176 THE SCIENCE OF SELF-REALIZATION

being has better consciousness than the animals, the energy of the
human beings is more valuable than the energy of the animals.
Interviewer: Probably no one would dispute that the human being has
more freedom or, I suppose, responsibility than the animals.

Srila Prabhupada: So human energy should be utilized for spiritual ad-
vancement, not that the energy should be employed to compete with the
dog. The saintly person is not busy like the dog. Today people think that
‘*dog-ness”’ is life, but actual life is spiritual progress. Therefore, the
Vedic literature says,

tasyaiva hetoh prayateta kovido
na labhyate yad bhramatam upary adhah
tal labhyate duhkhavad anyatah sukham
kalena sarvatra gabhira-ramhasa

‘*Persons who are actually intelligent and philosophically inclined should
endeavor only for that purposeful end which is not obtainable even by
wandering from the topmost planet [Brahmaloka] down to the lowest
planet [Patala]. As far as happiness derived from sense enjoyment is con-
cerned, it can be obtained automatically in the course of time, just as in
the course of time we obtain miseries even though we do not desire
them.” [Srimad-Bhdgavatam 1.5.18]

Interviewer: Could you explain that a little further?

Srila Prabhupada: The human being should exert his energy for that
thing which he did not get in many, many lives. In many, many lives the
soul has been in the forms of dogs, or demigods, or cats, birds, beasts,
and many others. There are 8,400,000 different types of bodies. So this
transmigration of the soul is going on. The business in every case is sense
gratification.

Interviewer: Which means?

Srila Prabhupada: For example, the dog is busy for sense gratification:
where is food, where is shelter, where is a female, where is defense? The
man is also doing the same business, in different ways. This business is
going on, life after life. Even a small insect is trying for the same thing.
Birds, beasts, fish—everywhere the same struggle is going on. Where is
food, where is sex, where is shelter, and how to defend? The Vedic
literature says that these things we have done for many, many lives, and
that if we don’t get out of this struggle for existence, we will have to do
them again for many, many lives.

Interviewer: I’m beginning to see.
