True meaning of success in human life

It is unfortunate that modern day society measure success of human life only in terms of money and wealth. It is ironical that even though we see all around us and experience that ample wealth doesn't bring forth inner peace and long lasting happiness, still we continue our never ending pursuit for more and more material gain.

Just like children give importance to toys and goodies, and are always hungry for more toys and chocolates. Similarly some people never grow up beyond the want and hunger for more wealth.  Only a few grow up to realize that once you have certain amount of stability and financial comfort in your life, wealth doesn’t matter any more. After certain point in life, what matters is the amount of your inner silence, love, wisdom, equanimity, satisfaction, inner peace and inner happiness.  

One needs things, not money, for the sustenance of this body.  Only when you let go of money, you get things and money achieves its usefulness. Therefore things are significantly more essential than dollars. More useful than the things, is the body. All the material things and comforts that you buy with the help of dollars are for the body. So, your body and your health is more important than money. You can enjoy the things and luxuries only when you have a healthy and sound body.

More useful than healthy and sound body is the healthy mind, your power of discrimination- the “viveka”. If your mind is upset or restless, you cannot enjoy the pleasure of this world even with a healthy body amidst all the luxuries. In the scriptures, there is great significance of the human body and human birth only because of this “viveka” or the discriminative power. Only with the help of this “viveka”, one can realize the Truth – the Truth about this world and about one’s own Self.  It is due to having the power of discrimination, that the glories to this human body are sung.  

Through that power of discrimination "viveka", one can discriminate between the essence-versus not, eternal versus temporary, Truth verses false illusion, one can attain the highest of all- the eternal and-constant Essence.  It is in this attainment that human body attains its success.   On attaining this human body, if one only spends their time in worldly pleasures, then it is not a success.   Even animals and birds get the pleasure of sense enjoyments.  They too can lead a comfort filled peaceful life. However realization of God is only possible in the human body. 

Cow does not have the ability to attain  enlightenment.  This ability is only in the human body.  Even demi-gods (devatas) are not eligible for enlightenment.   They have divine bodies,  their abode is good, their food is nectar filled, but their life is only for pleasures.  Only human body is eligible for attaining salvation.   Therefore,  human body is called the rarest of all. However, it is ironical that due to ignorance even after attaining the human birth, one does not attain one's supreme good and only remains immersed in eating and earning money. 

For those who are attached to the two desires - accumulating money and enjoying it, what is the Supreme Essence ? What is liberation? What is the benefit of ending the cycle of birth and death?   What is supreme bliss?   They cannot know these things.   They do not have the power to understand the Essence, to end the sorrow once and for all and to become ever blissful. For them there is no importance of inner peace and ever lasting happiness.  

A true seeker wants to attain that Essence, that can only be attained through this human body.  The true seeker firmly resolves that whether I go through suffering or attain joy; whether I become poor, or rich, whether I become sick or healthy, whether people honor me or dishonor me, I have to  attain salvation, I have to realize my true Self and the God. Once the main focus of life  becomes so, then God Realization can be very easy.   As long as one does not have this aim, till then God realization(or Self realization) will appear to be difficult.  In reality,  realization, salvation or enlightenment is not difficult.  The reason is, God is present everywhere,  God is everywhere, in all space and time, in all beings, in all events, in all actions.  There is not a single subatomic particle, where God is not present.  The difficulty in realizing God is that while being trapped in the worldly pleasures, we do not have a strong desire for this supreme goal.

The enlightenment or the state of mind where one is fulfilled with inner peace and eternal happiness, is the main goal of a human being and is the success of human life.