The Purpose of Life

What is the difference between man and the animals? The difference lies in the fact that while an animal is aware only of its own interests, man, ideally, besides being aware of his personal interests, recognizes his responsibility and fulfills its demands. But in the world of today it appears that this difference has been obliterated. Human culture today is little better than the culture of the animals. Besides the apparent differences, there seems to be no real difference. But this is not a simple matter. This clearly amounts to deviating from the path of nature. And deviation from the path of nature always becomes the cause of double deprivation. That is to say, deprivation in the pre-death period as well as in the post-death period. By misusing his freedom in this world, man can deviate from the path of nature, but he has not the power to save himself from the fatal consequences of doing so. This is the greatest danger facing the human being of today. What it means to be deprived in the pre-death period can be understood by everyone judging from his own personal experiences. Everyone has an attractive goal before him. He spends all his time and energy attempting to reach this goal he has set for himself. But we find that, finally, what everyone is destined to get is pure and simple frustration. In this world, everyone, be he rich or poor, dies ultimately in despair. No man or woman is an exception to this. Why does this happen? The reason is that man dreams of reaching a particular destination, but in order to do this he requires certain resources, and the resources to fulfill such dreams just do not exist in this world. That is why, even after the greatest struggle, man’s life is finally terminated without his having reached his desired goal. Man has special faculties called the five senses — sight, touch, taste, smell and hearing. These five senses are in actual fact nodal factors in the human capacity for enjoyment. It is through each of these senses, that the enormous treasure of enjoyment which the Creator has placed at man’s disposal impinges upon his consciousness. Sight is a purveyor of extremely pleasant experiences and so are touch, taste, smell and hearing. There is no other creature in this universe, including the animals, who is possessed of the capacity to enjoy these pleasures in the way that man does. The ability to enjoy these uniquely elevated kinds of pleasures is an exceptional divine gift to man. Man, moreover, possesses the capacity for thought. This uniquely human capacity is the greatest means of experiencing the highest form of pleasure. Thinking provides a limitless treasure house of pleasure for man. The act of thinking, which is seldom outwardly manifested, gives man the keenest sense of pleasure, which is just not realizable by any other means. Although man has the capacity to experience these pleasures, he does not always find the means to satisfy his longing for the enjoyment of them. Everyone is born with a limitless capacity for enjoyment, but after a very short period in this world every man and woman dies with unfulfilled desires.