Today I was engaged in a deep reflection: what is there, after all, to gain in this world? What is it that we chase so relentlessly that we end up wasting this precious human life?

Most people spend their entire lives running after external success, money, and fame. But my question is—are these things truly worthy of a whole lifetime of pursuit? Is there even a single one among them that can grant us ultimate bliss or enlightenment? Will any of these go with us after death? We all know the answer is no.

Today I saw a funeral procession. A person had died. What did he take with him? On what basis will it be decided whether he goes to heaven or hell? By what criteria will it be judged whether he was successful or a failure?

Surely, this cannot be determined by his wealth or position. It will be decided by his actions—how he lived, how he used his wealth and position for the good of others, how many lives he improved, how honestly he lived, and how much virtue he earned.

If wealth alone could grant liberation or heaven, then every rich person would be a Gautama Buddha or a Mahavira. But the laws of nature work in the opposite way. Nature does not care how much one has earned or how many lands one has conquered. It judges us by our thoughts, our actions, and our words.

In the eyes of nature, figures like putin, Genghis Khan, Alexander, and Adolf Hitler are complete failures because they destroyed lives and devastated entire nations. No matter how many lands they conquered, it cannot earn them heaven.

On the other hand, a person who lives with kindness, who helps others, who uses his hard-earned money for good deeds—even if he is not rich, even if the world calls him unsuccessful—that person, in the eyes of nature, is the truly successful one.

If we observe carefully, there are only two things truly worth attaining in this world: righteous action (virtue) and liberation—enlightenment. These are what we should strive for above all else, because ultimately, these alone will determine whether we are successful or not.