Human birth - a rare opportunity

They say out of all births a soul goes through, the human birth is the most important birth. It is only in human birth that one gets an opportunity to escape from the cycle of birth and death through 84 lakhs of species. Even higher species such as demi gods yearn for an opportunity to get human birth. Though human body is perishable, it is the only instrument to achieve the final goal of the journey and that is – paramatmaprapti – attainment of union with God. By attaining union with God one also attains the moksha – liberation from the cycle of birth and death.

As the money is important for achieving material goals of life, punya is important to achieve main goals of human life namely – dharma (virtue), artha (wealth), kama (desires) and moksha (liberation from the cycle of birth and death).

However, there is a difference between these two earnings. Money is measurable by human whereas punya is not. One can only see or experience signs of punya but cannot measure it. Being born as human, being born with no handicap, being born to good parents are all signs of punya.

Every human is born with mixture of punya (merit) and papa (sin). For availing the great opportunity of human birth, it is important to reduce measure of papa and increase the measure of punya. Like saving of money is consumed through expenditures, punya and papa are also consumed. Punya is consumed through enjoyment and papa is consumed through suffering. Like one needs never ending source of money so that one can enjoy life by spending money and still can have savings of money, in the same way one needs never ending source of punya so that one can enjoy life and still have savings of punya. Like one needs good planning and knowledge to earn money before spending the money, one needs good knowledge about earning punya while enjoying effect of punya. And this is where importance of spiritual guidance and scriptures comes into play. Scriptures contain information about actions that can help earn punya and reduce measure of papa. They indicate signs of punya and papa.

For example having too much desire for material objects is a sign of papa. How can one overcome these desires? It is through earning of punya.

Usually there is a tendency to postpone activities of earning punya. Even to achieve success in material world the successful people advise that one should never keep anything for tomorrow, because tomorrow is always uncertain. So also one should not keep anything for old age or next birth. For example we keep on postponing reading of scriptures to old age. These scriptures contain knowledge about earning punya. Like one can learn and earn money only when one is in good health, so also one can earn punya only when one is in good health. And that is why it is very important to establish practice of reading scriptures early in life. The best way is to be in a company of people who have already established such practice.

Even simpler way is to chant the name of Rama.