-Bhāgavatam 1.8.21
—
New York, April 13, 1973
So this ignorance, this life of ignorance we have passed in the, I mean to say, the forms other than the human being. Animal life, bird's life, beast's life. Now this life should be peaceful, calm and quiet. And jīvasya tattva-jijnāsā, simply for inquiring about the Absolute Truth. That should be the business. Simply. Jīvasya tattva-jijnāsā. Athāto brahma jijnāsā. Simply sit down. Just like we are sit down. We are sitting down and inquiring about Kṛṣṇa. This is life. And what is this life? Working day and night like the ass? No. That is not life. Therefore Bhāgavata says your life should be engaged for this purpose: tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovidaḥ. Kovida means intelligent. Then: "How my economic problem will be solved?" The answer is: tal labhyate duḥkhavad anyataḥ sukham. You are after happiness. Are you after distress? "No, sir." Why distress comes upon you? You are not anxious for distress, calamities. Why do they come upon you? Similarly, so far your happiness is also concerned, that will also come upon you. Because your life, according to your karma, is mixed up with some portion of happiness, some portion of distress. If the distress comes without any invitation, the happiness also will come without invitation. Without any invitation. Because you are destined already that so much happiness, so much distress you will have. Destined.
So you cannot change it. Try to change your lord, this material condition of life. That is your only business. Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido na labhyate yad bhramatām upary adhaḥ...Bhramatām upary adhaḥ. You have tried. bhramatām upary adh... Upari means higher planetary systems. Sometimes we get our birth in higher planetary system as demigods, and sometimes, adhaḥ, as animals, as cats and dogs, germ of the stool. This is going on. This is going on according to our karma. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said: ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva [Cc. Madhya 19.151]. Only fortunate living entity gets this opportunity of association of Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's devotee. Then his life becomes sublime.