Recorded on 6 December 2025 with worldwide participants.

0:00 Intro
0:06 Does life have a purpose, and if so what is it?
2:55 In our society a purpose is generally not clearly defined, or they say it is to be a good citizen, have a good life etc. Is this wrong?
5:23 Is grace of God or Divinity necessary to know this purpose of life?
10:18 The vast majority of people do not have the wisdom to have the purpose of life that Babaji talks of. How can they get out of this trap?
15:39 Is there an ideal age when we should start striving for this purpose in life?
21:04 In India there is a notion that one goes for Self Realization and God only in old age. Is this a right or wrong cultural norm?
28:18 If one is unlucky, having only started on the right purpose later on in life, what should we do in this situation?
31:34 Is there an advantage depending on the situation, ie what nationality, religion, gender, wealth etc you are born into?
35:26 Is the purpose of life common for all, including animals, plants and all living beings – is there an advantage in being born as a human being?
40:52 If the purpose of life is to know the truth of one’s existence, should we drop everything else and concentrate just on this?
44:15 Is this purpose to know our true Self a purely selfish pursuit or is there a value to others also?
46:53 If death claims the body before we are able to achieve this purpose in this lifetime, is this effort wasted?
49:29 Can one achieve worldly things through the power of positive thinking?
51:45 How to balance the inner journey and the outer journey?
53:43 Practice of Yoga Asanas to help body to sit for longer periods.
54:39 Does Brahmacharya arise through willpower or sadhana?
55:42 If there are 172 people here, are there 172 different imagined universes meeting with you here?
56:43 What did Babaji experience in Tapas that gave him a firm conviction that reincarnation exists?
57:34 Is putting effort to achieve silence in the mind the path to the highest possible purpose and the meaning of life?
58:14 How to cultivate a non-corrupt mind?
59:40 How long do you need to keep a mind without thought in order to become Self Realized?
1:00:50 What is the difference between the brain and the mind?
1:02:00 What is the relationship between your consciousness and the thoughts?
1:02:45 How to counsel someone who is suffering from trauma, loss and hardship and wanting an escape through unhealthy habits like addictions?
1:04:03 How do we know that we are on the right path and we will reach Self Realization in this lifetime?

Discourse: In Quest of Truth – online Q&A no.254
Purpose of Life
YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/hyXcPe1bekU   
Recorded: 06 December 2025

Start of Questions and Answers

Question:   First question, Babaji. Does life have a purpose or a goal?  Or if there is a purpose or a goal, what is the purpose or goal?

Babaji Maharaj:   Yeah, there is a purpose.  Whatever we have got, there is a purpose.  We have got this physical body and the life has come.  When the life has come, we have a well-developed brain in this body so that we can think, discriminate, try to understand where we stand, what are we actually.  Things like, if we have happiness, it must be there all the time, twelve months, twenty-four hours.  Because knowingly or unknowingly, everybody is looking for happiness and peace.  This is important.  So, when you need peace and happiness, that becomes the purpose that you want to look for that.  So, now when you are looking, you must try to look for the highest.  Above that, there must not be any other happiness or peace.  And it must also be permanent.  It should not be temporary for a short while.  Like in this world, whatever objects we obtain, the entire universe, including our own physical body is impermanent.  So, the basic purpose must be to look for a permanent solution for this wanting of peace and happiness.  And also, about our own self – are we born with this body; are we going to become extinct when the body dies?  Like that one should think.  Or are we going to exist in some other form?  Existence is one of the basic needs; when an existence is threatened, a person or a creature goes into conflict, actually. Then if we try to know who we are, how do we exist, so that should be the basic purpose that we should know ourselves better, so that we can live a better life in this world, as a better human being, with better mindful thinking, positive thinking, thinking of a larger cause.  Like that, we should be able to find purpose in this way. 

Question:   Thank You, Babaji.  If we look at our society, our family, our education institutions, other institutions, etc., they do not give this as a purpose of life.  They either do not clearly define a purpose or they say purpose is a good life, a happy life, a productive life, a good citizen, a good family member.  And that is what we encounter in the vast majority of the people around us.  Are they wrong in that case? 

Babaji Maharaj:   If not totally wrong, at least they are limited in their thinking.  It is good to be a good citizen.  So, after being a good citizen, what?  One day you simply die; you are born and you will die.  So, before that, is there anything that you need to know, you need to achieve?  Like that, that should be the purpose.  When an inevitable truth is in front of us, before that happens, we should think that we have an opportunity and we must try to know that.  There is no harm in becoming a good citizen with a good life or a good person, always.  So, all this comes when the mind is not corrupted; that is important.  So, how to keep everybody’s mind non-corrupted?  So, those exercises are the spiritual exercises like meditation.  Because a human being’s behavior much depends on the thinking capacity of the mind.  If the mind is more negative, more corrupted, more selfish and narrow-minded, such a person would not be able to behave like a good citizen with a good life or a good person; all these things may not be possible.  He will always behave in a selfish, narrow-minded way.  So, we should try to see a larger cause always.  To see the larger cause, we need to know ourselves much better. 

Question:   Thank You, Babaji.  An additional question.  To know this purpose of life, to know this goal, is grace of God or Divinity necessary?

Babaji Maharaj:   First, our sincerity is necessary, understanding is necessary, and then our effort is necessary.  Then the grace automatically comes. 

Question:   But even to know the purpose, that is to say that happiness is the purpose or to say knowing ourselves, existence,  knowing the truth about our existence; even for going in that path, as opposed to, say, being a good citizen or a good family member, to go from, say, being a good citizen to knowing ourselves, that shift, is there a precondition to it?  Is there a God’s grace or some need is necessary?

Babaji Maharaj:   In my opinion, first thing, one needs to apply proper wisdom.  Use the wisdom, apply the brain, I mean; and use proper wisdom.  And this discrimination power needs to be used.  So, you want to be a good person.  How is that possible for you to be a good person?  First, your mind needs to be in good condition.  Because mind is the powerhouse for everybody to live in this world.  Whatever comes to the mind they behave accordingly, isn’t it?  So, everybody needs to think.  If a person is selfish, narrow-minded, is negative, what is the reason? That means the mind is not in proper condition.  It is not trained properly.  It is not purified properly.  So, like this, everybody should think.  They have the capacity to think.  They should think.  They should not simply think in a narrow-minded way, not that everything we want for this physical body.  We must be able to think for a larger cause.  Our country needs to be happy; our world needs to be happy; universe needs to be happy.  That’s how finally, prayers;  look at those great sages, how intelligent.  They were genius people.  They applied the wisdom.  They prayed “May all beings in all the worlds be happy.”  They never prayed that “Let me be only happy.”  Like that they never prayed. 

Seldom human beings may pray.  People who go to places of worship for prayers, so how many would be praying like this, “May all beings in all the worlds be happy”?  With the awareness, “Yeah really everybody needs to be happy.  This world needs to be happy.  Then only we will also be happy.  If the world is not going to be happy, it may affect us also.  If the neighbor’s house has caught fire, that may affect our house also.”  So, this type of common sense needs to come to a person and they need to think in the right way, the purpose.  That’s why always a purpose is important.  Like if we want happiness, that everybody can understand.  Nobody will want unhappiness.  Then the purpose, for what purpose – is it just for your body pleasure, or your mental pleasure, or you want everybody in the world to be happy?  What is the purpose of your thinking that you want happiness?  So, this is possible when the mind gets enhanced and better purified.  And then you can be a better human being.  So, that’s why the thinking of ‘I’ is necessary.  Like our Guru said, “You want to do everything for yourself.”  Sometimes He used to tell “There is no such thing called charity because you will do a charity only if you are going to be happy.”  Now, if you try to know yourself better, then you will know what you really need, where you can be a better person, where you can consider about others also.  All these capacities come, capabilities for a person, if the mind is in a purified condition.  So, for that reason, one needs to know oneself. 

Question:   Babaji, if you look at the vast majority of people, in our own family, friends circle, whatever people we interact with, many people are not having this wisdom or common sense as Babaji is saying.  They do not think of a larger cause.  They think about themselves.  And it looks like they are trapped in their form of thinking.  So, they are trapped without knowing the purpose of what Babaji is saying, which means how do we get out of this trap?  How do we get this knowledge or wisdom?  It looks like you don’t have wisdom, therefore you cannot go to the purpose and you know the purpose, therefore you cannot get the wisdom.  It looks like a circular trap.  How to get out of this trap? 

Babaji Maharaj:   So that’s where I would like to say spirituality comes into help.  I have always told, we have tremendously advanced through science, technology and all other fields.  Even in the weapon systems also, and we were able to go to moon, and so many.  But we have forgotten spirituality.  We had the computers come, now the AI has come – all this can be utilized if the mind is in a purified condition, if the mind is in a matured condition, then we will utilize it for sake of humanity, for sake of this world’s happiness.  Otherwise, a person can become a fraud and use the same AI for wrong purposes, for negative purposes.  So, that’s what will happen.  So, we need to understand, it is the mind which needs to be trained for anything that we need to utilize or understand the discoveries and inventions that we have made.  For that purpose only spirituality is needed.  Spirituality’s basic subject is mind.  It teaches the mind to gain these capabilities, purify it and try to know yourself better, then you can execute things in a much better way.  Like you went to get academically qualified.  You went to school and college.  So, if you are better educated, you could live a better life.  If you were not educated, you might have ended up being a slave or a pickpocket or somebody like that.  See, a person goes to office, works hard and earns a hard-earned salary, money.  Another person wants just to cut another’s throat and pickpocket them.  See, where the mind stands for both.  So, like that one is better than the other when  educated. 

So here we need to spiritually educate people in a proper way.  Youngsters need to understand how spirituality is important to keep our physical body’s health, our mental health and uphold moral values.  Moral values is consideration to each other.  This world needs each other.  We need to be friends with each other.  A Master needs the student, to teach; a student needs the Master, to learn.  A child born needs parents for its guardianship, and when parents are old they may need the help of their children.  Like this, everybody we need in this world.  One country needs the help of the other.  If they all can be helping each other, both countries can live so happily.  Whether it is trade or tariff or anything, if only all human beings can think in the right direction.  Why is that they are not able to think in the right direction?  Because they are becoming more and more selfish and narrow minded.  They think “This physical body is me.  If I can be happy, that’s good enough.  I don’t want to bother about the world.”  So, this should not be the purpose of humanity.  Humans must learn to think, “We need the entire world to be happy.”  If all the resources are there, if everybody can be eating happily, so why the need to kill each other? Humans think, why are we killing each other?  Just for no reason.  Because of misunderstanding.  So that’s where spirituality comes to our help.  We need to practice meditation, spiritual exercises so that we can take care of our physical health, mental health and moral health in a much better way.  That should be the purpose for these things. 

Question:   Thank You, Babaji.  Babaji mentioned youth should start. Is there an ideal age when we should start on this purpose?  Is there a minimum age where one should start?  How soon should we start this?

Babaji Maharaj:   You see, in olden days people used to prescribe, maybe the age of five or eight is good enough to start getting educated in a proper way, get exposed.  So, these ages should be very good.  If we can try to make them understand slowly, help them to sit for even five minutes of meditation, to remember God, to remember the Divinity that is within them, how important the mind needs to be matured and purified, how the mind needs to be positive.  If nothing, at least we can try to teach them, “You need to think positively not negative; that is not good always.”  So, like this, we have to try to teach them.  This should be at the beginning of their age, and slowly as they grow up, slowly they can be given more, bigger lessons also.  In the beginning itself, we don’t have to go for a Self-realization or any such thing.  But mind, even at the age of five or ten also, I am sure children will understand how stressful the minds can be for them sometimes if they need to face examinations, tests and study; so much of competition is there. 

So, for all these things, they need to practice in such a way that slowly they become or remain as the masters of their mind.  Their mind is the energetic powerhouse.  If they can understand, slowly and slowly they can practice.  In the beginning, they can just sit for five minutes, try to feel themselves, try to pray to God, “May wisdom prevail upon humanity.  May all humanity behave in a responsible way in consideration to each other.  May love and honor prevail upon humanity so that all can live happily.  May all beings in all the worlds be happy.”  Like that they should start thinking.  They should be taught by parents, by teachers.  All these things are so important.  So, then, I am sure we can change the children if we learn to explain to them.  

Many times, young children come and discuss with me about religion and spirituality, “What is spirituality?  What is religion?  Why is this?  Why is that?” All such things.  Then I try to explain to them.  In fact, there is no difference between religion or spirituality.  The basic purpose of teaching religion is teaching obligations, teaching duties.  Means, what is the fundamental or basic duty.  Whatever you have, you need to look after.  First basic duty is that you have a physical body.  You need to look after that body.  If the body is healthy, there are many things that you can achieve.  If the body’s health is not good…  So, like that, exercises, proper lifestyles, everything need to be learned. 

Then, they need to understand the need to keep the mind healthier.  When they think, they should be able to think of a larger cause, understand, “Let all of us eat the banana.  There is no need that I have to eat all the twelve bananas.  I eat one, you eat one.  Let us give to others also.”  Like that, whatever Swamiji used to tell.  So, this is such a simple thing that every human needs to think.  Swamiji used to tell, “If any person thinks that “I want all the twelve bananas,” then the fights will ensue, conflicts come, conflicts happen.  People want to fight with each other.”  So, if everybody, all the leaders of the world can sit down and think of welfare of each other instead of trying to cheat the other, trying to gain selfish things, then all conflicts can come to an end.  So, children need to understand this, how important to look after the mind, then moral values.  You are happy.  Don’t you think that others also have a right to be happy?  You are hungry.  Don’t you think others also have a right?  They will also feel hungry.  They also have a right to food.  So, like this, these are the things which need to be taught in schools, institutions.  These subjects should be brought out.  These are the fundamental needs. 

Question:   Thank You, Babaji.  Looking at the other end of the spectrum.  In some societies, particularly in India, there is a notion that you have to go for Self-realization or God, knowing about existence, only after retirement, only in the old age.  And that is a general cultural norm that one observes.  Is that the right cultural or norm or is it the wrong cultural norm?

Babaji Maharaj:   It is definitely wrong, wrong cultural norm.  Because there is misunderstanding about going to the spiritual heights.  Spiritual height means getting properly educated in the right sense.  Not simply obtaining a degree or an academic qualification.  Better educated means you should become a better human being.  You should be able to think in a better way, positive way; that is necessary.  That’s what is necessary.  When you are young, you will have proper energies.  You can understand better.  Simply the youngsters need to be explained things properly.  We should not simply force them, shout at them, ask them, “You have to do this one.  I was asked to do when I was young.”  That is not the answer.  We should explain to them why is this needed.  You need to overcome your own stress.  You need to think in a positive way.  If everybody can practice meditation, and think positively, then only there can be harmony.  If only thirty people practice serious meditation – how much population is there in this world, billions – so, what happens?  The world remains corrupted always.  People are selfish, narrow-minded.  This is what keeps happening.  Then the word ‘politics’ is used everywhere.  Wherever there is corruption, we use the word ‘politics.’  So that’s why this needs to be taught when they are young. 

If we explain to them, then they will appreciate.  If you don’t tell them why they have to get educated, because they know; that is told by parents also “You have to get educated, otherwise you cannot live comfortably.  You cannot have a house.  You cannot have money.  You cannot have a car.”  These things are put into their mind.  “You need to get educated.  Go to the best possible education where you can earn best money.”  All these things are told to them.  So, high competition is there.  You try to get into the biggest thing.  “You get this much of marks, then you can get a scholarship,” all these things we tell.  But we don’t tell that “You need to be positively thinking.  Your mind needs to be purified.  It should not get corrupted.”  These things nobody talks.  Talking these things is only what is spirituality.  For that you don’t have to wait until you become sixty years of age or eighty years of age.  When you are unable to sit down, when you are unable to think anything, when you are unable to understand anything, you are tired and beaten up in life badly.  And you don’t know what else to do next.  When you are young, if you can learn these things, you can become like a genius.  That’s what I tell youngsters.  Learn spirituality.  Spirituality is not a thing to be discarded.  It is not only for leisurely things or only for retired people, only for those people who don’t have anything else to do.  It should be a way of life. 

As we need to go to work to earn our livelihood, we need to meditate, to know ourselves better, to have a mastery over our own mind so that our minds can think in the right sense, in the right way, positive way.  So, this is necessary.  So, like that we have to teach the youngsters also, this notion that you go towards God.  First thing, it’s better in the beginning itself if we don’t try to talk about God.  That’s what corrupts people more.  Everybody tries to talk about God.  It is not the thing.  Let us leave it aside.  We can talk about God later after sixty years of age.  But first, talk about your mind.  You learn to know.  And talk about yourself, what you are.  Try to know yourself in a better way.  How vast your existence is.  How vast your mind can be.  How beautiful you can utilize your brain and mental energies.  All these things.  They are all spirituality’s basic subject, that is mind actually, God comes afterwards.  God is only a concept that is given so that you can have an anchor.  But first, important is Self-realization, means you know yourself better.  For that what age you need?  You don’t need to wait until eighty years.  By then things are all going away, all energies are going away.  It is so difficult to sit down.  You are unable to think and understand the teachings.  So, we should think in this thing that children when they are young need to be taught spirituality. 

First, a misunderstanding about spirituality and religion must go.  Because people in this world have misinterpreted the religion, misused for their personal controls.  I just keep one book and tell this is what is written in this book and you have to do this.  Such a thing is wrong.  You read the book and you try to understand what it is and you behave.  That is how our ancient teachers, great sages, always told.  After teaching also, they used to tell, “This is my opinion.  Now, I want you to practice meditation and then you tell me your opinion, what is your mind, what is it, how you exist, what it is.  You achieve that one.”  They never imposed any one particular book since ancient times.  It was taught like a way of life. 

Question:   Babaji said it’s ideal to start in the young age.  But suppose somebody is unlucky and did not know this purpose and say they start in their middle age, say thirties or forties; of course, they have lost several years of their life in a wrong purpose.  Should we regret it, should we do some makeup work?  Is there any correction we need to do?

Babaji Maharaj:   First thing, do not regret.  Whatever is over is over.  There is always a scope for learning.  Our Guru said, “Never stop learning process.  At any age, if you are enthusiastic, if you want to know, if you want to learn, you can learn.”  Age is no bar.  There is no such thing, “You are not five-year-old, you cannot learn anything.”  It doesn’t happen.  Simply, you need to be enthusiastic.  You want to learn.  You know that you want to learn.  You need that.  So, anybody can learn.  If they were unlucky, they couldn’t get it when they were much younger, at least now they are lucky if they have realized they need it.  Only also at this point, I would like to say, Gurus like us need to be more responsible, to teach the right things about spirituality or religion and explain to people in a proper way; they have to take the risk in the beginning.  Because many people may think, “O, if this Guruji cannot produce any such materialized, any such chains and rings, he is not a powerful man.  He has not achieved anything.”  No, in our culture, in our ancient Indian culture, knowledge and wisdom were shown reverence.  That’s what in Yoga Vasistha, Vasistha talks, “If a person is Self-realized, He is worthy of worshiping.”  Not because that He can produce a magical instrument, magical chain or a key ring.  He is worthy because He has that knowledge and He has that wisdom to teach you, He has those skills to teach you.  So, like that, we have to teach the right things.  Sincerely, we have to teach, not for our selfish purpose that we have to achieve glory or we have to become famous, everybody should know about us.  Our purpose should be to educate people.  If they get educated, if they can get Self-realized, that is the biggest donation, like our Guru used to tell.  That’s what I also tell now.  If you achieve this truth, if you achieve that knowledge and wisdom about your mind, yourself, that is the biggest donation that you can give me. 

Question:   Is there an advantage or a disadvantage between different people or different nationalities?  They may be born in different religions or their culture is in different religions, they may be male, female, rich, poor.  Is there advantage for some of these things or is there a purpose of life equal for everybody and does everybody have the same opportunity? 

Babaji Maharaj:   See, this is such a tricky question.  What you are talking is definitely sensible.  But all these things happen because of human selfishness in societies what they would have adopted.  “O, this person is not fit to be educated”; it is wrong.  Anybody should be able to learn.  Whoever is interested to learn should be able to learn.  That is the merit.  You want to learn, you learn.  Like our Guru, He never asked anybody any qualification.  He never asked “Are you rich, to which caste you belong to, to which religion you belong to.  You are interested to meditate, you are interested to learn meditation?  Come on, sit down.  No other discussion is necessary.  No other qualification is necessary.  You are not rich is no problem.  You belong to this caste, no problem.”  But unfortunately, even till this day in our societies, in this world, we have a lot of discrimination about these things.  Human selfishness.  People want to belittle the other.  They want to stop them from learning. 

Many places, menfolk make it a big male ego, “Women are not fit to learn these things.  They should not be doing this type of chants.  They should not be doing this type of mantras.  They should be doing only this type of worship.  It is prescribed.”  That is a wrong thing.  That is what is a religious monopoly we try to do.  It is not.  Anybody who wants to learn should be able to learn.  But today, definitely things are changing, though still there is a lot of discrimination there.  Our sisters, our mothers, our daughters have made us so proud.  In every field, they have excelled.  They are coming, they are learning, they are knowing.  Even in ancient times also, women used to get Self-realized and they used to sit with other sages and discuss the truth.  So, anybody can get Self-realized.  There is no notion because you are a woman, you cannot do tapas.  There is no such thing.  Women also have done tapas.  That should be the attitude in the society.  A thing should be given to them on merit.  They are fit to learn; they can learn.  Nothing should stop.  So, they are human beings, they are hungry; they are fit to eat the food.  So, that is what it is.  Simply, we need that everybody needs to be clean, clean themselves, keep themselves clean, keep the environment, surroundings clean; this needs to be taught.  That’s what it is.  These are the things we need to teach them.  So, you need to be clean.  Your surroundings need to be clean.  You keep the things clean.  That is all needed.  So, this notion must go.  We dream.  Don’t know when it will happen. 

Question:   Thank You, Babaji.  In that context, is the purpose of life common for all, including animals and plants and all living beings?  Is there an advantage to be born as a human in the purpose of life?

Babaji Maharaj:   Definitely, there is advantage of being born as a human being.  The purpose should be that.  But you see, in other creatures, they are unable to think about happiness.  They struggle for that only.  Whenever they are threatened, when they are insecure, they go into a conflict.  When they are hungry, they hunt for their food.  Generation after generation, they learn this.  But more than that, they cannot think.  Once their belly is full, they are satisfied for some time until they don’t feel hungry.  Like that, their life after life, it goes.  But there also, there is consciousness.  A certain animal which is in a sacred place, in a peaceful place, is able to absorb those peaceful vibrations, it might be blessed to get a better life in the next incarnation of it.  So, thus, human life, human body has a well-developed brain.  That’s why we can discriminate. 

You see, first thing, this is a simple commonsense thing in front of everybody.  If one can think what spirituality teaches – it teaches, “You want happiness.  How can you depend on an impermanent universe?”  Universe is impermanent, including our own physical body for a permanent happiness is not possible.  For some time, you can get happiness.  But you should dream for a permanent happiness; once for all, it must be there.  No more troubles at all.  How can it happen?  If you go for a permanent entity of yours.  Look for that one.  So, that’s what it is.  This discrimination comes in human beings.  Animals cannot think like this.  That well-developed brain is not there.  Whatever they have, it gives instincts to them.  Based on their instincts only, they can fight, they can withdraw, or they can hunt for their food.  Any such thing can happen.  But they cannot sit down and think.  They cannot sit down and talk to each other in that way.  They may have their own communication ways, all animals; so much researches have been done, that is different.  But they cannot sit like human beings and discuss things like this. 

You see?  A hundred and forty people are sitting here with me to meditate in this Zoom session.  And I am sitting here.  We are able to discuss.  You are able to ask the question, I am able to answer the question.  Because you have a well-developed brain that you could form and frame these questions and ask, “This should make sense.  This is a problem that the world is facing, societies are facing, Babaji.  What is the answer?”  I could answer because of the brain and the experience in the mind.  So, definitely, human life has an advantage.  That’s why great teachers also said, “Human birth is a rarest of rare gem.  Do not let it go waste.  The purpose should be like this.”  That’s why even in Bhagavad Gita also, Sri Krishna, advising Arjuna tells, “Arjuna, before death shall claim thee, go to the knowers of the truth, sitting at Their lotus feet, seeking Their permission, ask intelligent questions.  And when They give teachings, upadesha, adopting such methods, achieve that truth to yourself.”  These are the words of Bhagavad Gita.  He teaches. 

So, this, only for human beings it could be taught.  So, that also, how difficult it is.  Not all human beings will listen or understand or want it.  Such is the rarest of rare things.  But human life definitely has an advantage.  One must know.  But once, if this is gone, if again one doesn’t get the human life, they are gone for a long, long time.  That’s why our Guru used to tell, “Not necessary; if your mind is violent, you can be belittling yourself in the next life.  If your mind is non-violent, then you elevate yourself to a better life, always.”  This is the one criterion we got to observe during our sadhana.  I would give my opinion on this to everyone.  So, thus, a human life definitely has such an advantage, where one can get.

Question:   Thank You, Babaji.  If the purpose of this human life is knowing our Self-existence, should I drop everything else and focus only on this?

Babaji Maharaj:   There is no need.  Immediately, there is no need.  Because people might become bewildered and get panicked.  You don’t have to give up anything.  If you have adopted a way of life already, you keep going in that one.  Because you cannot run away.  You have to live in this world.  My Guru used to tell, “Even if you run to a cave and forest, you are carrying your mind.  The mind will not allow you to sit peacefully.  You will start feeling loneliness.  You want to run away again and come back.”  In the midst of society, fulfilling all your responsibilities and duties, every day if you can take out one hour.  You have twenty-four hours.  You have other twenty-three hours after meditation for your sleeping, for your earning livelihood, for your recreation, for your fulfilling other responsibilities.  Plenty of time is there.  Slowly, as you find time, you can increase. 

Like once in a while, whenever we are traveling or in the ashram where we are, we try to conduct a retreat.  We give a chance to people to retreat from their mundane activities, come to the ashram, stay there for a week or ten days with us.  Every day practice more meditation the whole day, three times, four times, and discuss about these things only, exclusively; twice or thrice, I give them chance to ask questions.  Question and answer sessions we conduct.  So, these are all meant for this purpose only.  Once in a while, you retreat and go to a monastery.  Learn these things.  Come back, rejuvenated.  Come back as a better person with a more positive thinking.  It would be possible. 

So, you don’t have to give up your home or your way of life or responsibilities, anything.  Staying in there only, you can take it as a challenge, living in this world, take it as a challenge and look after yourself better.  Restrain yourself wherever necessary.  If you know yourself, you can restrain yourself.  If you are the master of your mind, you can always keep it under restraint.  I have always told, you see, you work the whole day, you are tired.  You come home, you can keep your physical body on the sofa or a bed and relax.  But the mind won’t listen to you.  It’s spinning and spinning and spinning like a monkey, wandering aimlessly.  So, for that only, you need the practice of meditation.  If you practice this sadhana, then you can be the master of your mind.  When you need, you can think and work in the world.  When you don’t need, you can keep it quiet, simple.  And you remain unaffected wherever you are.  Because it is the mind which becomes averse, which becomes stressed.  You gain that ability more and more and more and more. 

Question:   Some people claim that this knowing ourselves, Self-realization, is selfish, and ask what is the value to the society or the family or nation or friends?  Is there a value?  Is this completely selfish or is there a value to the others also because of this purpose? 

Babaji Maharaj:   Certainly, it is not a selfish act.  You all went to get academically qualified, get educated in the school, college, university.  Was it any selfishness? You got educated so that you can become a better human, better person, you can earn in a better way.  You can work honestly, hard work can be done.  In the same way, this; you are getting educated.  You are trying to control and purify your mind.  You are trying to overcome the narrow-minded selfishness, cheating business, double standards.  You are trying to become a better human being.  How can this be selfishness?  When you achieve mastery over your mind, you can be helping others.  You will be able to create awareness to others.  Many people will come to you for counseling, for prayers, for blessings.  Then you feel so satisfied.  Then your life is useful to somebody.  You travel, you teach, you have an institution; there you teach people.  So, like this, it is never selfishness.  Because I meditated, because I undertook spiritual exercises, I do feel that I am a better human being today. Means I am able to think more positively about the world, about others.  I am able to understand others in a much better way.  I am able to let go of things, forgive things, overlook things at a thousand places where others may not be able to.  I don’t claim that I have won over everything totally, but still at least compared to others, I can definitely tell a thousand times better.  You all have seen my life personally.  Like this.  So, getting educated is not at all selfish.  Going spirituality is getting educated actually

Question:   Suppose we adopt this as a purpose of life.  And for whatever reason, we are not able to achieve this purpose in this lifetime.  And either we discover it late in life, or we were not able to fully practice it, or whatever reason, if death claims our body before we achieve this purpose, is all our effort wasted, or is there a different way of looking at this?

Babaji Maharaj:   No, it will not go waste.  Definitely, it will continue in the next life also, because the mind is indestructible.  Only the body perishes, body dies, the brain dies, but the mind gets detached from the brain.  So, whatever habits it has picked up to think, to visualize positively or negatively, based on that only it assumes its next birth.  It gets to see such a world, such a place, such a body, such a life.  But if one is doing sadhana in this life, that will definitely continue.  From an early childhood itself one will have the inclination.  Like in childhood itself, we had the inclination to think about birth and death, to think about happiness, permanent happiness.  All these things came.  So, definitely, at least, we would have been putting some effort in the previous lives.  That’s why it came to us, such inclination came, “This is the thing we need to know.”  So, like that, it will definitely continue.  Whatever you put in effort, it is like putting into a fixed deposit, nothing will go waste.  It will be with you.  It will go with you. 

Question:   Thank You, Babaji.  Request Your blessings for all of us to achieve the purpose of life in this life itself. 

Babaji Maharaj:   Thank you, Prasanna.  These were very interesting questions, it gave an opportunity to express my opinion and talk about my experiences.  I am sure others would have enjoyed. 

Participant:   Yes, Babaji. 

Babaji Maharaj:   I am not a scholar.  I am not a priest.  I am a yogi.  Remember this.  I have done tapas.  I can talk about my experiences in tapas. 

Question:   Pranaams Babaji.  Babaji, my question is, as a householder, this thing is very much famous – the power of positive thinking.  There are many books on it.  So, if you want to have a car, you should think about car, “I have that Rolls-Royce.  I have that Rolls-Royce.”  So, where is that concept of achieving God and having a house or anything as a householder? Power of positive thinking, how this comes in between?

Babaji Maharaj:   For this, I understand it is there.  Mind has the power.  Not like this.  You just think of a car and a car manifests immediately; it doesn’t work like that.  Mind visualises positively, you can shape a positive destiny for yourself, positive things.  But you have to undertake spiritual exercises.  Then mind will not go into a greedy thinking.  Otherwise, everybody by reading these books, “Mind has this power,” so, they will start thinking, “O, if I think of a Rashtrapati Bhavan, I should be having a Rashtrapati Bhavan tomorrow.  If I think of a million dollars, I must be having a million dollars tomorrow.”  That is not the purpose.  The purpose is to achieve contentment and happiness.  This is what it is.  And we go for the need.  Whatever is the need.  So, first, spiritually undertake exercises and try to achieve mastery over your mind.  Then you visualize positively.  You will know what to visualize, you will not become greedy, you will visualize only according to your need.  Visualise the betterment of the world, not simply of a car or a house.  “May all beings be happy in all the worlds;” like that you visualize, right?  So, it can happen, definitely. 

Question:   Babaji, thank You so much for these wonderful answers You have given us today.  Just fantastic.  My question is, and You have already talked about it, but maybe some further clarification, how to balance the inner journey and the outer journey?  Because sometimes I feel like I just want to close my eyes and let go of everything and just go inside, quiet.  But then there is the outside world also.  And You have been talking a lot about giving and loving.  And how do you balance those two things?

Babaji Maharaj:   You see, you keep some time for meditating, like one hour or two hours, whatever you can.  Other times, slowly you will learn to accept and to let go of things.  You will put an effort, whatever you want to achieve, no problem.  But you will be able to consider about others in a much better way.  You want to live for others.  And at the same time you can achieve whatever is needed to sustain yourself also; will be possible.  What you will overcome is you will not be selfish or narrow-minded when you think.  You will think of a larger cause.  And your mind will not absorb imprints.  Thus, the whole day’s actions can be a spiritual exercise.  Your mind will learn to keep quiet as much as possible.  And think only when there is a need.  Because if you all observe, most of the time, ninety-nine percent, the mind is unwanted thinking, unwanted gossips within, it becomes a chatterbox.  You can avoid all those things and achieve more spiritual benefits within.  You can balance like that one. 

Same Questioner:   Okay.  Thank You very much. 

Question:   Thank You, Babaji.  Two quick questions.  You’ve spoken about the yoga asanas as a means to sit for longer maybe and not have swollen legs and stuff like that.  Could You speak a little more to that, please?

Babaji Maharaj:   When we were talking of triple responsibilities about religion or spirituality, taking care of the health of the body by undertaking proper exercises known as asanas, the yoga asanas and also meditate to purify and keep the mind healthier.  So that was what I was talking.  So, then you will be able to uphold moral values, consider about others also.  All these three things, if you can keep yourself healthier, so then you are a perfect religious person was what I was trying to explain. 

Same Questioner:   Okay.  Thank You.  And then the other is, I’ve heard You speak about the yamas and niyamas as good more generally.  And I was wondering if brahmacharya is something that arises through willpower or more naturally through sadhana, or if You could just speak a little to that, I would appreciate it. 

Babaji Maharaj:   Both can work.  A willpower, a strong understanding that you need to dedicate your life for a Self-realization.  Then this willpower becomes strong and also the sadhana in turn helps you to increase your willpower, the sadhana helps and increases your willpower.  And it naturally starts getting introverted and going towards the Ultimate Truth and it gives up its attention towards sensory organs too much.  So, like that, you will be able to overcome in both ways. 

Same Questioner:   Thank You, Babaji. 

Question:   There are a hundred and seventeen participants here.  Are there a hundred and seventeen different imagined universes meeting with You here?

Babaji Maharaj:   Everybody has their own universe.  It may be a coincidence.  You may not be seeing so many universes because of your narrow vision.  You see your own universe, that means.  Not that there are so many solar systems astronomically, that is not the way of talking.  Everybody has their own viewpoint.  That is the important thing.  If a hundred and seventeen people are there, they all have their own viewpoint about the world, about the universe.  To some it could be good.  To some it could be bad.  One man’s food is another man’s poison.  That is what we try to tell in this aspect. 

Question:   Thank You, Babaji.  Babaji confirmed the concept of reincarnation during His experience in tapas.  What did Babaji experience in tapas which gave Him a firm conviction that reincarnation exists?

Babaji Maharaj:   You see, mind.  Whatever your mental attitude is, based on that attitude this world appears to you.  Using this as a clue, you get further solid manifested experiences during tapas.  Based on that only, we could conclusively tell there is a reincarnation.  Whatever the mind visualizes, you get to see the same thing in future also. 

Question:   Thank You, Babaji.  Babaji, is putting effort on achieving silence of mind the path to the highest possible purpose and meaning of life?  Does the Ultimate Truth that frees us from all suffering and misery reveal itself in this silent awareness, free from every imagination?

Babaji Maharaj:   Yeah, definitely.  One day it will reveal itself as the Ultimate Truth, the Supreme Consciousness of existence, then all sufferings will be overcome.  You will understand the impermanence of the universe and the illusory effects of the things. 

Question:   Thank You, Babaji.  What does a non-corrupt mind think about during the day?  Where is or should our attention be if we want to cultivate a non-corrupt mind?

Babaji Maharaj:   See, non-corrupt means generally speaking, we will not think in a selfish way.  Selfish, narrow-minded thinking that “This body is ours, and this is body is me.  Whatever is good and luxurious and happy for this body, I want to own that for my body only, not to give to anybody else.”  That is the selfish and narrow-minded thinking.  These are the basic eruptions of the corrupted thinking.  You are unable to think of a larger cause.  All of us need to be happy in this world.  The entire world needs to be safe.  If it has to be safe, entire solar system needs to be safe.  Sun needs to be safe, Earth needs to be safe.  Like that, your thinking has to have a broad mindedness.  That is the non-corrupted thinking.  Let all of us eat.  Let all of us live happily.  Let us work for all of us in the world.  So, that is the non-corrupted thinking.  A few points just to have a basic idea. 

Question:   I have two quick questions.  One is related to something that was just asked previously.  How long do you need to keep a mind where you have no thoughts in order to become Self-realized or see the Truth?

Babaji Maharaj:   At least eight to ten hours in a stretch.  Like that, several years you should be able to keep, to burn out the total habits of the mind.  Generally, we do not talk because we don’t want to panic people.  One step at a time.  Don’t look at the top of Mount Everest, but slowly one by one if you go on climbing one day you can go on to the top of the mountain, it will be possible.  So, just now you don’t have to bother so much, otherwise you will be bewildered.  That’s what I would advise.  Just achieve the one-hour quietness of the mind.  Then slowly you can increase more and more and more; slowly it will happen. 

Same Questioner:   Until eight to ten hours. 

Babaji Maharaj:   Yeah. 

Same Questioner:   Okay.  And then can You please explain what’s the difference between brain and mind?

Babaji Maharaj:   Brain is the biological organ in the physical body.  Mind is you, yourself, your consciousness energy.  This brain has enabled you as the consciousness energy to have the consciousness of this world.  Brain is in touch with the universe through the nervous system, sensory organs; it receives the message and it passes on the order.  In that process it reflects as a visual effect or as a thought process.  That is caught by the mind and it registers in itself, and the mind starts thinking that to be the right thing.  So, that is how the mind and brain’s connections are there.  Because of the brain only you are able to have this world’s consciousness, and you are able to live in the world.  But mind is you yourself. 

Same Questioner:   I see.  So, then what’s the relationship between your consciousness and your thoughts?  How do they relate?

Babaji Maharaj:   Consciousness, when it goes into imaginations, thoughts arise in the consciousness.  Then that consciousness becomes to be known as mind.  It is the same consciousness.  Simply, because of thoughts if it exists, then we call it mind.  If the mind is purified, it regains the form of consciousness. 

Same Questioner:   Oh, then there are no thoughts and then only the consciousness remains?

Babaji Maharaj:   Yes.  Yes. 

Same Questioner:   Thank You so much. 

Question:   How would you counsel someone experiencing intense emotional pain, for example, from trauma, loss, stress, hardship and wanting an escape through unhealthy habits, like addictions and suicidal behavior.  And how does the purpose of life to find permanent happiness end this?

Babaji Maharaj:   Slowly, slowly undertake meditation.  Five, ten minutes also, whatever you can sit, understanding the technique.  Just keep watching when you close the eyes.  Don’t analyze any thoughts.  Don’t try to think.  If you can keep quiet, thus you can practice winning over your mind.  You become the master of your mind.  Slowly, then you can increase, increase as you are able to sit down for fifteen minutes, twenty minutes, like that.  Slowly, slowly.  So, this is the one way that will help.  Other than that, listen to devotional music.  Try to chant some name of the Divinity, some prayers.  All these things can be very helpful to reduce the stress in the mind. 

Same Questioner:   Awesome.  Thanks Babaji. 

Question:   Thank You Babaji for taking my question and it was a very wonderful session.  How do we know while we are meditating and doing all the practices that You told us to do, how do we know that we are on the right path and we will get realization in this lifetime?  And how do we come to know like, “Okay, these are the signs that you will come to know that you are on the right path.  Keep doing it and you will get realization in this lifetime”? 

Babaji Maharaj:   Yeah.  When you begin with, you need to have total faith.  Just like when you went to the school first time as a child, whatever the language the teacher taught you as ‘A’, this is ‘B’, you took it in good faith.  But as you grew up, then you understood, “Yeah, this is what is ‘A’, this is what is ‘B’, everybody calls it like that.”  Here also, in the beginning you need to have some faith, then slowly as you progress, understanding the technique and using the technique, then peace descends, more peace.  Your agitations, mental agitations and stress decreases.  Inner awareness; there is a consciousness of existence within your mind.  But because just now your mind is preoccupied with its own imaginations, it is unable to notice that consciousness of existence and thus has misidentified yourself into the physical body.  But as you progress in meditation, slowly as the thoughts and visions disappear, then your attention goes to that consciousness of existence in infinity.  So, that’s the peace that descends and that’s what is the clue that you can decide “This will not disappear.”  You try your best.  You meditate.  That consciousness of existence will not disappear because it is not an imagined thought.  It is a reality.  So, that is how probably the ancient sages also decided that the Self is an immortal existence.  So, like that gradually, you will gain experience.  As you gain more experience, at that time if the Master explains to you more and more, you will be able to understand and absorb more better truth in a much better way. 

Same Questioner:  Thank you, Babaji.  Thank you. 

End of Questions and Answers

Babaji Maharaj now concludes:

   So, wonderful.  I will just go to the gallery. Time to say “bye-bye” to you all now.  And it was a wonderful session.  Thanks to all of you, to the admins and to the questioners, to all the participants.  All our best wishes, our love and blessings.  May you all be blessed.  Bye-bye.  It’s time to disappear.  Bye.    

End of Session

SUMMARY

Babaji Maharaj, in this discourse explains that life’s true purpose is the pursuit of permanent peace and happiness through Self‑knowledge and purification of the mind. Human life is unique because of its capacity for discrimination and Self‑inquiry. Spirituality, especially meditation, trains the mind, reduces selfishness, and cultivates compassion and moral values. This pursuit should begin early, continue alongside worldly duties, and benefit both individuals and society. Effort, sincerity, and understanding invite grace; no sincere effort is ever wasted.