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Modern people

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta

CC Adi-lila

CC Adi 17.169, Purport:

The śāstras of the yavanas, or meat-eaters, are not eternal scriptures. They have been fashioned recently, and sometimes they contradict one another. The scriptures of the yavanas are three: the Old Testament, the New Testament and the Koran. Their compilation has a history; they are not eternal like the Vedic knowledge. Therefore although they have their arguments and reasonings, they are not very sound and transcendental. As such, modern people advanced in science and philosophy deem these scriptures unacceptable.

Sometimes Christian priests come to us inquiring, "Why are our followers neglecting our scriptures and accepting yours?" But when we ask them, "Your Bible says, "Do not kill." Why then are you killing so many animals daily?" they cannot answer. Some of them imperfectly answer that the animals have no souls. But then we ask them, "How do you know that animals have no souls? Animals and children are of the same nature. Does this mean that the children of human society also have no souls?" According to the Vedic scriptures, within the body is the owner of the body, the soul. In the Bhagavad-gītā (2.13) it is said:

dehino ’smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā
tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati

"As the embodied soul continuously passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. The self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change."

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 2.16 -- London, August 22, 1973:

Not plastic pots or plastic bucket, plastic cloth. It has no value. So anyway, India was concerned material opulence, whatever is gotten from the nature, not by industry, not engaging oneself in industry. Therefore, India, the leaders of India now, they are finding that on account of our negligence to the material side of life, we have become poor.

So the (purport) (?) purpose is that the East and West difference is that the Eastern people, Eastern people means India, they stressed on this sat portion, the permanent portion, the spiritual civilization. Their aim was "How to make this life perfect so that I can become immortal." As I explained the other day, aihistam yat punar janmejaya, yat tat punar janmajayaya.(?) The whole effort was how to conquer over birth and death. So modern people they do not understand that birth and death can be conquered. They can imagine it. Sometimes they say that "By scientific advancement, someday we shall become immortal." They also expect to become immortal. But, expect or not expect, here is the information from Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa says; He's not speaking something nonsense or utopian. It is fact that we should be interested in the permanent, permanent life, not temporary life. This life, this material life is temporary. We may live for ten years or ten hours. There are living entities, they live for ten minutes and there are living entities who are living for ten millions or ten billions of years. Just like in the Brahmaloka, they live billions of years. So all these duration of life, different types of duration of life, are there within this material world, but still, it is not permanent. Even if you live for ten billions of years or you live for ten minutes or ten seconds, it is nonpermanent. That is being explained here. Nāsato vidyate bhāvaḥ.

Lecture on BG 2.26 -- Los Angeles, December 6, 1968:

Just like modern people, they are after peace, stopping war. And suppose you stop war. Can you stop death? Then why you are after stopping war? Why you forget your real business? They are after stopping war. And suppose war is stopped, nobody takes to war anymore. Now, how you'll stop the war of this material nature? She is fighting always with you. From the beginning of your birth she is fighting. A child is born and the material nature is killing this child every moment. The child has grown, two years old. That means material nature has already killed this child for two years. How you can stop this? These nonsense, they do not consider these cases. Suppose if I stop war, there will be no more war, no more disease. No more disease cannot be possible. You can make by some way no more war... That is also not possible. Anyway, if you stop it by the efforts of the United Nations, a veke(?) by some way no more war... That is also not possible. Anyway, if you stop it by the efforts of the United Nations, a very large organization, then how you are going to stop death? What is your proposition? There is no, nothing. So what is the use of stopping war? Suppose in the war some young men die. That's all right, so many young men die within the hospital in the disease. And sometimes old men, they do not die even in the war.

Lecture on BG 13.17 -- Bombay, October 11, 1973:

Therefore we see so many divisions of status; one man is working very hard day and night, but it is very difficult for him to collect even so much money that (he) can eat nicely. Because the body is made for that. Similarly, another man, born with silver spoon in the mouth. He hasn't got to try very much, but he gets his money quickly, very quickly. Therefore the Bhāgavata says, that "Don't waste your time for so-called happiness and distress. Don't waste your time. Because you are already destined to receive a standard of happiness and distress." You cannot change it. But you can change your consciousness. That is possible. But you cannot change your material position.

The modern people, they do not know. They do not know it that material condition cannot be changed. Take, for example, the pig. His body is meant for eating stool. So you cannot induce him to eat halavā. They cannot. He'll not accept it. Because the body is made like that. But in the human form, if we change our consciousness, then we become, we can revive our original status. Original status means eternal life of blissfulness and knowledge. That is the original life. Sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). So that Supersoul is always helping us as friend. Therefore here it is said, avibhaktaṁ ca bhūteṣu. Avibhaktaṁ ca bhūteṣu vibhaktam iva ca sthitam. The Supersoul appears like an individual soul. He is staying as friend. So He has been divided. Vibhaktam iva, "as if divided." It is not divided.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.10.3-4 -- Tehran, March 13, 1975:

This will not make the world happy. They will simply deteriorate more and more. They do not know. Here it is said, kāmaṁ vavarṣa parjanyaḥ (SB 1.10.4). Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa also said, annād bhavanti bhūtāni (BG 3.14). Kṛṣṇa never says, "The factory will make the people healthy and strong," never says. And these rascals are after factories. Then how the people will be happy? Ugra-karma. Everyone will be unhappy, dissatisfied, rogue, bachelor growth. Where Kṛṣṇa has said that "Open factories for economic development"? Nowhere you will find, neither in the śāstra... Here it is said that all economic development will be complete simply by regular rainfall. Kāmaṁ vavarṣa parjanyaḥ (SB 1.10.4). Kāmam means all necessities of life. They do not know. The modern people, scientists, philosophers, politicians, they do not know this. Kāmam. Kāmam means necessities of life. We have got so many things. But how it will be supplied? It is clearly said, kāmaṁ vavarṣa parjanyaḥ (SB 1.10.4). And how parjanyaḥ will be regular? Yajñād bhavati parjanyaḥ (BG 3.14). Where is that program? Where is yajña? In the Kali-yuga other yajñas are very difficult to perform. There is no money. There is no qualified brāhmaṇa. Therefore this yajña... Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi sumedhasaḥ (SB 11.5.32). Those who have got brain substance, not cow dung, they will take this process, yajñaiḥ. Let everyone chant Hare Kṛṣṇa home to home. Whatever they have got, all right. Just begin chanting. Just see what happens. We are trying to introduce this chanting. But the rascals will not take it. What can be done? There is no loss if they chant Hare Kṛṣṇa worldwide. Where is the loss? But still, they will not. And everything can be had. Sarva-kāma-dughā mahī. Mahī. Kṛṣṇa, He is... The mother... Kṛṣṇa, how He has arranged this mahī? Everything is coming. Actually you will find that the rose flower is coming, the mine is coming, the gold is coming, the coal is coming, the petrol is coming. Everything is there in the mahī. And who has arranged it? Just see. Sarva-kāma-dughā mahī. And if there is regular waterfall, then you get everything supply. And by performing yajña, you get regular waterfall, rainfall. And in this age all other types of yajña is not possible. Kalau...

Lecture on SB 1.15.44 -- Los Angeles, December 22, 1973:

It is not that it was unknown. Everything was known. The modern historians, they say like that. They say the Bhāgavata was written about 1,500 years ago. No. Five thousand years ago. They bring everything within the Christian era. And before that, there was no history, according to them. But that is not the fact.

Anyway, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira went to the northern side. Gata-pūrvāṁ mahātmabhiḥ. His forefathers, they were also mahātmās. Formerly the kings were not, I mean to say, licentious drunkards. They were all ṛṣi, as good as great saintly persons, rājarṣi. Therefore Bhagavad-gītā was taught to the saintly kings. The modern people, they say that "Why not this movement amongst the poorer-class men?" They do not know who is poor. Anyone who is poor in spiritual understanding, he is poor. By material opulence, one does not become rich. He is animal. By material opulence, one may be polished animal, but he is animal. One who is spiritually advanced, he is actually in knowledge. Because basic principle is spirit. Without spiritual knowledge, anything, any so-called knowledge, advancement of knowledge, is simply mistake, mistake. Just like if you, in calculating one mathematical sum, if you commit mistake anywhere, the whole thing is spoiled. Whole thing is spoiled. You go on. You are making progress. But real mistake was there. It will never carry. The balance, it will not come into being.

Lecture on SB 2.1.4 -- Vrndavana, March 19, 1974:

Although he is sufficiently experienced in the matter by dint of past experience and previous examples of the diseased predecessors, he does not see that the countrymen are all fallible in the great struggle. One should examine the fact that the father or father's father has already died, and therefore he himself is also sure to die. And similarly his children, who are the would-be fathers of their children, will also die in due course. No one will survive in the struggle with material nature. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14).

So our real problem is how to revive our original, eternal life. That is struggle. The modern people, scientists, philosophers, they even do not know what is our original constitutional position, and... Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). I do not die, even after the destruction of this body. These things are unknown. And still, they are posing themselves as leader of the society. Therefore the śāstra says, andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ: (SB 7.5.31) "One blind man is leading several other blind men." Te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ: "They do not know that they are bound up by the laws of nature very tight, hands and legs." There is no question of freedom.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 2, 1973:

Sometimes we are criticized: "Slave mentality." Yes, we want voluntarily to become slave—of Kṛṣṇa. We are, at the present moment, we are slave of the senses. Kāma krodha moho mātsarya. Kāmādi. Kāmādi means kāma, desire to enjoy. And if our enjoyment, if our desire is not fulfilled, then we become krodhi, angry; lobhi, moha mātsarya. The material existence means we are servant of so many sense gratificatory processes. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma (SB 5.5.4). We are now engaged to act sinfully. Any kind of sinful activity we can accept. Why? Yad indriya prītaya āpṛnoti. Simply for sense gratification. That's all. We are prepared to take any risk only for sense gratification. But we do not know that we are taking great risk, great risk. Because there is another life. After death, there is life. The modern people, they do not understand it. Therefore śāstra says, na sādhu manye: "These kinds of activities are not very good." Na sādhu. It is not honest. This is not good. Yato ātmano ayam asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ (SB 5.5.4). We have got this body. That is kleśada. Just like we are feeling warm; therefore we want this fan, because the, on account of this body, we are feeling warm. Or sometimes chilly. So if I feel chilly, then I have to stop this fan. I'll have to cover this body. So all our pains and pleasure are due to this material body. That we do not understand. Śāstra says, asann api. Although this body's temporary, but it is kleśada, it is full of miserable condition: ādhyātmika, ādhibhautika, ādhidaivika.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Arrival Speech -- New Vrindaban, June 21, 1976:

Any karatālas? (sings Jaya Rādhā-Mādhava) So after two years, I think, I have got the opportunity of seeing you and your Rādhā-Vṛndāvana-candra, who is so kind upon you. So real happiness is here. Rādhā-Vṛndāvana-candra is staying here, and He's pleased with your service. This is the perfection of life. Keep Kṛṣṇa always with you and serve Him sincerely, then all happiness will come, without any endeavor. The foolish people, they do not know. They are trying to improve their economic condition, position, and wasting their time. It has no value. Of course, modern people will take it as very revolting that there is no need of this endeavor for economic development. Actually you, if you study minutely, what is the benefit by economic development? Prahlāda Mahārāja said that, what is that verse? Only waste of time. Prayateta? Na prayateta, na tasya etad prayateta tat-prayāso kartavyo yata āyur-vyayaḥ param. This modern civilization, it is not modern, but in modern civilization it has become very prominent, that to improve the economic condition. Economic condition means we improve the standard of sense gratification. This is called going on economic condition. But we require a little sense gratification. Dharma artha kāma mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90). This is the gradual process of evolution. Real purpose is mokṣa, how to become free from this entanglement of repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. This is the real aim of life. But because we are coming from the lowest grade of living condition, jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati-like that, 8,400,000 different species of life—our tendency is only for sense gratification. Because in the lower grade of life there is no other pleasure except sense gratification. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca. A small ant, some information has come to him that on the third floor there is a grain of sugar, and he's running there. Āhāra: something eatable is there. So sense enjoyment means these four things: eating, sleeping, sex and defense. This is called sense enjoyment. But this is common to everyone.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- April 25, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: No, it doesn't mat... Therefore they're all madmen. You can speak in your own way. I'll speak in my own way and another fool thinks that both of them are scientists. They do not agree. Still he's scientist. Just see. Cheaters and the cheated. Somebody's cheating and somebody's becoming cheated. The whole society's the combination of cheaters and cheated. That's all. I see both of them, they do not agree. Just like they have rejected religion because two religionists, they do not agree. So why not these rascal scientists? They do not agree. Just see. They are so fool. But still they are after that. Their modern people they have rejected religion because they say that one religionist does not agree with another religionist. So there is no... Skepticism. So why not about the scientists? Just see. Everywhere you will find contradiction. Therefore anyone... and we are find out this contradiction because we have little attachment for Kṛṣṇa. Others cannot find out. We are challenging scientists, philosophers, although we are teeny person, because we have little attachment for Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise, who is detecting their follies? Nobody. The scientist's follies, the philosopher follies, their contradiction... A devotee can find out. Paśyanti jñāna-cakṣuṣā. Unless one is highly enlightened, one cannot find out these defects, contradiction. Paśyanti jñāna-cakṣuṣā. We have got simple formulas in the śāstras. Simply on the basis of those formulas... Whole Vedic literature is like that. Just like Āyurveda, Āyurveda or astrology. Everything is like that. Āyurveda, the medicine. They have to learn only the beating of the pulse. If one becomes expert in which way the pulse beating is going on... They have got example. Just like some birds jump over like this. Some bird goes like this. So they have got example how the pulse is beating, jumping or easily going. So the symptoms, if one can study, he becomes physician, first-class. Immediately. Because as soon as he can study the pulse, how it is beating, in which way... That is, that requires little experience. Then immediately the formula is that if the pulse is beating in this way, then these symptoms will be there. And he will ask the patient...

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- June 10, 1974, Paris:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Even an insignificant bird, because he knows swimming, he knows swimming, so he can (indistinct). Because you do not know swimming, you cannot say like that. Even insignificant bird, just see how nicely he is swimming. He knows the art. Everyone, cent percent of the modern people, they do not believe in God and they do not know what is religion. That is the position. They think religion is sentiment, anyone can manufacture his own sentiment, there is no God. This is going on. So we are in fault. It is folly to be wise where ignorance is bliss. The whole world is under this conception; therefore we are at fault, we are preaching God consciousness.

Devotee (4): Generally they make it difficult.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Devotee (4): Generally they make it difficult for us to preach.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Devotee (4): They hinder us in so many ways.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Devotee (4): Because they have not realized that we have taken a responsibility. When a man has a responsibility, usually he is given some certain facilities to carry out that responsibility.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- August 12, 1975, Paris:

Prabhupāda: Yes. (break) Even an insignificant bird, because he knows swimming, he knows swimming, so he can challenge, and because you do not know swimming, you cannot say like that. Even insignificant bird, just see how nicely he is swimming. He knows the art. (break) ...one, cent percent of the modern people, they do not believe in God, and they do not know what is religion. That is the position. They think, "Religion is sentiment. Anyone can manufacture his own sentiment. There is no God." This is the position. So we are in fault. "It is folly to be wise where ignorance is bliss." The whole world is under this conception. Therefore we are at fault. We are preaching God consciousness.

Brahmānanda: Generally they make it difficult for us to preach.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Brahmānanda: They hinder us in so many ways.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Brahmānanda: Because they have not realized that we have taken a responsibility. When a man has a responsibility usually he is given some certain facilities to carry out that responsibility.

Prabhupāda: Everyone, cent percent godless, neither they have got intelligence to understand what is God. This is the position.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- January 20, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Yes. You know that? They say like that. So many rascals are there. And this is the only shelter, these, our centers, to be protected from all these rascals. These ISKCON centers are the only shelter. So you have to maintain it very nicely. There is no other shelter. All bogus more or less, all bogus. But you have to, not to... You quote, but the purpose of the verse you present reasonably. If you simply quote, it will not be simply very appealing. "Oh, they are simply..." Sometimes the Westerner criticize that, my Godbrother, Sadānanda? He was criticizing that "Your presentation..." "Your" means our, this Vaiṣṇava literature. "Simply you quote some Sanskrit verse, that's all." So these Sanskrit verses should be explained for understanding of the modern people. If you simply quote, it is not very appealing. In Durban..., Durban? We went to that university. You remember? That Ārya-samājī? He was speaking that "This is Hindu conception. Hindu conception." And what do you mean by Hindu conception? A child grows to become a boy. Is that Hindu conception? It is science. When Kṛṣṇa said, dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā (BG 2.13), that's a fact. It is applicable to the Hindus, to the Muslim, to the Christian, everyone. Why do you say it is Hindu conception? So you have to present in that way. They may not think that it is Hindu conception. Because they are all rascals, unless you explain it, that this is meant for everyone, they will misunderstand that Bhāgavata is for the Hindus or for the Indians. It is for everyone. But one must realize. There is no question of Hindu conception or Muslim conception. (rattling sound) So this will go on whole day? "Cut-cut-cut-cut"?

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- January 31, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Munsi,(?) ah, yes. (laughs)

Gurukṛpā: Everybody was, "Is it true?"

Prabhupāda: He did not believe in Kṛṣṇa. And from his character he's a rascal. I know that.

Hari-śauri: The one thing that shocks the Indians the most is Vivekananda.

Prabhupāda: Because they're rascals. Modern people in India, they are all rascals. Whole population is bokā.

Gargamuni: No. The Marwaris don't like him because he was a chicken-eater.

Prabhupāda: Marwaris are little religious. They...

Gargamuni: They never talk about Vivekananda. They don't like him.

Prabhupāda: He was rascal number one. He brought three women with whom he had intimate connection. That is very easy to make intimate connection with woman in America. With money also. He brought. And with their money. Aurobindo also, the same thing. With woman's money they became rich, not like me, with hard labor of writing books and selling. I could also do. There was chance. But this is not my business to make intimate relation with woman and get money. I could do. There was chance. When attempt was failed, the man who introduced that woman to me, he one day said, "I have seen many swamis, but none like you." (laughter)

Gargamuni: They advise you to grow a beard and to wear Western suit, the other swamis. (break)

Room Conversation -- March 31, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: That's nice. Then it is all right. You belong to Hare Kṛṣṇa. That should be there. That cannot be...

Svarūpa Dāmodara: I would use tilaka many times when I was doing my thesis, also like this, but in giving lectures, especially amongst the scientists, sometimes if we come with head shaved, sometimes they think it very strange. We can do it when...

Prabhupāda: No, no, no. Don't disturb them, that "These are strange people." No, we don't want that. But we must have our position. Tilaka is our position. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's stricture. You will not see one face if there is no tilaka. He used to say it is cremation ground. Yes, without tilaka. Pasanta mukha.(?) Tilaka must be there. And so far dress is concerned, you can dress up to the taste of the modern people. So what is your breakfast time here?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Nine o'clock.

Prabhupāda: Nine o'clock?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Devotees: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda. All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Thank you very much. Jaya. (end)

Conversation with Vedic Astronomer -- April 30, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: So how he'll make diagram? He has no idea.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, he doesn't. He never thought about it. No one reads the Bhāgavatam as a scientific book, Śrīla Prabhupāda. That's the point. Except for Your Divine Grace, they are thinking it's story, "It is stories."

Prabhupāda: Yes, they do not believe.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No. And therefore no one takes it seriously. Modern people don't take it seriously.

Prabhupāda: There was a Gosāi. He was reading Caitanya-caritāmṛta. So the description of the planetary system there is. He used to say to his audience, "Actually these things are not there. These are imaginary descriptions." He was such a fool. So the whole world has taken like that, "symbolic, imagination."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And he was lecturing on Caitanya-caritāmṛta. I think you mentioned that one of your Godbrothers once said to you, "You really believe that there is such a place, Kṛṣṇaloka, Vaikuṇṭhaloka?" He was himself...

Prabhupāda: Bon Mahārāja did not believe. No... Nobody ever thought of it.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You are the only representative, the lone representative of religion left on this planet, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: So what to do? He has wasted so much money. He's not the proper man.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No. Why not let us try to find out some man locally here in Bombay?

Prabhupāda: Very difficult. You can try.

Bhu-mandala Discussion -- July 3, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Who is going there?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah...

Prabhupāda: You have seen from aeroplane?

Śatadhanya: Some. Some mountains.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In the Alps no one can go there. There's places in the Alps. There's simply so many mountains, no one can go there. The map as the modern people show it—India, Africa, Europe, America, North America, South America—do we accept that much?

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Do we accept the contour of the continents? Do we accept the general continents?

Prabhupāda: We accept nothing of their theory. They are prejudiced and nonsense. Formerly they were speaking that the world is flat. Now they have changed: "It is round." So what is the value of his estimate? And you'll find in that book, "probably."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That was the most frequent word used.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So what is the value of their knowledge? Besides that, they'll insist that life is combination of chemicals, and they cannot produce it. Simply useless. So it is, what is called, childish obstinacy. So why shall I believe them? Just like a child cries, "I want. I want," it is like that. There is no science. Still they will say it is science.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's nescience.

Correspondence

1947 to 1965 Correspondence

Letter to Dr. Rajendra Prasad, President of Indian Union -- Delhi 21 November, 1956:

This fact is corroborated by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu as the practical demonstrator of Bhagavad-gita and as the most magnanimous incarnation of Sri Krishna—the Personality of Sri Krishna Caitanya has made the path of going "Back to Godhead" so easy for every one that even a boy of the world can swim across the ocean of religiosity, although it is injected with so many dangerous animals ready to devour up a fallen person in that great massive water. I have simply adopted the easy method of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu just suitable to the modern people in general. As such I am feeling as sure of going "Back to Godhead" as I feel without any doubt after taking my dinner that I have eaten to my satisfaction. This feeling is a necessary concomitant factor of the great science of devotional service in the approved line of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

I am therefore very eager to broadcast the secret of my success to all men and women of the world as a natural consequence and I am seeking your excellency's help and co-operation in this great attempt of transcendental service.

I am enclosing herewith 12 (twelve) copies of "Back to Godhead" (I to XII) for your excellency's reference. If possible kindly go through them all and I am sure that your honour will understand me right about my assertion. If it is not so possible, your excellency can kindly give a glance over the head lines only, and I am sure that will also give your excellency an idea of my definite assertion.

1972 Correspondence

Letter to Vaikunthanatha, Patita Pavana -- Bombay 4 February, 1972:

This Hindu religion has no philosophy, therefore it has died because in this age people have become very much hardened by material living and they are not much interested in sentimental religions like Hinduism. Sentiments are temporary and they always dry up. But what the people really want is a philosophy to give their life meaning and guide it under all changing circumstances—and the only philosophy available nowadays is profit, where is profit for sense gratification, or Marxism, or this -ism or that -ism. But none of these so-called philosophies have proven very successful in satisfying the people. Therefore, there is trouble all over the world, dissatisfaction, and people are taking to the only philosophy left or hopelessness philosophy. But our Krishna philosophy is bringing real meaning and hope to the modern people, we are opening up the dead churches and temples, so we may be certain that because our philosophy offers the substantial basis for everyone's life and the solution to all kinds of problems of miserable material life, that very soon the prediction of Lord Caitanya will come true and all men of the world will find shelter at the Lotus Feet of Krishna.

So I am very glad that you nice boys are helping me to revive the sleeping souls, in all parts of the world, and if we simply go on in this way, preaching very sincerely, following our routine work very strictly and maintaining always the highest standards of Krishna Consciousness, and by distributing more and more of books and literatures, then there is no doubt about it, that very soon we shall go back to Home, back to Godhead.

Page Title:Modern people
Compiler:Visnu Murti, RupaManjari
Created:22 of Nov, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=1, OB=0, Lec=8, Con=8, Let=2
No. of Quotes:19