Q96. Is the purpose of life to build an empire?

Life after life we are working like donkeys to build our empire of properties, big bank balances, nice cars, college degrees, and so on. But at the end of each life, we must give everything up. We can’t transfer our bank balance from one life to another, nor can we take our material educational qualifications like a degree in medicine with us to our next life. Nor can we take our properties or family members with us. In each life we have to start all over again. While we are busy working hard to build our empire, we forget that there is time, which is taking away our life. A sword is hanging over your head and at any moment it will drop, then you (the soul) will be transferred to another body and you will then have to start all over again from scratch.

“One who understands My appearances and activities, never takes birth again in the material creation and attains My abode.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-Gita 4.9) The purpose of life is first to know the supreme by knowing His appearances and activities, then serve Him. The result of this is that at death, the soul will be immediately transferred to the abode of Lord Krishna called Vaikuntha where everyone lives in the same body that is eternal, completely beautiful, full of bliss/love, full of knowledge, no disease, no death, and with no trace of misery. Those who are intelligent will work hard to make a living, but they will also gain some spiritual knowledge so eventually they gain enough to go back to the spiritual abode where we live in the same beautiful body. That is eternal, full of bliss, and full of knowledge.