The Vedic scriptures inform us that nobody works without a reason. There is a reason for all our actions. All works of every personality—a human, or a God-realized Saint, or God himself—are done with a purpose. Even we people have a purpose. What is the purpose?

The main reason behind all our actions is the desire to attain happiness. Deeper reflection reveals that we believe we will be happy upon attaining some object. Sometimes, that item is knowledge. We all have a desire to know. God is omniscient or all-knowing. Thus, He knows each and every thought we harbored in our mind since endless lifetimes. After all, that’s how He can bestow the results of the past karmas. As tiny parts of Him, we too harbor the desire to know—to know everything, to know it all. Since the part is naturally drawn to the whole, this curiosity for knowledge stems from a desire to be like Him.

Our quest for knowledge led us to learn about the Milky Way and other galaxies; the curiosity led Newton to the discovery of the law of gravity; and Einstein to develop the theory of relativity. The inquisitiveness led to the discovery of atoms and sub-atomic particles—electron, proton, neutron, etc., and finally to the concept of energy. Research continues and new theories are being proposed daily. However, after all these centuries of research and discovery, the fundamental questions of our existence and origin continue to delude us. Who are we? What is the purpose of our life? What is the purpose of creation? What is the cause of all causes (the answer to all why’s)? It appears the more we progress, the more our quality of life and relationships deteriorates. Why?

After so much ongoing research and daily new discoveries, why is it that we are still unable to understand and answer the fundamental questions related to our existence and purpose of life? What is lacking in our approach or process? What are we missing?

There is a story in the Vedas about Uddalak, where the father asked the son, “Son, did you read all the Shastras and Vedas?”

“Yes father! Guruji taught me everything.”

“Ok, so then son, tell me, did you learn…”

“What?”

“That by learning that one thing, you understand everything else. Who is that one? And without learning that one, no other knowledge can be complete, who is that one? Did you read about this knowledge?”

“No father, I did not learn about this”

“So then, what did you learn???”

The secret lies in understanding spirituality. We will be unable to understand material knowledge until we understand spiritual knowledge. Knowledge can be categorized into two: Material (bhautik) & Spiritual (ādhyātmik). In other words, one type of knowledge that resides under Maya and one that is beyond Maya, meaning, one material knowledge and one spiritual knowledge. We’ve struggled through endless lifetimes for the material knowledge and understood plenty, but nobody can gain a complete understanding of this material knowledge without the spiritual knowledge.

Understand this concept by an example. In order to learn about pots made from mud, knowledge of the mud is essential. If anyone learns about the mud, then they will automatically understand everything about all the vessels made from mud. The same can be said of gold. Once we understand the properties of gold, we’ll comprehend everything about the jewelry made from that gold.

Similarly, behind all creation is God. If we get to know God, we will automatically become knowers of all material knowledge. On the other hand, without spiritual knowledge, material knowledge will be incomplete. That is why one kind of knowledge—spiritual knowledge—is necessary. We pay very little attention to this spiritual knowledge. Ninety-nine percent of our time, effort, and energy is spent on material knowledge, while less than one percent is spent on spiritual knowledge.

Jagadguru Kripaluji Maharaj says, “When we understand this secret, that without spiritual knowledge we cannot understand the material knowledge, and for comprehending each piece of material knowledge even an age of a million years is insufficient, while from one piece of spiritual knowledge, we can understand many material things naturally, then this one piece of spiritual knowledge will stop us from running around for material knowledge.”

What is that spiritual knowledge by which we come to understand everything else? The purpose of human life.

And what is the purpose of human life?  To attain God.

How do we attain God? In verse 4.34 of the Bhagavad Gita, Shree Krishna states:

tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśhnena sevayā

upadekṣhyanti te jñānaṁ jñāninas tattva-darśhinaḥ

“Learn the truth by approaching a Spiritual Master. Inquire from him with reverence, and render service unto him. Such an enlightened Saint can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth.” Thus, it is only a Guru who can impart the correct knowledge regarding attaining everlasting happiness and guide us to fulfill our life’s purpose. And it is this knowledge that is most essential in our quest to know it all.