Acyutānanda: Kindly remain seated. Kindly remain seated. We will have some moments for questions and answers, which will be followed by our cinema. (break)
Prabhupāda: So far our philosophy is concerned, we want to be freed from sinful activities, because in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said,
- yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ
- janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām
- te dvanda-moha-nirmuktā
- bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ
- (BG 7.28)
We are trying our best to become a perfect devotee of Kṛṣṇa. So to become a perfect devotee means he must be sinless. If one is sinful he cannot become perfect devotee. So according to śāstra, this animal-killing is sinful. Striya-sūnā-pāna-dyūtā yatra pāpaś catur-vidhā (SB 1.17.38). These four kinds of sinful activities, namely illicit sex, striya . . . That is also . . . In our Vedic culture this is common morality. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita even says that mātṛvat para-dāreṣu. Anyone, any other woman, the wife of other gentleman, he should be . . . She should be considered as mother. This is civilization. So what to speak of illicit sex? But people are degrading. That is another thing. But this is our standard of civilization. Even a great politician, he says, "Who is paṇḍita? Who is learned?"
- mātṛvat para-dāresu
- para-dravyeṣu loṣṭravat
- ātmavat sarva-bhūteṣu
- yaḥ paśyati sa paṇḍitaḥ
- (Cāṇakya Paṇḍita)
He doesn't say one has to take degrees. By behavior one should be understood. So these four principles, namely illicit sex, animal killing and intoxication . . .
Indian man: Behavior, you said?
Prabhupāda: Yes. So these are sinful activities, and our position is how to become sinless. Therefore we do not recommend animal killing. That is not possible.
Acyutānanda: Another question. (break) (repeating question) This is a world of śakti or energy. There is a worldwide rise in prices of energy resources, like oil, coal, gas and electricity. This means that there is a depletion of these energy resources. Naturally, there will be worldwide destruction of mankind and other living beings and materials in the near future.