Real Mission of Human Life
According to Śrīla Prabhupāda, the real mission of human life is to revive the dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness of the living entity and return back to home, back to Godhead. His Divine Grace explains that the human form is a rare opportunity to exit the clutches of māyā, yet most people waste it by working hard like asses for temporary sense gratification. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement exists to reorient society toward this ultimate goal, primarily through the distribution of transcendental literature and the chanting of the holy names.
Ultimate Goal: Back to Godhead
Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that the central aim of existence is to reestablish our forgotten relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He points out that while everyone is blindly chasing material happiness, the actual mission is to enter the spiritual world, Vaikuṇṭhaloka. Without this realization, human life is considered a failure, regardless of material accumulation.
- The real mission of life for the conditioned soul is to reestablish the forgotten relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead and engage in devotional service so that he may revive Krsna consciousness after giving up the body.
- Our aim should be how to go back to home, back to Godhead. That is the real mission of human life.
- The real mission of life: how to go back to Krsna, how to go back to Vaikunthaloka, the spiritual world. That is real mission. But that we do not know; therefore it is most confidential.
Practical Execution: Preaching and Books
For the devotees, Śrīla Prabhupāda defines the real mission in practical terms: preaching and book distribution. He explicitly states that doubling book distribution is the "real mission" because it spreads the instructions of Kṛṣṇa to the suffering humanity. His Divine Grace advises against becoming distracted by too much business or economic development, assuring us that if we serve Kṛṣṇa's mission, the Goddess of Fortune will provide everything.
- Doubling book distribution - that is our real mission. Yare dekha tare kaha 'krsna'-upadesa. That's all. This is the opportunity of speaking the words given by Krsna.
- Try to avoid too much business as this distracts us from our real mission. If Krishna sees that we are very active to spread information about Him, He is Master of the Goddess of Fortune, He will give everything!
- You have rightly appreciated my real mission, that whatever I have learned from Guru Maharaja I want to present to the English speaking public.
The Duty of Leaders and the Trap of Materialism
Śrīla Prabhupāda critiques the misdirected leadership of society. He explains that the duty of the brāhmaṇas and religious leaders is to enlighten the citizens about the real mission of life. However, when leaders are focused on sense gratification or false religious pretenses (like meat-eating in the name of goddess Kālī), they cheat the public. Śrīla Prabhupāda compares the materialistic worker who forgets this mission to a foolish ass.
- The brahmanas, those who are in charge of religion, the priestly order or the maulavis or the brahmanas - they're the same order - their duty is to keep people enlightened in the real mission of life.
- The karmis, they are working, accumulating bank balance, more, more, more, more, more, more, but forgetting the real mission of life. Therefore ass. Ass means fool.
- Just like in a particular Mission they say that, "We are devotees of Goddess Kali." Their real mission is to eat meat. Therefore they have become devotees of Goddess Kali.
Conclusion
Śrīla Prabhupāda concludes that the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant to save human society by establishing the science of the soul. The real mission is not to improve material conditions, which are destined to perish, but to attain the eternal platform of devotional service. By taking up this mission, one becomes happy and makes others happy, fulfilling the highest goal of human life, puruṣārtha.
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 Real Mission. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.