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At the present moment the human civilization is a very risky civilization, so in order to save them from this state of ignorance, this Krsna consciousness movement is essential

Expressions researched:
"at the present moment the human civilization is a very risky civilization, so in order to save them from this state of ignorance, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is essential"

Conversations and Morning Walks

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

At the present moment the human civilization is a very risky civilization, so in order to save them from this state of ignorance, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is essential. It is not a sectarian religious movement, faith or sentiment. It is actually scientific movement.

Prabhupāda: This is a spiritual movement, at the present moment people are more interested with material improvement. But our real interest is . . . not only our, every human being's interest should be for spiritual upliftment. Just like our body is there, and within the body I am the spirit soul, also I am there. So we are taking care of the body but not of the spirit soul. The nature's law is that a spirit soul, changing in different position of the body, as we experience in this life, from childhood to boyhood, boyhood to youthhood, similarly, after giving up this body, we'll have to accept another body, and there are 8,400,000 different forms of body. We do not know what kind of body we are going to accept according to our activities and mentality. At the time of death the mentality will ascertain what kind of body we are going to get next. So these things are completely not discussed, neither they have any knowledge. So at the present moment the human civilization is a very risky civilization, so in order to save them from this state of ignorance, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is essential. It is not a sectarian religious movement, faith or sentiment. It is actually scientific movement. Here are many scientists present. They are also taking very serious view of this movement. So we invite all important men to contact us and try to understand the basic principle of this movement: how to elevate the human society to the proper standard of life and become peaceful in this life as well as in the next life.

Interviewer: Do you think mankind is making some improvement?

Prabhupāda: No. Materially they may be doing some improvement, but that is not spiritually important. Just like I give sometimes this example: just like a dog, animal, is jumping with four legs on the street, and we are going fast with four wheels, so that does not make any difference. The difference is the dog cannot understand about his spiritual identity. A man can understand if he's properly trained up. If the man is denied that facility, then he remains in the ignorance of an animal like cats and dogs.

Janice Johnson: I'd like to know, this is your first visit to Washington? Is that right?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Janice Johnson: Who have you visited with while you've been here? Have you stayed here, or have you gone out and . . .?

Prabhupāda: Yes, I am in the Western country for the last ten years, sometimes Europe, sometimes America. I have got more than one hundred temples all over the world, so I go and visit and instruct my disciples about this movement.

Janice Johnson: But you indicated in . . . before you came here, that you were interested in meeting some leaders in the city. Have you met any of them?

Prabhupāda: Leaders?

Hari-śauri: She's wondering whether you met with any political leaders.

Prabhupāda: No. I have no interest with the political leaders, because it is not a political movement. It is spiritual movement.

Janice Johnson: Another question I have is, if materialism is not so important as the . . .

Prabhupāda: No, it is important, but not at the sacrifice of spiritual understanding.

Janice Johnson: Well, what I was interested in is why is it necessary to live in such lavish situation as is shown here?

Prabhupāda: Lavish? What do you mean by lavish?

Janice Johnson: Well, I think this is a rather elegant, lavish kind of room.

Prabhupāda: What is that "lavish"?

Hari-śauri: She's referring to your quarters are very nicely furnished.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So it is for you, because you cannot sit down cross-legged, we have arranged this couch for you. (laughter) If it is not lavishly decorated, you'll refuse to come here.

Janice Johnson: Why is it necessary to live in such comfort as this for the spiritual . . .?

Prabhupāda: No, we can live on the street, but you cannot come and see on the street. For you we have arranged. That is the . . . we can live underneath a tree. That is a . . . but that does not make any difference. Our point is that you may live materially comfortably—there is no harm—but if you forget your spiritual identity, then you remain like animal. Just like sometimes a cat or dog is also allowed to sit on the couch, but that does not mean he has become a human, human. He remains a cat and dog, because the consciousness is lacking of a human being. In this seat there may be some bugs. So the bug is also living on this couch, but he has no understanding.

Page Title:At the present moment the human civilization is a very risky civilization, so in order to save them from this state of ignorance, this Krsna consciousness movement is essential
Compiler:SharmisthaK
Created:2022-10-17, 15:42:47
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=1, Let=0
No. of Quotes:1