Our business should be to be engaged in the sat platform, not in the asat platform. Asat platform, nonpermanent, or according to somebody's opinion, false. So false or nonpermanent, whatever it may be, the real human civilization should be based on the purpose of becoming immortal, sat, not asat. That is the distinction between India and other countries. Now I am not speaking of India of today, but India as it is. Big, big ācāryas, just like Vyāsadeva. Vyāsadeva is the original ācārya. Therefore the birthday of guru is called vyāsa-pūjā. Vyāsa-pūjā means original guru. Guru is the representative of Vyāsadeva. This throne is called vyāsāsana, sitting place of Vyāsadeva. So one who is representative of Vyāsadeva, he can sit on this throne. So guru, by paramparā system, guru is seated on the vyāsāsana because he is the representative. Just like in the high-court, the bench, it is called bench. Actually, the bench is to be used by the head of the executive power, the king or the president. But the high-court judge is the representative of the head executive; therefore, he sits on that bench.
Real civilization
Expressions researched:
"real Indian civilization"
|"real Vedic civilization"
|"real advancement of civilization"
|"real civilization"
|"real human civilization"
|"real, advanced civilization"
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Try to understand Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa. You'll be liberated. Janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). Simply by understanding Kṛṣṇa, you get liberation. Punar janma naiti. The whole activities, human society's activities, should be targeted how to get rid of this repetition of birth and death. That is real civilization. Not that "Let me live like a cat and dog and die like a cat and dog, and never mind what is happening next." This is a civilization of ignorance. This is not a civilization of knowledge. They are... Here is knowledge, that "I am trying to protect my body, this dress. I am every day soaping my garment, but I am not taking any food. How shall I... How long shall I live with this nice dress?" So one should understand this verse very seriously. Vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya navāni gṛhṇāti naro 'parāṇi (BG 2.22). It has been especially mentioned: nara. Nara means human being. The cats and dogs, they are changing their body, the same process, but they cannot understand. But here especially mentioned: nara.
So nānuśocitum arhasi. Kṛṣṇa here has said, "You are eternal. Your business is how to achieve that eternal position, and, so far the body is concerned, antavanta ime dehāḥ, this is destructible. So you should not be very much serious about this body." This is the distinction between the Vedic civilization, Aryan civilization. Vedic civilization means Aryan. And anāryan civilization. Anāryan civilization means bodily concept of life, and Aryan civilization means spiritual concept of life, how to make spiritually advancement. That is real civilization. Those who are compact in the thought of bodily comforts of life, they are all anāryas, and that is now deprecated, nānuśocitum arhasi: "Don't lament on these immaterial things."
The modern civilization is so condemned. They do not know even how to live peacefully. If these divisions are there, four divisions: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, and brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, it will be very systematic. People will be automatically enlightened. That is real human civilization. If the society, human society, does not at all adopt this system of social life, there cannot be any peace. Still, in India, although it is fallen so much, in the interior village you'll find the social divisions are maintained and they live very peacefully. Very peacefully. Those who have gone into the interior village, they have seen. And everyone can elevate himself to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Sva-karmaṇā tam abhyarcya (BG 18.46). It is not that because one is śūdra or one is gṛhastha, vānaprastha, he cannot. No. For Kṛṣṇa worship, for everyone the door is open. That is explained here. Even if you think that "If I take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, join this international movement, I will be deviating from my real duty." So that also you can do. What is your real duty?
That is Vedic civilization. That is Vedic civilization. But we have made program for economic development, working hard day and night like hogs and dogs. This is going on. This is going on under the name of civilization. And to satisfy me after hard labor, there is wine and women and flesh. That's all. This is not civilization. This is hog civilization. Real civilization is for tapasya. Everything, God has given us everything you need. For human being, Kṛṣṇa has given you nice fruits, nice flowers, nice grains, nice milk, nice sugar. Why don't you eat them nicely? That is Vedic civilization. Take the grains, take the fruits, take milk, take sugar, make varieties of preparation, offer Kṛṣṇa, and take the prasāda and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. This is civilization. This is civilization. Otherwise, simply working hard for sense gratification without any discrimination whether it is mother, or sister or any..., that is hog civilization. That the hog has no discrimination you'll find.
That is not civilization. One should give more stress on the spiritual side because that is the active principle. So that is called knowledge. A man is to be understood in knowledge when he is giving, I mean to say, importance to the spiritual side. He is called jñānī. Otherwise they are fools. So jñānam. Jñānam means cid-acid-vastu-vivecanam, to understand what is matter and spirit.
Now, a civilized, real, advanced civilization, the Aryans... The Aryans are called advanced. The actual meaning of Aryan means advanced, according to Sanskrit. This is a... Aryan is not any, I mean to say, English word or Hindu or any other language. It is the Sanskrit word, Aryan. Aryan. The word comes from the ārya, a-r-y-a, ārya. Now it has become a common word, Aryan, but originally it is Sanskrit word. And ārya means one who is advanced, or one who is civilized, one who knows, one who has knowledge. Then he is called ārya. In the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find. When Arjuna declined to fight, Kṛṣṇa condemned him, "Oh, you are just like talking like a non-Aryan, not Aryan."
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
So the ultimate goal being liberation, we have to adjust things, targeting to that point. That is real human civilization. The Vedic civilization is based on this view, that all the conditioned souls, they have... Why they have become conditioned? The reason is they revolted against Kṛṣṇa. They wanted to imitate Kṛṣṇa. That is the mentality everywhere. You know, everyone says, "Oh, I don't care for God. I don't care for anything. I am at liberty to do anything." Just the hippies, they say, "We don't care for anything, state laws or convention or police or anything." The idea is that everyone is wanting liberation, "be high." Because that is our constitutional position. Liberation.
So everyone is trying to be liberated. So in the bodies lower than the human being, there is no question of liberation. There is no question. Out of the 8,400,000's of species of life, 8,000,000 and at least 300 species, aḥ, 3,000 species of life, there is no question of liberation.
And what is that dharma? That I have several times explained. According to Prahlāda Mahārāja, dharmān bhāgavatān. Dharma means God consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is dharma. That is religion. Dharmān bhāgavatān. So from the very beginning, in school, in primary schools, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness should be taught. That is real civilization. Unfortunately, there is no such arrangement. So you go to the authorities and the so-called authorities, rascals. Inform them that "Take this education. Introduce in the schools, colleges. Then there will be peace and prosperity. Otherwise there will be hippies. That's all. You may have very big, big universities, educational system, but the production will be hopeless, confused hippies. That's all." From the very beginning, the whole system should be changed, rascal civilization.
So in this way, if you analyze that everything is being maintained by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, that is real understanding of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, how Kṛṣṇa is great, or God is great. So that is a real civilization of life, to understand, to appreciate, to appreciate the greatness of God. That is real civilization.
So, there is a process how to appreciate, how to become qualified to appreciate, and that system is called varṇāśrama-dharma, to divide the whole human society into four classes of men: the brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya and śūdra. And those who are not regulated, they are pañcamas, below the śūdras. So the, our subject matter was unlawful meat-eaters. So even the śūdras, who are meat-eaters, they're lawful meat-eaters. What is that lawful meat-eating? Lawful meat-eating is... In any religion, formerly, even the Muhammadans or Hindus or the Jews, they used to kill one animal as sacrifice. They used to kill. Not in the slaughterhouse. Even up to date, those who are strictly religious followers... Suppose the Muhammadans. There in the Koran, the injunction is that "You should sacrifice one animal in the mosque."
The same thing is explained here: vyavāyonmukha-jīva. Indriya-prītaye. Simply for sense gratification they are doing anything nonsense, as madman. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute yad indriya-prītaye. What is the aim? Aim is not self-realization. Aim is how to satisfy. "Never mind. Risk everything. Satisfy your senses." Therefore real civilization is to teach the children from the very beginning of life how to control senses. That is called brahmacārī. That is called brahmacārī life. To learn how to control the senses.
So everything is topsy-turvy and five thousand years ago or more than that, these things were being discussed, and people were very sorry that very bad days were to come. And still we can predict. There is no... It does not require very much advanced knowledge. In the śāstra it is stated what will be the later ages of Kali-yuga. That is also in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The beginning is already there. Anāvṛṣṭyā kara-pīḍitāḥ. One side there will be no rainfall. Now yesterday somebody was telling that in this California, the rainfall is now not so much. I think Jayatīrtha.
These things are all mentioned, how the human society can be peaceful and progressive. These are the qualifications. Not like animallike jumping all day and night. Here in Hawaii we see that children, children and elderly persons also, the whole day and night, simply jumping in the sea. Someone is swimming, somebody is doing something else, somebody is swimming. How they're wasting time. But they have taken, "This is civilization. This is civilization." Human life is so important. So many things are to be learned, neither in the school, college, educational institution, society, nothing of the sort. Just like a dog is also jumping, a man is also jumping. This is going on. But that is not civilization. Real civilization means these things are to be acquired in real life, personal life, then that is civilization. Now, these are mentioned one after another. Read.
I am not sannyāsī." "Not, not," neti, neti. "Then what you are?" Gopī-bhartuḥ pāda-kamalayor dāsa-dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ (CC Madhya 13.80). This is self-realization. When we shall deny all this designation and we shall realize that I'm part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, that is self-realization. And so long we identify with this body and mind and do not know what I am, that is go-kharaḥ civilization, cows and asses civilization.
So especially in India we should be very careful not to follow the go-kharaḥ civilization. We must follow real civilization, Brahman civilization. This is the land of brahma-jñāna. This is the land of brāhmaṇas, brahma jānātīti brāhmaṇaḥ. We are losing that. Be careful. It is that we offer our respect to the Supreme Personality of Godhead that
- namo brahmanya-devāya
- go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca
- jagad-hitāya kṛṣṇāya
- govindāya namo namaḥ
God's first business is go-brāhmaṇa hitāya ca, brahmanya devāya. Kṛṣṇa is very, very eager to maintain the brahminical culture in the human society, brahma jānāti, understanding of Brahman and go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca, go, cows, cow protection. Where is that civilization? Where is that brahminical culture? Where is that go-rakṣa?
They are also thinking what to eat, where to live, how to defend, how to have..., have semen or sex life. These are problems in animal life also. So if we keep that animal life problem, at the same time we claim that we are civilized, is it very nice? Civilization means how to get out of this material miseries—birth, death, disease and old age. That is real advancement of civilization. If there is any way and means to get out of this problem, then we must adopt in this human form of life. And that is possible in this human form of life. In no other life.
And the more we become advanced in understanding God, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then we are human being. And if we are more advanced, then you are devatā, demigods. And when you more make advance, then you become fit for going back to home, back to Godhead. This is the process.
So real civilization is how to go back to home, back to Godhead. But that they do not know. Na te viduḥ. The materialistic persons, they do not know. Therefore there must be organization, institution, to teach the human society how to go back to home, back to... That is real civilization. Otherwise cats and dogs, they are also eating, sleeping, mating, getting children, and dying. That is not human civilization. In the next verse we'll find that human civilization can be attained. The first thing is, thirteeth verse, tapasa, "by austerity."
People are being taught in this way, that "Work very hard day and night, earn money, and enjoy senses, nothing more." So this sort of civilization is condemned. The real civilization is that one has to control. Control. What is the difference between a man and an animal? Now, suppose there is very nice foodstuff. In your country it is not seen. In our India, the foodstuff, I mean to say, confectioners, they very nicely decorate in the street for selling. So one cow is... Here, of course, in the street, cow is also not visible. In India, in the street, there are many cows. They are allowed to move free. And sometimes the foodstuff is there, and the cow immediately grabs the foodstuff and eats half of it. You see? (laughter) Now, there are human beings also. Suppose a man is here. He is poor man, he is hungry, and he wants to eat that foodstuff. But because he is human being, he has got the control. He is not like, I mean to say, cow, that immediately takes up the foodstuff. Even if he is poor, he can beg, "My dear sir, can you spare little foodstuff?" But he'll not... This is human, humanity. Suppose if there is a beautiful girl and one man is attracted, still, he will feel shame to capture that girl.
Remain brahmacārī. But even he goes, only for twenty-five years. It is said, puṁso varṣa-śataṁ hy āyuḥ. So divide this varṣa-śatam, hundred years: twenty-five years, brahmacārī; twenty-five years, gṛhastha; twenty-five years, vānaprastha; and last twenty-five years, sannyāsa. That is real civilization, not that no brahmacārī, no vānaprastha, no sannyāsa, simply gṛhastha. They are not gṛhastha. They are called gṛhamedhi. Apaśyatām ātma-tattvaṁ gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām (SB 2.1.2). There are two words, gṛhamedhi and gṛhastha. Gṛhastha means that is only for twenty-five years, not more than that. That is gṛhastha. And those who are gṛhastha up to the point of death, or unless he is killed, that is gṛhamedhi. Gṛhamedhi means he has made his center the wife and family. Just like one cow is, I mean, tied with the rope and with a fixed up wood, and he is going round this way, and he is thinking that he is going round the world. Yes. So gṛhamedhi means he has fixed up his center, the wife and children, and going round throughout the whole life, no ending. They are called gṛhamedhi. And gṛhastha means gṛhastha-āśrama. Gṛhamedhi-āśrama nei. Gṛhamedhi, only gṛhamedhi. And gṛhastha-āśrama.
Otherwise, to live like cats and dogs—sa eva go-kharaḥ: (SB 10.84.13) cows and asses, animal life—this is not civilization. So our this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is an attempt, however small it may be, to bring back the human society to real civilization. It is not ordinary movement. They are not civilized. Mūḍha. This is a civilization of rascals and fools. But to bring them back to knowledge, that is civilization. That civilization is spiritual life. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This human life is meant for spiritual life, not for material life like cats and dogs. This is not required. This is Vedānta philosophy, athāto brahma jijñāsā. One must try to learn what is the ultimate source of everything, not that theorizing or, what is called, imagining something. Take knowledge from the right source, brahma-vidyā, the Vedic knowledge, and try to understand the situation, what is Brahman, what you are. We are also Brahman. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. These things are to be known. And when we neglect to understand these things, that means we are going to the wrong way of life. The wrong way of life can be allowed up to the animal life. Out of 8,400,000 forms of life, the animal life, three million types of animal life, by evolutionary process we come to the human life.
How the demons can bring in peace by so-called United Nation or League of Nation? That is not possible. They have to give up the demonic activities. They have to take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then they will be saved.
So we are just trying to introduce the real civilization. Actually there is no civilization at the present moment. They are simply cats and dogs and fighting one another. There is no civilization. This is not civilization. Atheists, demons, they are predominating. And because they have got big, big skyscraper building and many motorcars, India has become victimized: "Oh, without this motorcar and without this skyscraper building, we are condemned." So they are trying to imitate. They have forgotten their own culture, the best culture, Vedic culture. So it is the first time that we are trying to conquer over the demonic culture with this Vedic culture. This is the first time. So it is very pleasing that you have joined this movement. If you want to make the human society happy, give them this culture of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is being described by Prahlāda Mahārāja, that saṁsāra-cakra. If you become involved in this demonic culture, then the saṁsāra-cakra, the wheel of repetition of birth and death, will go on.
This kind of civilization will not help you. This asuric civilization will degrade the human society. He got the opportunity of elevating himself, even going back to home, back to Godhead. But for want of real civilization they are going again back to monkey and cats and dogs. This is a fact. So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to save them from going back to become cats and dogs. Instead of going back there, they are trying to send him back to God. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
So the first teaching is brahmacārī should rise early in the morning. Brahmacārī... That is the general education. It doesn't require that you have to learn some book immediately. No. First of all build your character. Otherwise what is the use of taking degrees if you have no character? Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇair tatra samāsate surāḥ (SB 5.18.12). If you become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa... Just like in our institution they are being trained up as devotee, so to rise early in the morning is automatically there. There is no separate training. Because he is devotee, he has to rise early in the morning for offering maṅgala-āratika, and you have got our order that everyone must attend the maṅgala-ārati. That is automatically brahmacārī.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
This is not civilization. This is the same civilization as the dog and cat has got. Sa eva go-kharaḥ (SB 10.84.13).
Real civilization is athāto brahma jijñāsā. That is, Sanātana Gosvāmī, he is asking this question, ke āmi kene āmāya, jāre tāpa-traya. This is real question: "What I am?" So Sanātana Gosvāmī's question is being answered by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that "Because you have this inquiry, this is the beginning of human life." So if one is little inquisitive to know what I am, then his real life begins. And if he is kept in the darkness and he remains in the darkness, that "I am this body," there is no value of so-called civilization, education, nothing. It is a very important question, ke āmi kene āmāya. One must be inquisitive. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. He must be conscious that "I do not want all these things, miserable condition of life, and they are enforced upon me. I cannot check them; they are coming. No, there must be somebody superior who's law is being forced." That is the factor. That is religion. Religion means to find out the supreme controller who is forcing everything. That is religion.
Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures
"We have very scientifically running on, so many slaughterhouses, eating purposes," so that is not advancement of civilization. The, in that sense, a tiger is better situated. He hasn't got to keep a slaughterhouse. By nature, he has got nails and jaws: immediately attack and finish. So these things are not advancement of civilization. Real civilization is how to understand your relationship with God, the supreme father. That is real civilization. You may learn it through any process. It doesn't matter. You learn your relationship with the supreme father through this Christianity. That's all right. Or through Vedic process. That's all right. Or Muhammadan, Koran process, that's all right. But you learn it. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not that we are out to make Christians Hindus, or Hindus Christian, or Muhammadan... No. Our propaganda is not that. Our propaganda is that "You are human being. Your business is to understand your relationship with God." That's all. You learn it. Anywhere you learn it, but you learn it. Otherwise you are simply wasting your time by animal propensities.
Festival Lectures
The beginning of real human civilization is observance of the institute of four varṇas and four āśramas. That is the beginning of civilized life. Otherwise, it is not civilized life; it is crude, uncivilized life, where there is no varṇāśrama, where there (is) no division of society according to work and quality and āśrama, spiritual life division. So Rāmānanda Rāya recommended this verse, that this is the process to satisfy the Supreme Lord Viṣṇu. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that eho bāhya āge kaha āra, "This is external. If you know something more, better than this, you say." Why He said? There is the version, viṣṇur ārādhyate. Does it mean that He is rejecting Viṣṇu worship? No, He's not rejecting. Because generally, they, these impersonalists, Māyāvādīs, they also worship sometimes Viṣṇu, these five demigods and God. But their idea is that ultimately impersonal. The impersonal takes the form by the help of this material world. The formation takes place simply in the material. That is their opinion. Therefore they say, call, saguṇa. Saguṇa-upāsanā.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Especially the westerners. And they have developed a civilization on that animal propensities, means "I am this body, and the best use of my life is to gratify senses." This is animal. "I am this body." Body means the senses. "And to satisfy the senses is the highest perfection." This is their civilization. So you have to introduce real human civilization. You should not be surprised, an animal, in different shapes, in different capacity, comes out. After all, he is an animal. The basic principle is animalism. Because he is thinking, "I am this body..." As the dog is thinking, "I am dog, very stout and strong dog," so another man is thinking, "I am big nation." But what is the basic principle? A dog is also thinking on the basis of his body, and this big nation is also thinking on the basis of body. So there is no difference between this dog and this big nation. The only difference is that human being, by nature's gift, he got better senses. So... And he has no power, or there is no education to utilize the better senses, how to advance spiritually and get out of this material world. That he has no sense. He is simply using that better intelligence for animalism. This is the meaning. He has no education how to utilize the better intelligence. Therefore he is utilizing only in animalism. And people all over the world, when they see the westerners, "They are advanced." What is that? Advancing in animalism.
Prabhupāda: I never came to flatter you, neither I never came to say, "Yes, there is no God." I am speaking just opposite, everything opposite. "You are drunkard; no drink. You are illicit sex hunters; no illicit sex." So I am just speaking opposite, from the beginning of my preaching. So why you are coming? So if you stick to your position, real human civilization, people will come, gradually. Because they have got the sense. When we say others are animals, demons, we don't say whimsically, capriciously, no. On the basis of sound knowledge. Therefore our declaration is completely right. We are not mental speculators, that I say some gentleman, "You are animal." No. I see, I know, that he is animal. Therefore I say. A man is running his motorcar, (makes sound) rarararara, and a dog is running. We don't see any difference, although he is on the motorcar. We don't find any difference. He is as good as the dog. Unnecessarily he is running. What is the meaning of running of the dog?
Prabhupāda: Animal has got brain: how to eat, how to sleep, how to have sex life. So these people, they have got brain for that purposes only. That is animal life. Actually, they do not know what is the aim of life, why people should be educated, why human society should be organized. They do not know. Bahir-artha-māninaḥ. Enamored by these big, big buildings. That's all. "Oh, they are so advanced." And naturally, the common man comes to the European or American city, he says, "Oh, Americans are very rich." "Rich" means they have piled up stones and bricks, that's all. This is their richness. What is there in the richness here? But people are common men. They think that this piling of bricks and stone is like real civilization. What do you think? Is that real civilization?
Prabhupāda: These people, they do not know. They kill the cows and throw the milk away to the hogs. And they are proud of their civilization. Like jackals and vultures. Actually, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement will transform these uncivilized men to real civilization. Their civilization is now compact in masonry work, collecting stones and bricks and piling them. This much, their civilization. Actually, apaśyatām ātma-tattvaṁ gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām (SB 2.1.2). The explanation I gave this morning. They do not know what is ātma-tattvam. Bahir-artha-māninaḥ. The external feature, material nature, they're interested. These scientists, these philosophers, the man, they're simply interested in the external features. Internally, what is important, they do not know.
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Therefore as soon as one man becomes rich, he does not work. He gets his thing by working others. The tendency is there, to retire from work. They go to a solitary place. They retire. They do not go out. Weekly, at least, they want to stop worker, working. So why this tendency? He does not want to die. He does not want to work. This is spiritual. Why man should work like... Therefore real civilization is that minimize work. Minimize work, save time, and go back to your spiritual life. That is civilization. And this is not civilization, to get the necessities of life, sense gratification, and work like hog and dog. That is condemned. Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭan kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1). This human life is not meant for working so hard for sense gratification which are done by the dogs and hogs. Human life is meant: tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena sattvaṁ śuddhyed (SB 5.5.1). Human life is for tapasya.
Prabhupāda: That is not civilization. Technological advancement is not civilization. It is the advancement of ugra knowledge. Real civilization is to advance in Brahman knowledge. If there are brāhmaṇas, that is advancement. This is not advancement because they do not know what is advancement. They have no knowledge that "I have to die, and I have to accept another body after death." They do not know it. So long this body is there, they are trying to have very comfortable position. But they do not know that after this body, he has to accept another body. So how this technology will help him? If, in this life, by technological advancement you live very comfortably, and next life you become a dog, then where is the advancement? That they do not know. Suppose... We have got visa for two weeks?
Paramahaṁsa: Three weeks.
Prabhupāda: Three weeks. Now, if in Perth I begin one big skyscraper building and then after three weeks I am kicked out, then is that very good intelligence? I know that I shall remain here for three weeks, and if I begin one skyscraper building, and then, during the time of constructing or, say, after the construction is finished, I am kicked out, then where is that intelligence? Just like Napoleon. He wanted to construct that arch. You have not seen.
Prabhupāda: First of all be engaged yourself. Then they will see the example and they'll join. Just like in our New Vrindaban. Other men from other farms, they are coming, and they are offered this milk preparation, burfi, sandeṣa, rasagullā, rabri, so many, halavā. They become: "Oh, so many nice things can be prepared from milk?" They do not know, uncivilized. Cut the animal and eat. A most crude civilization. When people were not civilized, they used to do that. Civilization means you know, you must know how to live very nicely. That is civilization. But they do not know even that. Simply eating meat and wine, meat and wine, that's all. And this is going on as civilization. They do not know what is the meaning of civilization. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). Real civilization means to understand God. Here is God. Who'll accept, either you say God or nature, that "You are under control. You are not free."? That, this dog's obstinacy, they will not take it. Like a dog. What is the meaning of dog obstinacy? He'll go on disturbing, "Gow! Gow! Gow! Gow! Gow!" This is dog consciousness. How they can refuse, that "There is no authority"? They say, "No, we don't care for authority. Don't." But you are being kicked every moment: still, there is no authority? Just see obstinacy. Why you are becoming old? Every moment you are being kicked. You cannot remain young. You are trying to remain young with pomade, with some color, with some this, tea, wig, and... But you cannot, rascal. You cannot.
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Whatever direction is there, you take that. The medicine is given. Doctor gives direction. "So many drops you can take." Now you say, "Oh, the good medicine. Let me eat the whole thing. I become cured immediately." Then you die. You have to take, enjoy, but according to direction. God does not say that "You don't enjoy." You are, what is called, ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). A living entity means ānandamaya, enjoyment. But that ānanda, where it is permanent ānanda, how we have to reach that permanent ānanda, that is being taught. Otherwise, you foolish, you'll eat the whole medicine and die. That's all. Therefore the varṇāśrama-dharma. Varṇāśrama-dharma means that is real human civilization. There is direction that "You enjoy like this." And if you become mlecchas and yavanas, then you'll not enjoy. You simply suffer. You do not know how to enjoy.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So if one abides by the law of God, then he can become happy.
Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: God has made that arrangement.
Prabhupāda: That is stated in Viṣṇu Purāṇa.
Prabhupāda: That is the real civilization. Soul is enwrapped with this material body and it has to be stopped. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma (BG 4.9). That is civilization. And he has no knowledge, na te viduḥ, what is the civilization. Then andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). The rascal leader is also blind and the followers are blind, so both of them are doomed. Therefore the conclusion is, the modern civilization is misguided. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ. Big, big leaders, they promises big, big ideal that "I shall give you this facility. Just elect me." What facility he will give? No facility. He gives some false promise and gets his election and claps. Śva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra-kharaiḥ saṁstutaḥ puruṣaḥ paśuḥ (SB 2.3.19). He does not know what is the aim of life. Puruṣaḥ paśuḥ. He is animal also. And the other animals clapping, "Oh, we have got such a big leader." Big elephant, yes. (laughter) And elephant he may be, but he is, after all, a animal. What he'll do? Misguided. Oh, Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya. You don't require any covering?
Guest (2): No, I do, but...
Guest (1): (Hindi) My daughter.
Prabhupāda: They cannot believe that other than this method, there can be civilization. This hoggish civilization is real civilization. To become like hog. That is real civilization. And to give up this process, thinking of soul, elevation of the soul, going back to Godhead, simply imagination, brainwashing. How they can understand? Mām aprāpya nivartante mṛtyu-saṁsāra vartmani (BG 9.3). Who can understand this? (Hindi) to return (Hindi) to the cycle of birth and death. You believe that. (Hindi) If you do not in this life achieve the sense of spiritual consciousness then you'll have to go back to the cycle of birth and death. Who will understand this philosophy? Mostly they do not know what is the cycle of birth and death, and what to speak of understanding God. This is the position. This is suar (pig) position. A suar cannot understand. The men have become like that. In the name of so-called civilization. Can a suar understand this philosophy? A man cannot understand. And what is the difference between him and the suar? Suar (Hindi) There is a narration, Brahmā came, and Indra became, by the curse of Bṛhaspati, became a suar. So he was living in the forest as suar. Brahmājī came, "All right, your punishment is now over. You come." "Where shall I go?" "The heaven?"
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Yes. So the gṛha-vrata... If we keep ourself gṛha-vrata, then either guru or personally or by sat-saṅga, nothing will help us. Matir na kṛṣṇe parataḥ svato vā mitho 'bhipadyeta gṛha-vratānām. Why? Adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamisraṁ punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30). Chewing the chewed. (break) Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśaya ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ (SB 7.5.31). If one is trying to be happy by material adjustment, that is durāśayā. It will never be.... (break) Yāvan na ghṛnita mahīyasāṁ pada-rājobhiṣekam. Yavan na ghrnita. Bhāgavata śloka, each word, each line, concentrated. Vyāsadeva's contribution, last thing; by Nārada's upadeśa. And this is the only means of anarthopaśamam. You have created anarthas, and human life is meant for arthadam. But.... Hare Kṛṣṇa. So therefore real Vedic civilization is that gradually we have to give up this gṛha-vrata position. At one time you must voluntarily give up. Although I do not like to give up, still, by the order of the śāstra, one has to give up. Pañcasordhvam vanam vrajet. Vrajet means compulsory. Just like we accept so many things compulsory, similarly, to give up family attachment after fiftieth year, that is compulsory. We therefore invite all the compulsory, what is called, renouncement. Of course, nobody can go to the forest. That is not possible. They are not trained up as a brahmacārī. So this Hare Kṛṣṇa Land—"Come on." All the vānaprasthas, they can live in this land or Vṛndāvana, Hyderabad, simply for bhagavad-bhajana and no other purpose, anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ (Brs. 1.1.11), making all other purposes zero.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That is gentlemanly, that "Why shall I take responsibility of family if I cannot maintain them properly?" That is very gentlemanly. That is civilization. "And I accept so-called family for sense gratification; I cannot maintain them and kill them"—what is this? Is that civilization? They should be ashamed to be called civilized men. Here is civilized way. Preach this because the Vedic civilization is real civilization. "You are not civilized. You have killed Jesus Christ who instructed, 'Thou shall not kill.' So you should be ashamed of your present civilization. It is... Brainwash is required."
Gargamuni: (laughs) Say that, yes. We're brainwashing, washing their brain.
Prabhupāda: Yes. And all these rubbish things we are finishing. "Yes, it is brainwashing, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12), cleansing the core of the heart, all mistaken ideas." Speak in the court like that. "And see how we are being appreciated by scholarly section. Here is our book. Read if you have got time and see the opinion. It is really brainwashing, but for the good. Everything requires cleansing—for good. If bad impression, bad ideas, are washed, why do you protest? Let it be done. Give us freedom. It is brainwashing, but for the good, washing for good. Just like you wash your cloth. Do you think it is bad?
Prabhupāda: But they are the topmost devotees. These (chuckling) uneducated, without any town life, cow-men, they are Kṛṣṇa's best friend. Unsophisticated, no education, but love intense—that is perfect. That attracted Kṛṣṇa more. Vṛndāvanaṁ parityajya na padam ekaṁ (sic:) na kartavya... Kṛṣṇa is so much attached to Vṛndāvana that He goes nowhere... What is that? They are not educated girls, up-to-date fashion, (indistinct) or nothing. Crude. As soon as there was blowing of the flute, immediately they began to run towards Kṛṣṇa. Somebody is taking care of children, somebody is engaged in boiling milk, and somebody was even lying down with her husband. Still, immediately... Very crude, unsophisticated, but intense love for Kṛṣṇa—that is Vṛndāvana. We want to introduce this farm project means intense love for Kṛṣṇa. And other things—very simple: little milk, little food grain, little vegetable, that's all. And that is very nice. If you get fresh vegetable, fresh milk, and food grain, what do you want more? And from milk you can prepare so many nice preparations, unlimited number, all very palatable, sweet. This civilization we want to introduce, not so-called rascal civilization and become implicated in this cycle of birth and death. This is not civilization. This is killing civilization. Human being got the opportunity to get out of these clutches of birth and death. They do not understand. They're so rascal, they do not understand how they are implicated in this cycle of birth and death, nor they do take it seriously, that this is the problem, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). They are so blind rascals, they do not see that this is real suffering. They do not know it. Simply theorizing, making plan, and they do not know what is the suffering. Such a rascal civilization. So we have to introduce real civilization. Therefore we are struggling so hard. So make in such a way. That's a very nice place, center of Europe and very nice place. What is the condition of rainfall?
Prabhupāda: Whatever name you can give, it is not civilization. That we have to... Not that "How they are cheating." But it is not human civilization; it is animal. Just as animals cheat naturally. Animal fight. So we have to prove this is animal civilization. (Bengali or Hindi) This is not human civilization. Without Kṛṣṇa consciousness it is not human civilization. That we have to prove. How it is not? You have to prove that "This is animal civili... This is not human civili..." Real human business is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's para-upakāra. In ignorance they are doing all nonsense. Stop them. Give them knowledge. This Kṛṣṇa conscious movement is real civilization. That we have to prove. It is clearly stated in... Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). Anyone who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious-duṣkṛtina, simply cheating. And therefore narādhama, lowest of the mankind. And human life he's spoiling by cheating like animal. Who cheats? The man who doesn't care for the authority. He cheats. And if a man is afraid of law and government, he does not cheat. So godless person means cheater.
Prabhupāda: (Hindi) A young girl cannot go out without father's, mother's... She cannot mix with any other young man. Strictly prohibited. (Hindi) If you want to revive real Indian civilization or Vedic civilization for the good of the whole human society, take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You'll be happy. There is no doubt. (Hindi) Why do you try to undo something which is spoken by Bhagavān, Vyāsadeva? (Hindi) So how can you make nonviolence? (Hindi) Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). We are not following mahājana, but we are transgressing. (Hindi) (aside:) Bring. Bring cutting. Dharmasya tattvaṁ nihitaṁ guhāyāṁ mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ. And mahājanas are also mentioned,
- svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ
- kumāraḥ kapilo manuḥ
- prahlādo janako bhīṣmo
- balir vaiyāsakir vayam
- (SB 6.3.20)
(Hindi conversation) We want to become artificially rascal, mahājana. That is going on. (Hindi) Sarva-dharmān parityajya: (BG 18.66) "Whatever you have learned, forget." Mām ekam. Because he has become too much bewildered, He doesn't say anybody else. Mām ekam, word to the mūrkhas... Śaraṇaṁ vraja. (Hindi) (Hindi conversation) Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhāḥ (BG 9.11). (Hindi with scattered English words) Why do you take Bhagavad-gītā? The beginning, the first line, is yuyutsavaḥ. Where is nonviolence? (Hindi)
| Page Title: | Real civilization |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 26 of May, 2013 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=22, Con=16, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 38 |