Nature's law is very strict. Therefore we should be very careful not to become like cats and dogs but to become very humble – humbler than the grass and tolerant than the tree. Everyone wants that "I am very honorable man, prestigious man. And you should respect me." That is our material disease.

Evolution of a Human Being

Human life means austerity for spiritual realization

So here Rishabhadeva is stressing on this point. "My dear boys, do not spoil your life living like cats and dogs." Do not. This is not meant for this life. This human form of life is meant for different purposes. Durlabham manusham janma tad apy adhruvam arthadam [Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.6.1: "This human birth is very rarely obtained"]. That we should always remember, that this human form of body is obtained after many, many births. Bahunam janmanam ante [Bg. 7.19]. Bahu sambhavante. Bahu sambhava. Sambhava means birth and death, birth and death. So we should not forget this. Everyone should be very serious. That is civilization. Not that to remain for sense gratification like cats and dogs fighting. This is not good. So to achieve this highest goal of life, it requires tapasya, austerity. It is not easily obtainable. So therefore Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has taught us,

trinad api sunicena
taror api sahishnuna
amanina manadena
kirtaniyah sada harih
[Chaitanya-charitamrita Adi-lila 17.31]

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has recommended, param vijayate shri-krishna-sankirtanam ["All glories to the holy name of Lord Krishna"]. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has recommended not whimsically. This is the prescription of this age: kirtanad eva krishnasya mukta-sangah param vrajet [Srimad-Bhagavatam 12.3.51: "simply by chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, one can become free from material bondage and be promoted to the transcendental kingdom"]. If you perfectly chant this Hare Krishna mantra, kirtanad eva krishnasya – not any other name but Krishna-mukta-sangah: you can become free from this material association, or the contamination due to material contact. That is the special advantage of this age. This age, Kali-yuga, is full of faulty things. Kaler dosha-nidhe. It is an ocean of faulty things. It is very, very difficult. A man is suffering from itches or what is called... sores, all over the body. So where he shall give ointment? He should be dipped in the ointment. This is the position. Similarly, how much you will find out, "This is faulty, this is faulty, this is faulty." The life in the Kali-yuga itself is faulty. Everything is faulty. So... But still, Krishna is so kind. He has given an opportunity that by chanting His holy name one can become free from this faulty position. Kirtanad eva krishnasya mukta-sanga param vrajet [SB 12.3.51]. It is possible.

So Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, maha-vadanyavatara [most munificent incarnation], He is patita-pavana. He is the deliverer of all the fallen souls. He has given us this much tapasya prescription. Tapasya must be there. And that is very easy to be done by us. It is not very difficult. One has to become very humble. That is the first qualification. Trinad api sunichena. Sunichena means lower than the grass. Just like we trample over the grass; they do not protest. Trinad api sunichena taror api sahishnuna. And tolerant, humbler than the grass and more tolerant than the tree. A tree gives us all benefit, but in return we give the tree so much trouble. We snatch away the twigs, we snatch away the leaves. Sometimes for our fuel we cut down. But there is no protest. So these things have been taught by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Trinad api sunichena taror api sahishnuna amanina manadena. Nobody should think himself that he is very prestigious person, falsely. Nobody is prestigious. Everyone should be humble. So these three, four things we should learn, and that is tapasya.

And we should avoid the sinful activities, namely, no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no gambling, no intoxication. These are some of the positive and negative formulas given by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. And if we follow this tapasya and chant Hare Krishna, then our life is successful.

Life is successful means it is stated here, sattvam shuddhyed yasmad brahma-saukhyam tv anantam [SB 5.5.1]. We are, every one of us, we are after happiness, sukham. From sukham it has come saukhyam. That happiness, if we want to continue our eternal life, then we require eternal happiness. Without happiness our life is not worth. Anandamayo 'bhyasat (Vedanta-sutra 1.1.12). Everyone should be happy, anandamaya. That is spiritual world. Ananda-chinmaya-rasa-pratibhavitabhis tabhir ya eva nija-rupataya kalabhih [Brahma-samhita 5.37]. There is life, ananda-chinmaya-rasa [full of spiritual bliss]. Not jadananda [material happiness, based on lust, greed and pride]. This is jadananda. In the material world, the material happiness is jada. There is no life. But there is a place which is full of eternal happiness. So this life should be engaged for that purpose, not to fight like cats and dogs. That is not very credit. That means ruining one's life. If one fights like cats and dogs, he becomes cats and dogs. Nature's law is very strict. Therefore we should be very careful not to become like cats and dogs but to become very humble – humbler than the grass and tolerant than the tree. Everyone wants that "I am very honorable man, prestigious man. And you should respect me." That is our material disease. "I do not want to respect you, but you should offer me respect." This is the position. Therefore our system is to call another Vaishnava as prabhu. "Sir, you are prabhu, you are master." But we call prabhu, but I think, "No, you are not prabhu; I am prabhu. You are servant." This cheating process will not help us. Actually, we should believe that he is prabhu. "He is servant of Krishna; therefore he is my prabhu." This is Vaishnava mentality. Gopi-bhartur pada-kamalayor dasa-dasa-dasa-dasanudasa. One who wants to become servant of the servant of the servant of the servant, he is actually prabhu [Cc. Madhya 13.80]. If falsely one thinks that "I am prabhu," then his life is spoiled. So this word we use amongst ourselves, prabhu, means that "I am your servant, you are my master." But that should be practically exhibited. That is called tapasya, to learn all these things.

Without tapasya, we cannot get out of this conditioned state. That is not possible. Those who are thinking that "Let us do whatever nonsense I can do, and at the same time I become free from this material condition..." No. That is not possible. One has to undergo tapasya. Just like if you are diseased you have to undergo some tapasya. Just like first of all you go to a medical man. Immediately he charges ten rupees, twenty rupees. In our country. In your country it is more. No doctor charges less than ten dollars. Ten dollars means in our exchange it is ninety rupees. So who can pay ninety rupees in this country? That is the minimum charge. Then there is medicine. So you have to pay it because you have got disease. And you have to earn this money with hard labor. So to cure your disease you have to undergo some penances, some austerities. This is an ordinary... And according to the gravity of the disease you have to pay more, which you may not have. You have to gather, you have to borrow, you have to beg. So these tribulations are called tapasya. So just for curing our ordinary disease we have to pay to the doctor, pay for the medicine, and then we have to starve also. We cannot take anything. So many things forbidden. So this austerity is called tapasya, denial, self-denial. So we should learn it. If we want to utilize this body sane, like a sane man, then we should learn tapasya. Tapo divyam [SB 5.5.1]. And this tapa, what is the purpose of tapasya? Tapasya everyone knows. Just like a man walking on the street, pulling a thela [cart]. What is the purpose? He'll get five or ten rupees, whole day working like an ass. That is also tapasya. Tapasya means labor. So he's thinking, "I'll get ten rupees by working." He cannot pull it, the load is so heavy. Still, some way or other... That is also tapasya. A scientist discovering something, he has to work very hard, and make experiments So many things. That is also tapasya. But not that kind of tapasya. That kind of tapasya is not required. Tapo divyam [SB 5.5.1]. You are working hard for maintaining your body and soul together. You have to work hard. But here, that hard work should be for self-realization, divine contact. That is called divyam [divine].