# Human Life *On the special opportunity of the human form of life* --- ### Not for Eating and Sleeping > This human form of life is very valuable. It should not be wasted like cats and dogs, eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. This life should be utilized for self-realization, for understanding what I am, what is God, what is my relationship with God. This is human life. — [[spoken/1976/760619sb.tor|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.6.3, Toronto, 1976]] --- ### Questions Must Arise > So these questions must arise. "What I am? Why I am suffering? Why I am in this material world?" These questions must arise. That is human life. If one is simply satisfied with eating, sleeping, mating, and defending, that is animal life. — [[spoken/1976/760619sb.tor|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.6.3, Toronto, 1976]] --- ### Animals Have Four Things > Eating, sleeping, sex life, and defense—these four things are common in human life and animal life. A dog is eating, a man is eating. A dog is sleeping, a man is sleeping. A dog is enjoying sex, a man is enjoying sex. A dog is defending, a man is defending. So what is the special advantage of human life? — [[spoken/1972/721017sb.vrn|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.6, Vṛndāvana, 1972]] --- ### Living Animal Life > If you chant "water, water, water, water," your thirst will not be quenched. But if you cry "Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa," you may find your position in this world: where you came from, why are you here, what are you doing, where are you going. These questions man must answer, or he's not making use of his ability as man; he's simply living an animal life. — [[spoken/1968/680816jm.mon|Janmāṣṭamī Lecture, Montreal, 1968]] --- ### Rare Opportunity > After many millions and millions of births and deaths, one gets this opportunity of human form of life. And if we waste it simply for eating, sleeping, mating, and defending, then we are committing suicide. We are missing the opportunity. — [[spoken/1976/760619sb.tor|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.6.3, Toronto, 1976]] --- ### From Childhood > One should begin cultivation of Kṛṣṇa consciousness from the very childhood. That is the mission of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We want to give chance to everyone, especially to the children, to develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness from the very beginning of life. — [[spoken/1976/760619sb.tor|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.6.3, Toronto, 1976]] --- ### Difference From Animals > The human being should enquire about the Absolute Truth. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This is the only business for human being. Not for eating, sleeping. That is done by the animals. The human being should be inquisitive to know about the Absolute Truth. — [[spoken/1976/760630sb.nv|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.6.16, New Vṛndāvana, 1976]] --- ### Facility for Understanding God > In human form of life you have got the facility for understanding God, for understanding yourself, what you are, what is God, what is your relationship with God. This opportunity is given to the human form of life. Not to the cats and dogs. — [[spoken/1970/701215sb.ind|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.1.27, Indore, 1970]] --- ### Greatest Opportunity > Durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma. This human form of life is very rare. It is obtained after many, many millions of years of evolution. And this life should be utilized for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the only business. If we utilize this life for the purpose for which it is offered to us, then our life is successful. — [[spoken/1970/701219sb.sur|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.1.34–39, Surat, 1970]] --- ### Don't Spoil It > So the human form of life should not be spoiled. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to give an opportunity to the human society to utilize this human form of life for the highest perfection, to go back home, back to Godhead. This is the mission. — [[spoken/1972/721017sb.vrn|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.6, Vṛndāvana, 1972]] --- *10 quotes from Śrīla Prabhupāda on human life* [[wiki/quotes|Back to Quotes]]