Adhere to noble pursuits of happy life

Human life is a state of existence meant for action. Action is the nature of man. Hence he cannot help indulging in actions. If he fails to do systematic good action he is bound to indulge in unsystematic evil deeds, in vain pursuits rooted in sloth and error, which will prove exceedingly harmful and distressing to him in consequences. Hence he should always and at every moment remain engaged in noble pursuits.

Man lapses into error only because he has no burden of any responsible work on his shoulders. Therefore, keep yourself engaged in some work entailing responsibility so that you may have no respite to think of or indulge in error. Error consists in failing to do that which ought to be done and in doing that which ought not to be done. Once a man gets addicted to error he is sure to sink into the lowest depths of sin in no time. Error is worse than death. Therefore ever be on your guard against error.

Until you keep your whole time engaged in noble pursuit worth undertaking you will continue to run the risk of falling into error. A noble pursuit is that which conduces to the purity of your heart, ennobles and sublimates your mental outlook, eventually does well to you as well as to others, promotes your mental peace and happiness and systematically maintains in you a zealous and spontaneous urge to noble pursuits.

Remaining engaged in noble pursuits does not mean that a man should be forced to remain too much engrossed in outside activities to find no time to ponder, to decide what he should do and what he should not, to consult the Sastras and right-minded persons about his duty, to maintain and develop his moral uprightness, to practice God-remembrance and his daily devotions and worship, to behave properly with his own people and do his duty by them. Such an over busy life becomes rigid like a machine and one is bound eventually to get steeped in error and meet with a fall.

By ‘actions’ are meant all those righteous actions-virtuous actions which are accomplished through the instrumentally of your senses, mind and intellect, nay, which go to satisfy all your legitimate needs and preserve what has been achieved by you and contribute to the success of your human life. Hence one should attend to all one’s obligatory duties in every sphere of life. It is never advisable to remain engrossed in a particular work and neglect all other duties disowning one’s responsibility towards them. One sided activity no longer remains righteous. Of course, every activity of a human being should aim at God-Realization or the attainment of God-Love, the sole purpose of human life. And every notion of his should be motivated by the noble desire to attain God-Realization or God-Love.

The goal of human life is God, not sensuous enjoyment. Sensuous enjoyment is not lost sight of; but you have to accept it after making it helpful for God-Realization, not as a counter-goal in place of God. If God is the goal of your life, your actions will automatically become righteous—the divine heritage (in the form moral virtues) will become a habit of your life; and if your goal is sensuous enjoyment, your righteous actions too will be converted into vices and demoniac propensities will become a habit of your life. The reward of the divine propensities is a peaceful and happy life untainted by sin and freedom from all bondage; while the demoniac propensities make for a life of unrest, fear and dejection, and ultimately lead to bondage and the tortures of hell. Therefore, making God the sole objective of your life, remain ever engaged in noble pursuits.