Lady: What is the most important thing in life?

Prabhupada: To understand yourself. If you misidentify yourself that you are this body, then you are finished. Our most important… Athato brahma jijnasa. The question should be, “What I am? Am I this body or something else?” That is most important thing. That is the beginning of Vedanta-sutra knowledge, athato brahma jijnasa. The animals cannot ask “Whether I am dog or I am something else?” And if the man is kept into darkness, that he has no question, “Whether I am this or that?” then he is animal. So the most important thing according to our Vedic culture is to understand oneself, “What I am.”

(March 23, 1977, Bombay)