Devotee: The purpose of human life is Self – and God – Realization. Do we have an individual purpose separate from that?

Shri Anandi Ma: Once the soul has entered the human form, the ultimate purpose is Realization. Which other goal is permanent? All other goals are restricted to the physical plane, and there is no physical goal that is permanent. Once the body is gone, it’s over with. For so many lifetimes we were all born, we all grew up, got married, had children, had homes. We did all this millions of times in the past, but that cannot be the goal. Whatever you feel might be the goal, think about how long it’s going to last. The scriptures state, and Guruji stressed over and over again, that Realization is the goal. Whether you know it or not, you are also walking toward it.

Many people feel that once they have their million-dollar home and a Lexus they are going to be at peace, but once that’s achieved, they know that something is still lacking. Until you go back to God, there is always a sense that something is missing. Desires will continuously sprout. You may have ten items on your list; but once you’ve taken care of those ten, another twenty are waiting. It’s an endless process. Where do you stop?

One of the basics of yoga is the niyamas (practices), and one of the primary niyamas is santosh, or satisfaction. “I have my million. O.K., now I’m going to make two million. I’ve accomplished that, now I want to make five million.” There is no end to it. You have to set your boundaries and say, “This is it. After this, it’s over. I need to do something better than collecting worldly things.”

We all have our prarabdha karma (karma brought into this present lifetime) and, based on that, the fruits will come. Nothing more, nothing less. You put your efforts toward that. Not a penny more, not a penny less. You put in your efforts, as best as you can, but the goal is to reach God.

Of course, we need to take care of our bodies and other basics in life, but other than those little goals, the ultimate goal is to transcend all of those limitations. There’s nothing wrong with being a millionaire. If your strength and ability and capacity are to make 100 dollars an hour, then don’t settle for 50. The goal should be complete if the capacity and ability are there, but once the goal is reached you must be satisfied and work within that framework.