According to the Vedas this material universe is a prison within the cosmic manifestation of God. Some of the charactaristics of this prison are as follows: There are miseries arising from 1) the process of birth 2) death 3) old age 4) disease 5) other miseries caused by the material body and mind 6) miseries caused by other living beings such as enemies, insects, snakes, etc. 7) miseries caused by material nature such as heat, cold, wind, drought, etc. People are anxious to solve the world's problems but the above 7 problems will always be present in the material world whether for a homeless person or a billionaire or anybody in between. There is, however, another nature, a trancendental nature, free from misery and indestructable. One who attains to the transcendental nature lives an eternal life of bliss and knowledge. We are in prison because we don't have pure love for God but rather we have some envy of him. If we rectify our attitude so that God is pleased with us then we can live peacefully in this life and eventually be transferred to the eternal nature of which this material nature is but a reflection.
