So there is so many reserve energies within our body. They become manifest in due course of time when the mind and intelligence work in different ways. This is the study, how things appear. It is appearing from intelligence, mind. The soul is there and the intelligence and mind creating the situation of the bodily symptoms. Therefore body or the senses are not all. The modern education, they think this body is everything. No. Real study is body means the senses. Indriyāṇi parāṇy āhuḥ. On gross vision we see this body. Indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ (BG 3.42). But the bodily symptoms are acting because the mind is there. And mind is working because the intelligence is there. And the intelligence is working because the soul is there.
Modern education (Books and Lectures)
Bhagavad-gita As It Is
BG Chapters 7 - 12
Intelligence refers to the power to analyze things in their proper perspective, and knowledge refers to understanding what is spirit and what is matter. Ordinary knowledge obtained by a university education pertains only to matter, and it is not accepted here as knowledge. Knowledge means knowing the distinction between spirit and matter. In modern education there is no knowledge about spirit; they are simply taking care of the material elements and bodily needs. Therefore academic knowledge is not complete.
BG Chapters 13 - 18
As for behavior, there are many rules and regulations guiding human behavior, such as the Manu-saṁhitā, which is the law of the human race. Even up to today, those who are Hindu follow the Manu-saṁhitā. Laws of inheritance and other legalities are derived from this book. Now, in the Manu-saṁhitā it is clearly stated that a woman should not be given freedom. That does not mean that women are to be kept as slaves, but they are like children. Children are not given freedom, but that does not mean that they are kept as slaves. The demons have now neglected such injunctions, and they think that women should be given as much freedom as men. However, this has not improved the social condition of the world. Actually, a woman should be given protection at every stage of life. She should be given protection by the father in her younger days, by the husband in her youth, and by the grownup sons in her old age. This is proper social behavior according to the Manu-saṁhitā. But modern education has artificially devised a puffed—up concept of womanly life, and therefore marriage is practically now an imagination in human society. Nor is the moral condition of woman very good now. The demons, therefore, do not accept any instruction which is good for society, and because they do not follow the experience of great sages and the rules and regulations laid down by the sages, the social condition of the demoniac people is very miserable.
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Canto 1
In the age of Kali, the women and the children, along with brāhmaṇas and cows, will be grossly neglected and left unprotected. In this age illicit connection with women will render many women and children uncared for. Circumstantially, the women will try to become independent of the protection of men, and marriage will be performed as a matter of formal agreement between man and woman. In most cases, the children will not be taken care of properly. The brāhmaṇas are traditionally intelligent men, and thus they will be able to pick up modern education to the topmost rank, but as far as moral and religious principles are concerned, they shall be the most fallen. Education and bad character go ill together, but such things will run parallel. The administrative heads as a class will condemn the tenets of Vedic wisdom and will prefer to conduct a so-called secular state, and the so-called educated brāhmaṇas will be purchased by such unscrupulous administrators. Even a philosopher and writer of many books on religious principles may also accept an exalted post in a government which denies all the moral codes of the śāstras. The brāhmaṇas are specifically restricted from accepting such service. But in this age they will not only accept service, but they will do so even if it is of the meanest quality. These are some of the symptoms of the Kali age which are harmful to the general welfare of human society.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta
CC Adi-lila
This verse cited by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu applies to human beings, not to animals. As indicated in the previous verse by the words manuṣya-janma, these injunctions are for human beings. Unfortunately, human beings, although they have the bodies of men, are becoming less than animals in their behavior. This is the fault of modern education. Modern educators do not know the aim of human life; they are simply concerned with how to develop the economic condition of their countries or of human society. This is also necessary; the Vedic civilization considers all aspects of human life, including dharma (religion), artha (economic development), kāma (sense gratification) and mokṣa (liberation). But humanity's first concern should be religion. To be religious, one must abide by the orders of God, but unfortunately people in this age have rejected religion, and they are busy in economic development. Therefore they will adopt any means to get money. For economic development one does not need to get money by hook or by crook; one needs only sufficient money to maintain his body and soul. However, because modern economic development is going on with no religious background, people have become lusty, greedy and mad after money. They are simply developing the qualities of rajas (passion) and tamas (ignorance), neglecting the other quality of nature, sattva (goodness), and the brahminical qualifications. Therefore the entire society is in chaos.
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Prabhupāda: Bhāgavata-dharma means to understand our relationship with the Supreme Lord. That is called bhāgavata-dharma. Mānuṣam adhruvam. Tad apy adhruvam. Although the life is temporary, but it is very suitable for self-realization. So therefore one should begin this process from childhood. Just like modern education system, if children are given some playthings, engineering... I've seen in your country especially. He's given railway line and so many things. He can understand how railway system is working, or engineering, so that from the very beginning of his life he's getting idea and he may catch up some line of activities. Similarly this Kṛṣṇa conscious education also should be given from the very beginning of life. That is the mistake of the modern civilization. Everyone is becoming engineering, technologist, or medical man or so many. But the real problem of life is to understand the self. But there is no educational system throughout the whole world what is the self, what is his need, how it is constituted, how it is working, so many things. In Boston, there was a Massachusetts Technological...
Devotee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Prabhupāda: You know that? Yes. So I explained there that "Here is a nice technological institute, but where is your, this technological department, to understand?" So the students very much appreciated it. Factually, this is the defect. We know... This will be the beginning of Bhagavad-gītā, that there is something which minus, this body is useless. But nobody is trying to understand what is that something. There is no technological institute to understand what is that something. Is it not defective? And still, they are very much proud of advancement of education. The real thing is missing. You have got all departments for comforts of this body, for maintaining this body, but the thing which minus this body, the body is useless, what about that thing? That is Bhagavad-gītā. That is Bhagavad-gītā.
Human being must be interested to know the Absolute Truth. That is perfection of human life. Because in the cats' and dogs' life... Unfortunately, at the present moment, people do not know what is the distinction between cats and dogs and a human being. That is another defect of the modern education. The distinction between cats and dogs... They are also living beings. Of course, in some quarter they say that the cats and dogs and lower animals, they have no soul. No. That is not the fact. Everyone has got soul, but the cats and dogs and animals, they are not advanced in consciousness. As soon as there is soul, there must be consciousness. These things are described in the Bhagavad-gītā, and you can perceive also. I am existing in this body; you are existing in your body—how it is known? By the consciousness. If I pinch your body, you feel pain. You pinch my body; I feel pain. Similarly, cats and dogs, they also feel pain or pleasure. So that is the proof of existence of the soul even in cats and dogs and human beings. The only difference is in the human form of life the consciousness is developed. So developed consciousness means to understand the Absolute Truth. That is the special function of the human being. Therefore the Vedānta-sūtra says, "Now this human form of life is meant for understanding the Absolute Truth, what is the original cause of everything."
So the distinction between the living soul and the dead body—anyone can perceive. What is the distinction between a living body and the dead body? When a man is dead, he, his relatives cry, lament: "Oh, my father has gone," "My son has gone." But the father, as we have seen, he's lying on the floor. Where he has gone? He's lying on the floor. Why you are crying: "Oh, my father has gone away"? That means the person who has gone away, who has left this body, you have not, never seen. You have seen this body. So the body is lying there, and why you are crying, "My father has gone away"? So any intelligent man can understand that the real father, within the body, was a different thing. But our ignorance is so great that we accept this body, this dead body, as my father. This body is not only dead now, it was always dead. Because the living soul was there, within this dead body, it was moving. This is the fact. Just like a nice motorcar is running. But when the driver is not there, the motor is lying there, idle. If one identifies with the motorcar, the driver of the car, that is foolishness. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). Anyone who is identifying this dead body, or this material body, which is a composition of tri-dhātuka, kapha-pitta-vāyu, some blood, flesh, and some secretion, and some bones—if anyone identifies the self with this lump of matter, then he is described as no better than cow and ass.
- yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke
- sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ
- yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile na karhicij
- janeṣv abhijñeṣu sa eva go-kharaḥ
- (SB 10.84.13)
So at the present moment especially... This ignorance is there always, in the material world, that one is identifying this material body with the real self. The self, the soul is different. It is not this material body. But our modern education, everything, advancement of knowledge, philosophy, everything on the basis of, on this wrong conception of life.
Actually, at the present moment there is no education, because education means to understand my identity. The so-called education which is going on, that is called art. Of course, they also say, "B.A., M.A., Bachelor of Art, Master of Art." It is just learning an art only; it is not education. Just like an electrical electrician. He knows the art how to put the negative and positive wire and bring electricity. That is an art. But that electrician does not know what is the science of understanding soul. The modern education, they are simply giving lessons on some art, generally known as technology. So by that advancement of knowledge we can construct high skyscraper building, nice motorcar, nice airplane, nice machine. That is art. But we do not know what is going to happen next life, my soul. That we do not.
Just like in the Bible there is the statement, "God created this universe." It is a fact. But because modern educated persons have not explained how God created, how the process of creation... These things are explained in the Bhāgavata, how the sky became in existence, then the air became in existence, the fire became in existence. There is a process, general graduation. Actually, God has created the world. There is no doubt about it. But because it is not philosophically explained, the modern educated persons, they don't accept.
So here also, the same word is used, that Kṛṣṇa says, sa eva ayam, "This yoga system, the Bhagavad-gītā yoga system which I am now speaking to you, is very old. How old you can imagine that I first spoke it to the sun-god." If you calculate only the age of Manu, it is about forty millions of years ago. To speak the minimum. So anyway, it is very, very old. Not that it is doctrine which is presented... Just like in the modern educational system somebody is presenting some doctrine, and he's getting the title "Doctor," some new thesis. It is not like that. There is nothing to be researched. Eternal knowledge has nothing to be researched. There is no question of research. It is already established. Otherwise there is no meaning of eternal. This knowledge of Bhagavad-gītā is eternal. It is not a product of modern research or doctrine.
Bhāgavata again says, na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum: (SB 7.5.31) "These rascals, they do not know where is the ultimate destination of his self-interest." Everyone is very much busy or very serious about his self-interest, everyone. Just like the gentleman. He could not come to the temple because he is interested with his self-interest, where to get the employment. But what is that real self-interest, they do not know. This is temporary self-interest. But the real self-interest is Viṣṇu, the Supreme Lord, Absolute Truth. Na te viduḥ. But modern education and any education, modern or past, in the material world, those who are conditioned by the material laws, they do not know so, what is his ultimate destination of self-interest. Na te viduḥ. They do not know
(Cited verse)
- janma karma ca me divyam
- evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ
- tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma
- naiti mām eti so'rjuna
- (BG 4.9)
This is very important verse. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti. Our problem is this transmigration of the soul, one body to another. This is going on. Because you do not know how to get out of it, modern education they do not know even what is soul, what is this body, how the transmigration of the soul taking place. All blunt. There is no educational institution all over the world to understand this science. Although it is the most important science for the human being. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). No more transmigration of the soul.
The gross thing we are seeing, but the mind, intelligence, ego, which is carrying that soul, that we do not see. How transmigration of the soul takes place, that we have no knowledge, poor fund of knowledge. We can simply think gross. Jaḍa-darśana. It is called jaḍa-darśana. Even there is no sūkṣma-darśana. Although there is mind, but we cannot see. Then how you can see the soul?
So this is the defect of modern education. So what is beyond your perception, sense perception, that you have to hear. There are two kinds of knowledges: by practical experience, direct perception, and by hearing from authority, aitihya. According to Vedic system, there are three kinds of evidences: direct, and pratyakṣa... Pratyakṣa means direct. And then aitihya and śruti. Śruti. Śruti means hearing from the authority. Just like here we see that there is mind. Everyone knows mind, but it is confirmed by the śāstra because we are hearing from Kṛṣṇa which is called śruti.
There is no education actually. The modern education means simply a craftsmanship. If you can prepare a nice motor car, oh, that is advancement of the... And what is this? This is craftsmanship. It is the blacksmith's work. It is not knowledge. Knowledge is different. Therefore it is called jñānaṁ vijñāna-sahitam. This is knowledge,"What I am? I am this body or something else? Why I am suffering? If there is any remedy? I do not wish to die, neither I am subjected to death." Nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ na hanyate han... This is knowledge, that "If I am eternal, if I do not die after annihilation of this body, then why I am subjected to this body?" This is knowledge. And to manufacture a motor car, that is not knowledge. That is craftsmanship.
The other day I was speaking that a man's father has died and he is crying, "My father has gone away. So my father..." Your father is lying on the bed. The father which you have seen so long, life long, the body, that is on the bed. Why you are crying your father is gone? That means he has never seen his father, neither the father has seen the son. Everyone sees this body, but not the owner of the body. That is the defect of modern education, that everyone by contemplation can understand that "This finger is my finger, not 'I' finger." Still, he cannot understand that he is different from this body. That is to be understood. That is real knowledge.
Any understanding without philosophy, that is sentiment. And philosophy without religious conception is mental speculation. These two things are going on, not combined. All over the world there are many so-called religious systems, but there is no philosophy. Therefore the so-called religious system does not appeal to the modern educated persons. They are giving up religion, either Christian, Muslim, Hindu. Simply formalities, rituals, they do not like. They want to know everything on the basis of philosophy. That is Bhagavad-gītā.
Then puruṣa-prakṛti. Prakṛti is this material nature. Puruṣa, the living entity. The inferior puruṣa and the superior puruṣa. Anumantā upadraṣṭā, the Supersoul, He is overlooking the activities of the jīva soul, and according to his karma, He is giving a different type of body, kṣetra. Again he is working. Again he is creating another situation. This vast knowledge is unknown to the modern educational department. But here it is in the Bhagavad-gītā. They can take advantage of it. But the fools and rascals will not take advantage. They will remain like animals in the ignorance, like cats and dogs. That is their business.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
There are two kinds of benefit: one is called preyas and one is called śreyas. Preyas means immediately very pleasing, immediately. The senses, sense satisfaction, very pleasing immediately. But śreyas means ultimate goal, ultimately. Just like a child, for him preyas means he wants to play, he doesn't want to go to school and, but his śreyas means he must go to school, must be educated so that his future life may be secure. That is called śreyas. So our life, this human form of life, should be used for śreyas. It is said, puṁsām ekāntataḥ śreyas. We should not be attracted by the preyas. Preyas. But modern education is so nasty that they encourage preyas. Especially in the, not in this country, everywhere. That boys and girls are not checked, rather encouraged, encouraged in the matter of immature sex life. Preyas. They want it, "All right, do it, take tablets and enjoy." This is dangerous. For this reason, the generation are becoming degraded, because they are not aiming at the śreyas. They are simply aiming at the preyas, immediate pleasing thing.
So to select the path of hell and to select the path of back to home, back to Godhead, depends upon us. That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimukteḥ, yoṣitāṁ saṅgi-saṅgam, tamo-dvāram, tamo-dvāraṁ yoṣitāṁ saṅgi-saṅgam (SB 5.5.2). Mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimuktes, vimuktes. People, the modern educated society, they do not know what is vimukti. They do not know. They know, but they do not know what is the ultimate vimukti. Just like scientists, they are trying to give us so many facilities by machine, by different processes. That is means, that is also vimukti. We are in some inconvenience, just like we are in inconvenience for transport, oh, scientist gives us some horseless carriage. That is also vimukti. We feel inconvenienced for working so the scientist has given us the car. So every attempt is being made for vimukti, for getting out of some inconvenient position. But they do not know ultimate vimukti. What is the ultimate vimukti? Ultimate vimukti is to get freedom from birth, death, old age, and disease. That is ultimate goal.
The māyā has given this vehicle, this body, and we are put into this. And Kṛṣṇa, or Īśvara, or the Paramātmā, is also within this body. So as you wanted in your past life, Kṛṣṇa has given you through the agency of māyā a type of body, and you are moving according to your desire. This is called karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). Therefore we have to understand this subtle knowledge.
But in the modern educational system, there is no such thing, although the Bhagavad-gītā is there and it is the property of India, at least... Because it was spoken, the science of Bhagavad-gītā... It was spoken long, long ago—that is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā—in the sun planet.
There are two ways. Our life, they are going in two ways. One way is liberation, and the other way is bondage. Just like you have seen the reel. The reel is rolling. One way it is rolling to roll the thread, and another it is giving way to the thread. Similarly, we can lead in two ways, our life, either towards liberation or towards darkness of bondage. This, our human life, by gradual evolutionary process, we come to the human form of life. Now we can move it two ways, either towards liberation or towards bondage. We do not know, modern education. There is no such information what is called bondage and what is called liberation. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). They do not know. There is no such education, that students may understand what is Viṣṇu, what is God, what he is, what is his relationship with God, Viṣṇu. These things are unknown to the modern educationist.
So brahma-druha. The society must be brahminic. Vedic culture means to create every person a brāhmaṇa, not to keep him śūdra. Of course, in the modern educational system, the purpose is to elevate the general people. But they do not know how to elevate. Therefore there is so much trouble. The elevation should be... There must be some purpose, end. What purpose education is being given? It is purposeless education. Mostly, at the present moment, education means to give facilities for sense gratification. That's all. Boys and girls in the school and colleges, just from the very beginning they are given all liberty for sex life. So this is not education. Education means to lead the people gradually to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is education, God consciousness. Because human life... This is the only life. There are 8,400,000 species of life. This human form of life is the only opportunity to understand God. Cats, dogs, even demigods, they also, because their opulence, sense gratification, is so great that they have no time. Just like here in this world also, those who are too rich, they are simply after sense gratification. They have no time to understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Have you seen crows? In India we have got many crows. In your country crows are not very... But in India the crows, they take pleasure in all nasty things. The crows. You'll find they will take pleasure in a place where all nasty things are thrown, garbage. They'll pick out the garbage, find out where there is mucus, where there is pus. Just like flies. They'll sit down on the stool. Mākṣikaṁ bhramarā icchanti. And the bees, they will try to take honey. Even in the animals you'll see. The honey... The bees will never come to the stool. And the ordinary flies, they never go to collect honey. Similarly, there are divisions in the birds, divisions in the beasts, divisions in human society. So you cannot expect that ordinary person will come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You see? Because they have been trained to become flies, they will taste stool. You see? The modern education is to teach people to become flies, only stool. Not here, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But you make it a honeycomb. Those who are after, seeking after honey, they will find, "Here is something." You see? Don't make it a stool society. You see? Make it a honey society. At least, give chance, those who are seeking after honey. Don't cheat people. So they'll come.
That is kṣatriya business. Brāhmaṇa's business, teaching. And vaiśya: till the field, agriculture, get your food. Now, where is dependence? Only a śūdra, he cannot take up all these things. "Give me some service, sir. Give me some service." In the modern education, they... The more and more industries increasing, there śūdras are being trained up. Technology. Technology means he must get some service. Otherwise, useless. Simple life, teaching, brāhmaṇa; and kṣatriya, give protection; and vaiśya, till the ground. This is... Where is the question of scarcity? The scarcity is that nobody's doing his real duty. Guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). And people are exploiting. There is competition, dissatisfaction, fight. So many things, sinful activities. The whole society is polluted. Actually, the whole human society is now conducted by the śūdras. But śūdras cannot run on government. That is not possible. Because that śūdra, your Nixon, is a śūdra, he is exalted post, therefore everything is not in order.
So at the present moment people are like that. They are being educated, but technologist or computer expert or this, that, so many... The father spends so much money. He becomes an expert. But if he does not get a good master to employ him, he is useless. He is useless. His technological knowledge will be useless if he does not get a master. So therefore the modern education system is to create dogs. He will never be happy unless he gets a good master. Actually, we are constitutionally all dogs. But we do not know whom to serve. That is our misunderstanding. Actually, every one of us, servant. That's a fact. But we are missing the point, where to engage ourself in good service. That is Kṛṣṇa. We have to serve. You cannot avoid this. If you do not serve Kṛṣṇa, then you will have to serve māyā. That's all. But you have to serve. So in that respect, if we do not know who is the best master, then we will have to serve our senses, our lusty desires. If I do not become servant of Kṛṣṇa, then I shall become full of desire, to my lusty desires for sex life. I have to become servant. That is a fact. You cannot become master. Therefore the most intelligent person is he who knows that "Why shall I serve my lusty desires? Why not serve Kṛṣṇa?" Because I have to serve. This is intelligence.
Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). Not very long ago, say about 300 years ago, there was a brāhmaṇa, a very rigid brāhmaṇa, in Kṛṣṇa-nagara, near our Māyāpura. And brāhmaṇa's business, he was teaching. So the king of that place, means a big zamindar, Rājā Kṛṣṇa-candra ... By his name, that place is Kṛṣṇa-nagara. So he heard about the brāhmaṇa, very learned brāhmaṇa, but very poor. So he one day came to him and asked him, "Brāhmaṇa, can I help you any way?" So he said, "No, I don't require any help from you."
"No, I see you are so poverty-stricken. You have no sufficient means." "No, I am not poverty-stricken. My students, they get some alms of rice. So my wife boils the rice, and here is a tamarind tree. So I take some leaves and boil it, and that's sufficient. Why I am poverty-stricken?" He's satisfied, whatever is coming automatically, that's all. He doesn't require any higher standard of life, any botheration. He is satisfied, little rice and tamarind juice. That's all. So in each and every home, formerly, this independence was very much valued. So at the modern education this independence is being killed. People are becoming unemployed, machine. Machine ... High technologist means he must find out a job where technological machines are there. Otherwise he will starve, and he will have to go round, factory to factory: "Will you give me some service?" "No vacancy." Yes. So we shall discuss further next, tomorrow.
So therefore these discussions which are going on, that is only for how to get liberation from the four principles of material condition, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi. That is called mokṣa. Mokṣa, or liberation. So the... It is just like beating the dead horse. Nobody is interested about mokṣa. Or nobody can conceive even that there is something as mokṣa. Mokṣa means to get free from this condition of birth, death and old age. That is called mokṣa, liberation. So at the present moment modern educated persons, they do not know that there is something like mokṣa and it can be achieved and there is process and the whole Vedic śāstra is trying to educate us for getting mokṣa. They do not know it. So we have become so dull. Therefore, in this age, Kali-yuga especially, our conditions are described as manda, very, very bad, or very, very slow. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayaḥ. And if one little interested, they will take some path which is not approved, which is not approved. They will invent something, so many "isms."
There is no need of even instrument, but because Lord Caitanya introduced this khol, karatāla. Otherwise this clapping is sufficient. So it is very easy, saṅkīrtana-yajña. You sit down familywise, all the family members. If you perform saṅkīrtana, Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, with the clapping of hands, that is saṅkīrtana-yajña, very easy to perform. But people will not do that. Instead of performing saṅkīrtana-yajña in the evening to become free from all fears of life, they will go to the restaurant, to the cinema and other places, talking unnecessarily in clubs, societies, waste their time. This is going on. This is modern education. This is modern civilization. They are not aware of the tīvraṁ bhayam, the most fierceful situation of birth, death, old age, and disease. This is the opportunity, the human life, how to get out of it. The means are there. But we are so fools. We are so foolishly educated in the name of modern civilization that we neglect all these things and we place ourself in the waves of the material nature. Māyār bośe, jāccho bhese', Khāccho hābuḍubu bhāi. We are being carried away by the waves of this material nature, and we have submitted to the laws of material nature. And therefore we are subjected to birth, death, old age, and disease. And not only birth—there is no guarantee what kind of birth next life.
Bhāgavata-dharma means to understand God and our relationship with God and act accordingly. That is called bhāgavata-dharma. So kaumāra ācaret prajñā dharmān bhāgavatān. If you want... We might have done mistakes in our life, but if we train our children in the brahmacārī system and gradually they understand the bhāgavata-dharma, at least their life becomes perfect. And in the Bhāgavata it is ordered that... You will find all this in this Ṛṣabhadeva's instruction. Pitā na sa syāt jananī na sa syāt sva-jano na sa syā..., guror na sa syāt: "One should not become guru... One should not become guru, one should not become kinsmen, one should not become father, one should not become mother"—na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum—"if one cannot give lesson to the children how to avoid death." This is the duty of the guardians, of the government, how to avoid death. Where is that education? So that is the defect of the modern education. There is no training. So, gardulika pravaha.(?) It is going on, very risky civilization.
So Sūta Go..., Śukadeva Gosvāmī recommends that we should atone immediately, so long this body's there. Otherwise, we'll have to carry the effect and suffer next life. Unfortunately, at the present moment, people are educated in such a way that they do not believe in next life. They are so befooled. The education means to make people befooled. He has no knowledge actually. This is the education. The more you are educated, you don't believe in God, you don't believe in God's law. You don't believe your next life. You don't believe in sinful and pious activities. You become animal. That's all. More or less, you become animal. The modern education is like that, preparing so many animals. Therefore you don't mind if I tell you frankly that in spite of so many education and universities arrangement in your country, so much nice arrangement, you're producing hippies. Because that is no education. If the... A human being does not know what I am... I am this body? If this education is there, then he's no better than an ass. The ass also thinks that "I'm this body." The cow also thinks that "I'm this body." The dog also thinks that "I am this body." So if a human being thinks like that, cats, dogs and..., then what is the difference?
Now Śukadeva Gosvāmī is suggesting the platform of speculative knowledge. When it has failed that a thief repeatedly committing criminal activities, repeatedly he is being punished but he is not corrected, then what is the remedy? That is vimarśanam, speculative knowledge. Progressing from karma-kāṇḍa to jñāna-kāṇḍa, he is proposing prāyaścittaṁ vimarśanam: real atonement is full knowledge. One should be given knowledge. Unless one comes to the knowledge...
So modern education there is no real knowledge. Real knowledge begins in the Bhagavad-gītā. Those who have read Bhagavad-gītā, the first understanding, Arjuna was given lesson. When he was perplexed and he became a disciple of Kṛṣṇa, śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam: (BG 2.7) "Kṛṣṇa, let us stop this friendly talking. Let us stop this friendly talking. Now I agree to become Your disciple. Now You teach me." So the first teaching was chastisment. Aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase: (BG 2.11) "You have no knowledge." Gātāsun agatāsūṁś ca nānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ: "You are talking like a paṇḍita but you are not paṇḍita." He indirectly said, "You are a fool," because nānuśocanti, "This kind of thinking is not maintained by learned scholars." That means "You are not a learned man." That is going on at the present moment.
So this wrong thing is going on. So here the example is given that if you live in regulative principle, then you will not suffer from this disease. This disease means this material world. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). We take one kind of..., we accept one kind of body and struggle for existence, suffer so much, again we get another body, and new chapter of suffering begins. This knowledge is lacking in modern education. And they are very much proud of becoming advanced in knowledge. What is the advancement of knowledge? You have to cure your disease. The whole Vedic civilization is how to cure this disease of repetition of birth and death. That they do not know. All tapasya, all austerities, penances... This will be explained next verse. Why needed? Now, just to cure this disease, repetition of birth and death. They have no knowledge.
So bhakti-yoga, devotional service, is so powerful that simply by taking to the bhakti-yoga according to the rules and regulation one is supposed to be purified. Yesterday we have discussed, sadhrīcīno hy ayaṁ loke panthāḥ kṣemo 'kuto-bhayaḥ. First of all we are so ignorant that we do not know what is the aim of life. The modern education, modern civilization, they are so much misled that they do not know what is the aim of... Ask anybody, very learned scholar, scientist, philosopher, or medical man, engineer, lawyer, that "What is the aim of life?" Nobody knows. They think aim of life—eat, drink, be merry, and enjoy, that's all. This is aim of life. So that is not the aim of life. That eat, drink, be merry and enjoy, that is being done by the cats and dogs and hogs. So do you mean to say that this human form of life is also meant for that purpose? No. Human life is meant for understanding "What I am? What is God? What is relationship with God? Why I am here in this material world? Why I am suffering?" These are the questions for human life. Eating, sleeping, mating, that is wanted because we have got this body.
So there is future life. You should take it. You should try to understand it. It is not very difficult, but by the modern education we have become so dull-headed, we cannot understand the simple truth that we have to change this body. Vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya (BG 2.22). So this is a fact. You take it. So we must have the next life at least without any danger. Not to go to the hellish planet. At least remain in this planet. That we can do. Yānti bhūtāni bhūtejyā. If you want to stick to this planet or this world, that also you can get the facility. And if you want to go to the higher planets, that also you can get. And if you go to the hellish planet, that also the possibility is there. And if you want to go to Kṛṣṇa, that possibility... (break) ...yānti mad-yājino 'pi mām (BG 9.25). So we are creating a situation by our activities, our next life. This is the fact. So why not work for going back to Kṛṣṇa? This is intelligence. So what is the benefit of going to Kṛṣṇa? Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramam (BG 15.6). You won't have to again come back and accept this material body. This is benefit.
Therefore to create a first-class man, it requires great endeavor. It is not that you go to a school, colleges, and learn and smoke and do all nonsense, and you become elevated. It is a fourth-class, fifth-class... The modern educational system is producing not only fourth... Fourth class is also gentle, fifth-class, sixth-class. Fifth-class, sixth-class... The education means... What is the education? What is the symptom of education? That is described by Cāṇakya Paṇḍita, mātṛvat para-dāreṣu. The first educational symptom is that except one's own wife, any woman is mother. This is the first symptom of education. Mātṛvat para-dāreṣu para-dravyeṣu loṣṭravat. And other's property and money is just like garbage in the... Not very many years, say, about hundred years ago... You have heard the name, the Kashmir state. The Kashmir state was so strict, if somebody had stolen others' property and it is proved, the thief's hands will be cut off. Still, I think, in Arabia there is. This is a strict law. So if some golden ornament is lying on the street, out of this fear—and people were simple at the time—they will not touch. Exactly like garbage they will not touch. It was lying on the street. The law was that nobody should touch. If some golden ornament is there, the actual proprietor, he will come and pick it up. You do not require to assist him also, taking, "I shall..." No, you cannot touch.
You do not want to be a dead man, but you are forced to accept death. You do not want to become old man, but you are forced to accept. And these things, if you accept—happiness—that is your foolishness. Vyādhi. Jarā-vyādhi, disease. If you are constantly suffering from various types of diseases and if you think you are happy, that is another foolishness. Therefore Bhāgavata says, parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam, that "All the foolish persons who are born foolish, all their activities are defeat for them unless they are enlightened to inquire about ātma-tattvam."
So in the modern education there is no department for inquiring about ātma-tattvam. And they are proud of advancement of learning. But Bhāgavata says, parābhava: "These are all defeat." They do not know what is ātmā, what is ātma-tattva. They are identifying, "I am this body." "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am Gujarati," "I am Bengali," "I am this," "I am that." Yasyātmā-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke, sa eva go-kharaḥ (SB 10.84.13). Anyone who identifies himself with this body, he is nothing but ass and cow. And that is going on. We are fighting, nations and nations, community and community, religious party and religious party—because due to the misidentification of body.
Then next life he is going to have a body of hog or dog. So therefore he is put into such life, subtle life—that is Yamarāja's business—to be used in that way of life Then he is given a solid body or gross body so that the same royal prince, he can very easily eat stool. This is the process, nature's process is going on. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). They are simply explaining "nature." How nature is working, these foolish rascals, they do not know. They do not know. Nature is working. That is fact. But how the nature is working, how different forms of body, different activities are going on, by whose judgment, who is looking after, these things they do not know. This is the modern education.
But Kṛṣṇa conscious person, they know how things are going on, how nature is working, what is the effect. Everything we will find in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, how many different planetary systems are there, what is the situation each and every planet. You will get all this description in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. There are... We have got description. There are many planets. They are simply thousands and millions of miles only gold, thousands and millions of miles only copper.
So those who are always chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, they are saved. It is not a show. But offenseless chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra will always keep us safe and sound from the attack of māyā. And there is no expenditure; there is no loss. Why people should not take? Why this obstinacy? I ask. They are thinking that "I have become civilized. I have become educated. Therefore I shall not do this." So are they not educated? Are they not civilized? Why Indian boys are refusing? That is my question. They are losing the opportunity of taking birth in India. They are so much fortunate to take their birth in India, and they are refusing this culture. That is the effect of this modern education. Āpana dhana dilaye diye bhikṣa bhaje pareka.(?) What is the position of India? Nobody cares for India. Wherever I go, they say, "Oh, India? That's poverty-stricken country." That is your good name. Because you are actually going. Your administrators are going: "Give me. Give me grains. Give me money. Give me weapons so I can be saved from the slapping of China." A begging business. The India's position is not very glorious outside India.
So this sukham, indriya-jam (indistinct), sense gratification. Here it is said deha yogena dehinam. Dehī, this is not understood. The dehī and deha. Dehī yogena dehinām. Dehī means the person who possesses this deha. That is not understood. That is the beginning of spiritual education in the Bhagavad-gītā. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe (BG 2.13). You ask anybody, I think 99.9% will be unable to understand what is dehī and deha. This is our modern education. Dehina and deha. Dehī, the Sanskrit word, that is called inprotra (indistinct) a state in. (indistinct) When you possess something, then in Sanskrit, I means to say, prota. Just like gunī. Guṇa means gua, and you add in, then guṇin. Similarly, deha, and you add in, then dehin. The real meaning is, deha means this body and dehī means the possessor of the body. So actually in the modern age, the so-called civilization, they do not understand what is deha and dehī. They think this deha is everything, the body is everything. But that is not the fact. So dehī, the possessor of the body. So there are so many different types of body.
Who is a paṇḍita? Paṇḍita means one who has learned how to see other women, means except one's wife, anyone, any woman-mother. He's paṇḍita. Where is that education? Where is that education? No. But these children will be educated in that way, to see all woman as mother. Mātṛvat para-dāreṣu para-dravyeṣu loṣṭravat. Para-dravyeṣu: other's property as garbage in the street. Nobody touches. That is paṇḍita. He'll not touch even anything. Even valuable jewel is lying on the street, a paṇḍita will say, "I shall not touch it." This is a moral education. And ātmavat sarva-bhūteṣu. Ātmavat. If you feel some pain by pinching, why should you pinch others? And that is paṇḍita. If you cry when your throat is cut with a knife, why you should slaughter other animals? Therefore Lord Christ says, "Thou shall not kill." But these people are so uneducated. In spite of their Ph.D.s, they have no, this simple education, that "I suffer when I am killed. Why I shall kill others?" This is the modern education, all nonsense rascals' education. This is not education.
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
Our leaders are blind, foolish. They are leading us to misuse this valuable life of human form. This is our position. They are misleading us. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). They are impressing in us that "You are this body. You are born in this country. So your country, your nation is worshipable. Why you are after Kṛṣṇa? This is all bogus." This is our position. "Don't be after Kṛṣṇa. Just try to satisfy the senses of your body to the best capacity. Eat, drink, be merry and enjoy life. And next life? Oh, next life... That... Don't care." The atheist philosopher, Cārvāka Muni says, bhasmī-bhūtasya dehasya kuto punar āgamano bhavet: "Don't care for next life." This is going on now: atheism. Big, big professors, educationists, they're also in this opinion. I have traveled all over the world. One Russian professor said, "Swamijī, after this life, there is no... Everything is finished." But that's not the fact. That is the defect of modern education. There is life. There is life. Otherwise why there are so many varieties of life? We should consider that.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
Jñānī is accepted... Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that koṭi-karmī-madhye eka 'jñānī' śreṣṭha. There are karmīs, innumerable, millions and millions, all karmīs. Karmīs means they are working hard simply for sense gratification. And according to Bhagavad-gītā, they are called mūḍhas. These are the statement in the śāstras. So we have to explain the śāstras. So karmīs are called mūḍhas because they are working so hard, but do not know what is the aim of their life. Simply going on working very hard. And in the modern education, in the modern civilization, people are simply taught to work very hard and gratify senses. That's all. "Get money and gratify your senses." That is the modern mode of civilization. But according to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, an authority, Ṛṣabhadeva, He says, nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1). He says that this human form of life is not meant for working very, very hard simply for sense gratification. That is the business of the hogs, viḍ-bhujām. Viḍ-bhujām means the animal which eats stool. You have seen in the villages or sometimes in the cities, there are hogs. Whole day they are busy: "Where there is stool? Where there is stool?" And they become fatty also, very, by eating stool.
Just like nobody hankers after distress, but we have experienced, distress is forced upon us. So similarly, śāstra says that whatever happiness you are destined to get, wherever you remain, you'll get it by destiny. So there is no need of trying for suppressing distress and getting happiness. Don't waste your time in that way. But you try for that thing which you never got in other different forms of life. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This life is meant for this purpose, to understand Kṛṣṇa and God, or God. Yes. That is the only... athāto brahma jijñāsā. This is meant. Not for wasting our time simply with the animal propensities. The modern civilization, modern education, has no information about this. Nobody is trying to understand what is the actual aim of life. There is no such civilization. Therefore he is presenting himself, kuviṣaya-kūpe paḍi' goṅāinu janama. "Simply in the matter of searching after false happiness I have wasted my time." That he has condemned.
When a man becomes ghostly haunted and he talks all nonsense... Similarly, anyone who is within this material world, they are all madmen. And Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to cure them by this treatment. So if anyone accepts this treatment, then he can make progress very quickly. Just like any madman, if he is under proper treatment, there is hope of his being cured. But the modern education is that to keep him madman. That is the defect of modern civilization. Everyone is madman within this material world, and the modern education is to keep him madman. Therefore they cannot understand our philosophy. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness philosophy is very bona fide and most essential philosophy. Madman cannot understand, but that does not mean the process of treatment should be stopped. No. It must go on. It cannot be stopped.
Now, we are grouped under the taṭasthā-śakti, and there are other two potencies, or energies. That is called spiritual energy and material energy, the spiritual world and material world. We have got experience of the material world not completely. We do not know even what are going on in the whole material world. We see the universe. We see at night so many stars and planets, but we have no idea. So we do not know even what is this material world perfectly, and what to speak of spiritual world. But the spiritual world is there, as there is this material world, and the living entity belongs to the spiritual world. Actually he belongs to the spiritual world. By chance or some way he has come to the material world. So when he goes back again to the spiritual world, then he gets his normal condition of life. Unfortunately, in the modern education there is no information of the spiritual world, the spiritual identity, and go on, our relationship with God—nothing. Simply they are working like cats and dogs under the influence of māyā and the suffering. To stop this suffering, one must take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and understand the position of his life and be perfect.
Now, we are grouped under the taṭasthā-śakti, and there are other two potencies, or energies. That is called spiritual energy and material energy, the spiritual world and material world. We have got experience of the material world not completely. We do not know even what are going on in the whole material world. We see the universe. We see at night so many stars and planets, but we have no idea. So we do not know even what is this material world perfectly, and what to speak of spiritual world. But the spiritual world is there, as there is this material world, and the living entity belongs to the spiritual world. Actually he belongs to the spiritual world. By chance or some way he has come to the material world. So when he goes back again to the spiritual world, then he gets his normal condition of life. Unfortunately, in the modern education there is no information of the spiritual world, the spiritual identity, and go on, our relationship with God—nothing. Simply they are working like cats and dogs under the influence of māyā and the suffering. To stop this suffering, one must take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and understand the position of his life and be perfect.
Arrival Addresses and Talks
So now by the grace of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, this movement has come to your country, and especially in a nice village like this, utilize it properly. It is a very ideal place. Not only this, there are many thousands of places like this. People should take advantage to live in such nice place, produce their necessities of life, and keep them fit and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and realize self. We don't say that you starve or become weak in health or weak in intelligence. No. You remain quite fit in intelligence and health, but don't be unnecessarily in need. The difficulty of the modern educated person is... Not educated, but so-called educated, they are attracted in the city for so many things unnecessary. Just like the club, the restaurant, the liquor and the cigarette, so many things. But if your attention is diverted to Kṛṣṇa, you will not feel inclined to enjoy all these unnecessary things. That is the test of spiritual life, that bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt (SB 11.2.42). Bhakti, advancement of devotional life, means no more taste for all these nonsense. That is the test.
The example is given in the Bhagavad-gītā that because the spirit soul is there within the body, therefore the body is changing from childhood to boyhood, from boyhood to youthhood, then middle-aged, then old man. This body is changing. But if the child is born dead—that means without the soul—then the body does not change. We have got practical experience. A dead child, if you keep the body in a preservative way, it will not grow. So long the soul is there, the bodily changes are there. From the womb of the mother, the embryo, the child, grows daily. Why? Because the soul is there. So our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to understand this fact first of all, that body is superficial. Just like you are dressed with your shirt and coat. The shirt and coat is not important, but the person who is putting on the shirt and coat, he is important. Unfortunately, modern education is giving stress on the outward, external body or to the dress and not to... They do not understand who is the person who is dressed or who has got this body. This is the first lesson of spiritual understanding.
General Lectures
From childhood body to boyhood body to youthhood body, the consciousness is continuing. Similarly, this consciousness will also carry you in another body, and that transformation or transmigration from one body to another, it is called death. Death means when this body cannot be carried any more, the consciousness has to be transferred to another new body. Just like when your garment is too old, it has to be changed; similarly, when this material body is too old to carry on, then this consciousness is transferred to another body and you begin another life. This is the process of nature.
But unfortunately, in the modern education system, there is no departmental education about this consciousness or spirit soul, although it is the most important factor. Without consciousness, without the soul's being present, this body is useless. But unfortunately we take care very much for this body, but we have no knowledge of the consciousness or the spirit soul. This is called illusion, ignorance, or māyā.
You do not know, because as you say you are here, here your coat is there, your pant is there, your hand is there, your body is there, but you cannot explain where you are. All right. Sit down. I shall explain. (laughter) This is the defect of modern education. We are educated in a way in which we have misunderstood, "This is my body. This is my hand. This is my leg. This is my country. This is my mother. This is my father. This is my school." "This is my," I know. I have the concept of "my." But who is conceiving "my"? We have no information where it is. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said that yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). Under misconception we understand my body as myself. I say, "It is my body," but I misidentify my body with myself. Is it not?
So the basic principle of mistake... Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke. According to Vedic literature, this body is prepared in three elements: fire, water, and clay. So I am not the combination of fire, water, and clay. Then I am this house, I am this room. So yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). So basic principle of my knowledge is false, that I am considering this material body as "I am." And if the basic principle is wrong, then, in relationship with this body, because I am born in this land of America... "I am born" means my body is born.
So our request to all the guardians of the boys and girls present here, or the teachers, that they should teach from the very beginning this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or God consciousness. Otherwise the future of the world is not very bright. It is recommended in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. We are having our class in our temple: the instruction of Prahlāda Mahārāja. Prahlāda Mahārāja was a five-years-old boy, and he was agitating this Kṛṣṇa conscious movement in his school. The schoolteacher would not allow him to speak about God, but as soon as there was some recess and the child, the boy, five-years-old boy, he would take the opportunity, call his friends and speak on Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And he said, kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha (SB 7.6.1). The Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or God consciousness, should be taught from the very beginning of education. This is the greatest drawback of modern education, that not only in your country or any country they have completely neglected what is meant by God. And in India, they are especially... Now, as soon as there is any question of God, they see phobia: "Oh, this is all nonsense." They have become so clever.
So body has changed, but I am existing. This is very simple thing. Everyone can understand. Therefore I, as spirit soul, I am not body. Body is changing; I am different from body. Therefore change of this body does not mean I am finished. I am continuing. Therefore I should be responsible: "What kind of body I am going to accept next?" That is my responsibility. If you don't take this responsibility, "What kind of body...?" It may be, if I am of doggish mentality, my next life will be just a dog because I will have to accept the dress of a dog. And if I am evolving my godly mentality, then I'll have to accept, or I will accept another body just like God. So that is in my hands.
So in the modern educational system, universities, there is no such information, we see. It is very lamentable, but these knowledges are there in the Vedic literature. The summary of all Vedic literature is Śrīmad-Bhagavad-gītā and the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. There are many other literatures-Rāmāyaṇa, Mahābhārata, eighteen Purāṇas. They are meant for human society, not for these cats and dogs. So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is just to awake people to their rightful position, which is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to understand how he is related with Kṛṣṇa.
The brāhmaṇas, they are engaged in such and such things, the brahmacārīs are engaged in such and such thing, the kṣatriyas are engaged... There are different prescribed duties. Now Sūta Gosvāmī says that varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ. There are divisions of duties and divisions of social and spiritual order. That's all right. But how one can understand that by executing his duty, he's going to the path of perfection? Everyone should be confident that whatever he is doing, he's doing for the perfection of life. That should be the aim of. In the modern education system, not only education system, in every field of life, practically we do not know what is the ultimate goal of life. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ (SB 7.5.31). They do not know what is the goal of life. The goal of life is Viṣṇu, or the Supreme Lord, or God. That one has to understand what is the Supreme Lord, what is Absolute Truth, "What is my relationship with Him and what is my duty towards Him?" These things are to be known, and one has to adjust his life in that way.
And you also, if you try it you will never get tired. Because it is not material. In the material world if you chant anything, any favorite name for three, four, or ten times, you will get tired. Yes. That's a fact. But because it is not material, if you chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra you will never get tired. The more you chant, your heart will be cleansed from all material dirty things. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam (CC Antya 20.12). And the problems of your life within this material world... These are simple words, but it requires lots of explanation. What is the problem of our life? That you do not know. The modern education never gives enlightenment what is the problem of life. That is indicated in the Bhagavad-gītā, that those who are educated, advancing in knowledge, they should know what is the problem of life. The problem of life is, as stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). One should always feel the inconvenience of taking birth, janma; mṛtyu, inconvenience of death; jarā, inconvenience of old age; and inconvenience of disease. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi.
These instruction of Prahlāda Mahārāja is very important, very important, and we are trying to spread this bhāgavata-dharma all over the world. And people are very happy to receive it. Unfortunately, this bhāgavata-dharma was not explained in the Western countries. I do not wish to discuss, but at the present moment, because this bhāgavata-dharma as recommended by Prahlāda Mahārāja is being preached all over the world, they are appreciating very much the glories of India. So as recommended by Prahlāda Mahārāja, this study of Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa should be introduced in the schools and colleges. I wanted to speak to the Vice Chancellor, and I expected him today, but he did not come. This is our unfortunate. I do not know why he avoided, but never mind; you try to understand. Don't spoil your children. The modern educational system without any knowledge of Bhagavān, I may tell you frankly, not only in India, everywhere, they are practically slaughterhouse. Because in our country, it is a different thing; at least we have got the Vedic culture at home if it is not in the schools.
Before me, many swamis went in the Western countries, but they did not give the actual pure Vedic culture. They invented their own ways. Therefore it was not very fruitive. It was not very satisfactory. People did not accept. Still there are so many yogis, the so-called yogis, are going there, exploiting the people, and coming back. But our Kṛṣṇa philosophy is taken very seriously in the Western countries. We have got now hundred and two branches all over the world. Only in America, we have got fifty branches. And other countries they have got fifty-two branches—in America, in Canada, in England, in France, in Germany, in Switzerland, in Japan, in Australia, in New Zealand. All over the world. So now we want some of the young men to come forward to become really brāhmaṇas, Vaiṣṇavas. Our Vedic culture is divided into four varṇas: brāhmaṇa kṣatriya vaiśya śūdra. Unfortunately we are simply manufacturing śūdras, not brāhmaṇas. That is the defect of modern education. Śūdra, śūdra means paricaryātmakam kāryaṁ śūdra karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.44). After education, every (indistinct) is hankering after a service. That is śūdra karma svabhāva-jam. This is not perfect education. There must be brāhmaṇas who are independent. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita, whose name is still, still celebrated, he was prime minister of Mahārāja Candragupta, but he was not accepting a single paisa as salary.
The living entities, they are wandering throughout the universe, changing bodies, transmigrating from one body to another, one place to another, one planet to another, but they are rotating within this universe, material universe, brahmāṇḍo bhramite. This science is unknown to the modern education department, how the spirit soul is transmigrating from one body to another and how he's being transferred from one planet to another. We have got our book, Easy Journey to Other Planets. So guru can help you to transmigrate from this planet directly to the spiritual sky, where there are innumerable spiritual planets. They are known as Vaikuṇṭhaloka. And the topmost planet in the spiritual sky, that is called Goloka Vṛndāvana. That is Kṛṣṇa's planet. By Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement we are trying to give information how one can be transferred directly to the Goloka Vṛndāvana planet, Kṛṣṇaloka. That is our mission.
Philosophy Discussions
Prabhupāda: Philosophy does not become complicated; the mode of living becoming complicated—from simplicity to complication. Otherwise everything is there. Just like by nature's law, the sunrise is not complicated. It is the same process (indistinct). So we are making complicated things underneath the sun. So if we know what is life, then there is no complication. But they do not know. Especially the modern education, they are making things more and more complicated. Therefore the so-called philosophy is becoming complicated.
Śyāmasundara: Another difficulty with Bertrand Russell is that his philosophy changed. Many times throughout his life he changed his viewpoint.
Prabhupāda: That means he does not know what is philosophy. Philosophy cannot be changed. Just like āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunam—the four principles of life—eating, sleeping, mating... (aside:) Sit down here.
Devotee: I was watching the (indistinct).
Prabhupāda: All right. So they are eating—where is the change of philosophy? Eating philosophy is there. Sleeping philosophy is there. Why it should change? What is fact, there is no need of changing. Imperfect knowledge changes. Perfect knowledge never changes. So he changes philosophy means his knowledge is imperfect.
| Page Title: | Modern education (Books and Lectures) |
| Compiler: | Labangalatika, Matea |
| Created: | 28 of Sep, 2010 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=2, SB=1, CC=1, OB=0, Lec=55, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 59 |