In childhood, one develops absorbing interest in play and enjoys the company of one’s playmates. In youth and middle age, one is engrossed in cultivating worldly relations and earning money. In old age, one repents for not having this and that. In this way, man wastes his precious human birth. (Telugu poem)

Right from birth to death, man should lead his life befitting his human birth. Divinity is imminent in every human being. Man passes through the various stages of childhood, youth and householder and ultimately grows old. With the advancement of age, man does not think of God and repents about what he has not got in life. What is the use of worrying at this stage? We should have proper thinking from the very beginning. The youth leader Vinay Kumar prayed to Me to tell him what the youth should do. So, I told him that youth should always remain young and energetic. When youth misuse the power of senses, they lose their energy and start growing old. They should always remain young and never grow old with the advancement of age. We should preserve our energy. (DD on 15.08.06 , pp. 3-4)

What is the purpose of human birth? It is to experience the love of God. Only those who are recipients of God’s love can bring about transformation in the world. Society to day is full of unrest and suffering. Wherever you see, there is nothing except sorrow. Many natural calamities like floods are causing great devastation. This is not something caused by God. Man himself is the cause of all his sufferings. God always teaches man the path of righteousness and not that of unrighteousness, injustice and impropriety. The vedas declare: Satyam vada, Dharmam chara (speak truth, practice righteousness). (SSS Vol.42, pp. 197-198)

Human birth is some sort of a special opportunity to get free from birth and death. Only on Earth may an escape from birth and death take place. In no other plane or region throughout the indescribable vastness of the universe does this opportunity exist. It is unique and is limited to the earth. All life may aspire to human birth. But only through human-birth may God be realised. To waste time is the greatest folly. Now and here is the individual. Now and here is the opportunity to realize the absolute goal of life. (CWBSSB, pp. 190-191)

There are three important reasons for the birth of a human being. These three reasons are sin, agitation and ignorance. Because of the sin that we commit we get a rebirth as punishment. Because of lack of peace in an agitated mind, we get rebirth. If at one stroke, we want to get rid of sin, agitation in our mind and ignorance, the only way is to constantly think of the name of Rama.

This one name Rama will remove in one stroke all your sins, the agitations in your mind and your ignorance, as the letter ‘Ra’ which has connection with the Sun (Surya) has got the potency to shed light and remove all ignorance; the letter ‘A’ which has connection with the moon (Chandra) removes your agitation and gives peace; while the letter ‘Ma’ which has connection with fire, burns out all your sins. (SSB 1977, p. 7)

Rama addressed, ‘Citizens! Birth as a human being is hailed in the Vedas and Puranas and by wise men of all lands as the rarest chance of all. The human birth cannot be achieved unless a great deal of merit is built up in many lives previous to this. Even Gods yearn for the chance and find it hard to get born as men. Birth as a human opens the door to Liberation.

It provides wide opportunities for undergoing sadhana and benefiting by them. The human body is to be used not for enjoying sensual pleasures. It is not to be treated as an instrument for reaching Heaven and delight in heavenly toys and joys. These pleasures are all momentary. They bring you back again into the tangle of change, the toil of birth and death. Therefore, these pleasures bring about sorrow. Only fools will be led away into the pursuit of these sensual pleasures. Such pleasures are as poison to man; is it proper to seek poison, in preference to nectar? Those who crave for poison cannot be good men. They are like the fools who discard the wish-fulfilling gem (Chintamani) and prefer a bead of glass.

Being endowed with the human body, if a person does not use it for crossing the Ocean of Illusory Existence (Samsara) he is indeed to be pitied as unfortunate and of dull intellect. He is indeed the slayer of his own self, the enemy of his own progress. Therefore, those who are born as men have to realise that God resides in all men as the Atma within and to serve every one as Divine, and regard that service as the most proper worship of God. Observe the dictates of God with full heart. Carry out all activities as if you are dedicating them to God’. (RKRV Part II, p. 294)

The birds and animals are experiencing the limitations, which have been laid out for them. A human birth is the most sacred one among the 84 lakhs of different jivas in this creation. To attain such a sacred birth is a great fortune indeed. Man has a special distinctiveness. We have to see and understand the difference between birds and animals on one hand and man on the other hand. Animals are born with cruelty as a nature and they also spend their lives with cruelty. We may give a lot of training to the animal but it impossible to bring about a lasting change in its habits. It may conduct itself according to the training during the period of training, but it will not give up its cruelty. Man is not like that.

Even though he may be born with cruelty, he can get rid of it by an attempt or sadhana. It becomes clear that what does not and cannot take refinement is an animal and what can take refinement is man. (SSB 1978, p. 8)

This human birth itself is the consequence of countless good deeds and it should not be cast aside; the chance must be fully exploited. (Prema Vahini, p. 76)

Having got this human birth as a result of various deeds done in so many births, if you do not try to obtain the knowledge of the soul, it is like a persistent scar to this life. (P.Vah, p. 17)

We should not be under the delusion that humanity is one, which is naturally subjected to ignorance. It is difficult to get human birth. After having obtained this human birth, if one does not make efforts to realise one’s own nature, if one goes on deluding oneself thinking that God is external to him that is the greatest ignorance. Therefore, do not waste time, sanctify the time, serve with your body and recognise divinity all over. Try to experience humanity in this particular way. If you do not want to worship God, you can only worship Him in human form. Any other form will be artificial for you. These are all associated with Karma, associated with delusions. As long as you are not free from this, ‘Brahma’ you cannot realise Brahman. Make these delusions distant from you. (Div, p. 18)

Living in forgetfulness of time is not a proper attribute for mankind... Is one born as a human to live in forgetfulness of time? No, no. Human birth is very valuable, very sacred and noble. To secure such a birth and then wish only to live for comfort like birds and animals is a disgrace-not only for students but also for humanity. (LA, pp. 11-12)

Unable to get rid of bad habits,

Unable to develop interest in devotional path,

Man wastes his precious human birth

Deeply mired in the cess-pool of Karma’ (Telugu Poem)

(M&M, p. 52)

(See – Avatar, Duty, Human Life, Life, Man, Omkara, Self-Satisfaction, Valmiki, Welfare)