THE PURPOSE OF OUR LIVES :- O friend where are you going? Where have you come from, & what are you supposed to do? You belong to the supreme Truth, but you have forgotten your origin. Now it is time to get back on the main road. Today the world is said to be making more & more progress, but in what way has it become greater? Murder, thievery, fighting, & destruction are on the rise everywhere. All over the world there is hatred among nations, hostility among political parties, animosity among societies, & enmity among races & classes. People talk about innovation & reform, but in the name of these things they have succeeded only in destroying the environment, in wrecking family life, & in increasing selfishness & hostility. In such a world there is only one thing we need, & that is the true understanding of humanity. Yet that is exactly what we lack. Why does a human being behave as he does? Why does he create barriers between himself & others? Why does he live with enmity & competition instead of a feeling of brotherhood? He does these things because he lacks true understanding about himself. He does not know the greatness that lies within the human heart. He imagines that he is false, ordinary, & weak & that he will simply pass through this world & die. Yet if he were to look within himself, he world realize that he contains the divinity of the entire world. The Freedom to Become:- A human being has the freedom to become anything. By his own power he can make his life sublime or wretched. By his own power can reach the heavens or descend to the depths. In fact, the power of a human being is so great that he can even transform himself into God. God lies hidden in the heart of every human being, & everyone has the power to realize that. But what does a person do? Instead of trying to know the greatness within himself, he spends his life eating & drinking, fighting with others, & chasing after the pleasures of the senses. He makes two or three children, takes care of his family, & thinks he has fulfilled the purpose of his life—but even animals do these things. Every creature in the world eats & drinks; every creature in the world has a family life. An animal goes into the jungle, does his work, & comes back to enjoy his animal mate & offspring. In the same way, a human being goes into world, attends to his business, come back, & enjoys his family. Just as the progeny of human beings continue to increase, the number of dogs, donkeys, elephants, camels, horses, & birds also continues to grow. This is way Phooli, a great woman saint, said, “If you do not attain your own Self, if you do not experience supreme bliss, then what is the use of living? Don’t dogs & pigs also live? Don’t trees also live? Don’t rocks also exist in this world?” The Value of Human Birth:- We should understand the value of human birth. We consider human life to be very cheap since it is so easy for us to make children, & even after having obtained this body most of us spend lives satisfying our senses—but the human body is priceless. The sages said that human birth is very rare. Only after passing through thousands of life forms do we obtain this body. Once a disciple of Guru Nanakdev asked him, “What is the value of a human being?” The saint said, “Come back tomorrow, & I will tell you.” The next morning when the disciple retuned, Guru Nankdev handed him a diamond with these instructions: “Take this to the market & have it appraised. Do not sell it; just take it to every shopkeeper & get a price for it.” The Inner World:- If during the day you could go within & meditate just for a while, you could tap that source, & then you would remain in a state of continual enthusiasm & joy. Inside everyone is a divine, conscious energy called Kundalini. Through meditation, this inner energy is awakened & it makes a spontaneous yoga unfold within. Most people think that yoga consists of the physical movements of hathayoga , but the true meaning of yoga is “reunion” with the Self from which you have become separated. When the inner energy is awakened & this spontaneous yoga begins, your entire body will be purified from within. Your awareness will turn inside, & you will be able to see the inner worlds. Eventually, through the meditation that takes place after the awakening of the inner energy, you will recognize your true nature, your own inner Self. You will reach a centre that is beyond pleasure & pain, a state in which you will experience nothing but bliss. That is the state of the Self.