Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 2.3.18
Ūti· What drives us to actSpiritual Value Matters More Than Long Life
“Do the trees not live? Do the bellows of the blacksmith not breathe? All around us, do the beasts not eat and discharge semen?”
What the purport teaches
- A prolonged life without spiritual value is not very important. Trees may live for hundreds or thousands of years, but longevity alone does not show human advancement.
- Breathing, eating and sexual enjoyment do not fulfill the special purpose of human life. Bellows move air, and animals also eat and mate.
- Life is meant for tapasya, or austerity, to purify existence and prepare for eternal life. Simply increasing bodily comforts leaves this purpose unfulfilled.
Try this today
Forgo one small indulgence today and use that time to reflect on this passage’s purpose for human life.
Ask yourself
Am I measuring a worthwhile life mainly by comfort and length, or by spiritual purification?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.