord in eternal life, knowledge and bliss.

Purpose of Dharma and Intelligence

Human life is the specific turning point in this hard struggle. While animals are forced to struggle by instinct, humans have the intelligence to counteract this condition. Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches that the purpose of dharma (religion) is not to secure more material resources (artha), but to stop the "pavarga"—the different kinds of hard struggle for existence.

• One should become religious or accept religious principle to stop this pavarga, the different kinds of hard struggle for existence. To stop, that is the purpose of dharma. But generally people execute dharma to get some artha. Dharma artha.
• Intelligence to counteract the hard struggle for existence is assisted by the senses for acquiring knowledge, and the living energy maintains himself by manipulating the active organs, like the hands and legs.
• Human life is a means by which the living entity can end all the miseries of the hard struggle for life in material existence and by which he can return to Godhead, his eternal home.

Transcending the Struggle through Kṛṣṇa Consciousness

The hard struggle for existence is a symptom of forgetting our real home in the spiritual world. By dovetailing our consciousness with the Supreme Consciousness of Kṛṣṇa, we can stop this unnatural life of birth and death. Our real business is to pray for deliverance from this battlefield of material nature.

• Our business is to pray to Krsna to get me out of this struggling, hard struggle for existence in this material world.
• When a soul wants to enjoy this material world, forgetting his real home in the spiritual world, he takes this life of hard struggle for existence. This unnatural life can be stopped when his consciousness is dovetailed with Supreme consciousness of God.
• We are thinking that, "I am American," "I am this," "I am that," and toiling and laboring hard, struggle for existence. Therefore the most beneficial welfare activity is Krsna Consciousness. We are reminding people that - You are son of such great personality, or Krsna.

Conclusion

The "Hard Struggle for Existence" is an inescapable reality of material life, yet the Vedic wisdom provides the exit strategy. By recognizing the Lord's supreme authority and shifting our energy from material domination to spiritual service, the struggle is not merely managed but entirely transcended.

Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani

Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Hard Struggle for Existence. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.

(See our Vanipedia:Methodology for AI-Assisted Articles)