1. Intelligent perople are very pessimistic

    Everyone will have to die. Even you accept this place of suffering, and if you are assured that you will live here permanently, still, you become happy, “All right, I will not die.” But that is also not possible. Therefore asasvatam. Even if you make your arrangement very nicely that you will not suffer, but you will not be allowed to stay. Now just like in Tokyo city you are making very big, big buildings, everywhere, all over the world, to live very comfortably. But that comfortable life is also not assured, because you will have to die. You will have to die. Therefore it is called asasvatam, “not permanent.” Even if you are under the impression that “I am very happy,” that happiness also will not be allowed you for eternal time. It will be finished.

    So there is no question of happy life within this material world. This is to be understood first. Very pessimistic. Those who are intelligent, they are very pessimistic.

    From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Bhagavad-gita 16.7 — January 27, 1975, Tokyo