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Scientific advancement of knowledge

Srimad-Bhagavatam

SB Canto 1

Even in the days of so-called scientific advancement of knowledge, there is no remedial measure either for old age or for death.
SB 1.13.19, Purport:

There is no superior power which can check the cruel hands of death. No one wants to die, however acute the source of bodily sufferings may be. Even in the days of so-called scientific advancement of knowledge, there is no remedial measure either for old age or for death. Old age is the notice of the arrival of death served by cruel time, and no one can refuse to accept either summon calls or the supreme judgment of eternal time. This is explained before Dhṛtarāṣṭra because he might ask Vidura to find out some remedial measure for the imminent fearful situation, as he had ordered many times before. Before ordering, however, Vidura informed Dhṛtarāṣṭra that there was no remedial measure by anyone or from any source in this material world. And because there is no such thing in the material world, death is identical with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as it is said by the Lord Himself in the Bhagavad-gītā (10.34).

The scientist, who puts forward the theory of stopping death by advancement of scientific knowledge, becomes himself a victim of death when he is called by Yamarāja.
SB 1.16.7, Purport:

The living entity, as he develops from lower animal life to a higher human being and gradually to higher intelligence, becomes anxious to get free from the clutches of death. Modern scientists try to avoid death by physiochemical advancement of knowledge, but alas, the controller of death, Yamarāja, is so cruel that he does not spare even the very life of the scientist himself. The scientist, who puts forward the theory of stopping death by advancement of scientific knowledge, becomes himself a victim of death when he is called by Yamarāja. What to speak of stopping death, no one can enhance the short period of life even by a fraction of a moment. The only hope of suspending the cruel slaughtering process of Yamarāja is to call him to hear and chant the holy name of the Lord. Yamarāja is a great devotee of the Lord, and he likes to be invited to kīrtanas and sacrifices by the pure devotees, who are constantly engaged in the devotional service of the Lord. Thus the great sages, headed by Śaunaka and others, invited Yamarāja to attend the sacrifice performed at Naimiṣāraṇya. This was good for those who did not want to die.

SB Canto 2

One can never solve such problems by satisfying the different demigods, by different modes of worship, or by so-called scientific advancement in knowledge without the help of God or the demigods.
SB 2.3.11, Purport:

The living entity in his pure state is conscious of the fact that he is a part and parcel of the Lord, but when he is thrown into the material world on account of his desire to lord it over material energy, he becomes conditioned by the three modes of material nature and thus struggles for existence for the highest benefit. This struggle for existence is something like following the will-o'-the-wisp under the spell of material enjoyment. All plans for material enjoyment, either by worship of different demigods as described in the previous verses of this chapter or by modernized advancement of scientific knowledge without the help of God or demigod, are illusory only, for despite all such plans for happiness, the conditioned living being within the compass of material creation can never solve the problems of life, namely birth, death, old age and disease. The history of the universe is full of such planmakers, and many kings and emperors come and go, leaving a planmaking story only. But the prime problems of life remain unsolved despite all endeavors by such planmakers.

Actually human life is meant for making a solution to the problems of life. One can never solve such problems by satisfying the different demigods, by different modes of worship, or by so-called scientific advancement in knowledge without the help of God or the demigods.

All plans for material enjoyment, either by worship of different demigods as described in the previous verses of this chapter or by modernized advancement of scientific knowledge without the help of God or demigod, are illusory only.
SB 2.3.11, Purport:

All living entities in different statuses of life within the material creation, beginning from the first demigod, Brahmā, down to the small ant, are conditioned under the law of material nature, or the external energy of the Supreme Lord. The living entity in his pure state is conscious of the fact that he is a part and parcel of the Lord, but when he is thrown into the material world on account of his desire to lord it over material energy, he becomes conditioned by the three modes of material nature and thus struggles for existence for the highest benefit. This struggle for existence is something like following the will-o'-the-wisp under the spell of material enjoyment. All plans for material enjoyment, either by worship of different demigods as described in the previous verses of this chapter or by modernized advancement of scientific knowledge without the help of God or demigod, are illusory only, for despite all such plans for happiness, the conditioned living being within the compass of material creation can never solve the problems of life, namely birth, death, old age and disease. The history of the universe is full of such planmakers, and many kings and emperors come and go, leaving a planmaking story only. But the prime problems of life remain unsolved despite all endeavors by such planmakers.

SB Canto 3

One may know that by magical feats, by scientific advancement of knowledge or by material power one cannot become the equal of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
SB 3.19.26, Purport:

It does not take even a moment for the Lord to kill any powerful demon, including Hiraṇyākṣa. The Lord could have killed him long before, but He allowed the demon to display the full extent of his magical feats. One may know that by magical feats, by scientific advancement of knowledge or by material power one cannot become the equal of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. His one signal is sufficient to destroy all our attempts. His inconceivable power, as displayed here, is so strong that the demon, despite all his demoniac maneuvers, was killed by the Lord when the Lord desired, simply by one slap.

SB Canto 4

The word avyakta, "unmanifested," in this verse indicates that the Absolute Truth cannot be manifested by any strain of so-called scientific advancement of knowledge.
SB 4.11.23, Purport:

The word avyakta, "unmanifested," in this verse indicates that the Absolute Truth cannot be manifested by any strain of so-called scientific advancement of knowledge. Transcendence is not the subject matter of direct experience. The Absolute Truth may be known in the same way as the sun covered by a cloud or covered by night, for when the sun rises in the morning, in its own way, then everyone can see the sun, everyone can see the world, and everyone can see himself. This understanding of self-realization is called ātma-tattva. Unless, however, one comes to this point of understanding ātma-tattva, one remains in the darkness in which he was born. Under the circumstances, no one can understand the plan of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Even though we elevate ourselves to the highest planetary system by the scientific advancement of knowledge or by the religious principles of life, at the time of dissolution these higher planetary systems and life on them will be destroyed.
SB 4.22.36, Purport:

Even though we elevate ourselves to the highest planetary system by the scientific advancement of knowledge or by the religious principles of life—great sacrifices and fruitive activities—at the time of dissolution these higher planetary systems and life on them will be destroyed. In this verse the words īśa-vidhvaṁsitāśiṣām indicate that all such blessings will be destroyed by the supreme controller. We will not be protected. Our bodies, either in this planet or in another planet, will be destroyed, and again we will have to remain for millions of years in an unconscious state within the body of Mahā-Viṣṇu. And again, when the creation is manifested, we have to take birth in different species of life and begin our activities. Therefore we should not be satisfied simply by a promotion to the higher planetary systems. We should try to get out of the material cosmic manifestation, go to the spiritual world and take shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is our highest achievement.

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

You may be, may be proud of your scientific advancement of knowledge, but Bhagavad-gītā says that four things... Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam. "My dear sir, however you may make advancement in scientific knowledge, you cannot stop birth, you cannot stop death, you cannot stop old age, neither you can stop diseases."
Lecture on BG 2.13 -- New York, March 11, 1966:

Prahlāda Mahārāja says, sadā samudvigna-dhiyām. And why this anxiety? Now, asad-grahāt. Asad-grahāt: "Because he has accepted this temporary body." He is eternal. A living spirit is eternal, but he has been forced to accept this temporary body. This is my position. One should be conscious of his precarious position, that "I am eternal, but I am encaged in a temporary body which will not exist. However I may try to make it youthful by so many arrangement, but no..." The science cannot give you permanent life. That is not possible. You may be, may be proud of your scientific advancement of knowledge, but Bhagavad-gītā says that four things... Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). "My dear sir, however you may make advancement in scientific knowledge, you cannot stop birth, you cannot stop death, you cannot stop old age, neither you can stop diseases."

We have got information from Vedic scripture that formerly gun metal, gun metal mixed with mercury, could be transformed into gold. So these are some of the chemical process, physical process, which is being done by scientific advancement of knowledge. There are many yogis and many yogic principle, but Kṛṣṇa is the master of all yoga. So if ordinary yogis, they can display some wonders, so why not Kṛṣṇa?
Lecture on BG 3.21-25 -- New York, May 30, 1966:

They eat mercury, and after, the next morning, they pass urine, and in that urine they put some copper coins, just like you have got, cents. And when it is heated, the copper coins becomes gold. And it is a chemical, theoretical truth that the mercury, molecules of mercury, the molecules of gold are almost similar. Only one molecule is different. So mercury can be turned into gold. That is a chemical fact. And we have got information from Vedic scripture that formerly gun metal, gun metal mixed with mercury, could be transformed into gold. So these are some of the chemical process, physical process, which is being done by scientific advancement of knowledge. There are many yogis who can do by yogic power. Just like by physical process... Now people are trying to travel in the space, but the yogis can travel in the space very swiftly, more swifter than any sputnik. Just like the other day I narrated, the Durvāsā Muni traveled all over the space in the universe and outside the universe, and he came back within one year. So therefore Kṛṣṇa's another name is Yogeśvara. Yogeśvara. There are many yogis and many yogic principle, but Kṛṣṇa is the master of all yoga. So if ordinary yogis, they can display some wonders, so why not Kṛṣṇa? He is the Yogeśvara; He is the lord of all yogis.

The whole world's activity is going on under this impression that "We shall be able to conquer over the material nature." This modern scientific advancement of knowledge is aiming in that way. But it is not possible. Because we are not actually the master of the material nature. That is an ignorance.
Lecture on BG 4.1 and Review -- New York, July 13, 1966:

The whole world's activity is going on under this impression that "We shall be able to conquer over the material nature." This modern scientific advancement of knowledge is aiming in that way. But it is not possible. Because we are not actually the master of the material nature. That is an ignorance. That is an ignorance. We are trying to enjoy the material resources to our best, but that is not possible. That is called illusion. So this has been explained by Kṛṣṇa to Arjuna that "This is your... This sense of mastering over or lording over the material nature, kāma..." Kāma means to enjoy. Kāma means enjoy. "That is your formidable enemy, and that formidable enemy is sitting in three places: on your mind, on your intelligence, on your senses." Now, you have to deal with them very tactfully. How? That you have to replace the enemy with Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You have to replace. Simply, you have to replace. Just like if you have got a glass of water, now, if you want to fill up this glass with milk, then you have to throw the water and take milk. Similarly, if your mind is occupied by the lust of enjoying the material world, if you replace Kṛṣṇa on your mind, then you'll find that the enemy which is occupying your strategic position of mind, it will be defeated.

Scientific advancement of knowledge, so far we have in this material world, that is bounded within the area of material energy. They have not succeeded in finding out the spiritual energy.
Lecture on BG 4.11-12 -- New York, July 28, 1966:

Scientific advancement of knowledge, so far we have in this material world, that is bounded within the area of material energy. They have not succeeded in finding out the spiritual energy. Otherwise they would have given life to the dead man. That has not been possible. Suppose a man is dead. What is that death? Death means separation of two energies: the material energy and the spiritual energy. That is death. The supreme spiritual energy and the atomic part of it, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ... (BG 15.7).

Where there is shortage of rainfall, they cannot bring in rainfall by their scientific advancement of knowledge. That is not possible. You have to depend on God, on the mercy of God.
Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Sydney, February 16, 1973:

I am coming from India, and other parts there is drought. There is no rainfall; they are suffering for want of rainfall. But in Australia, especially in Sydney, I see there is good rainfall. So how the distinction can be adjusted? In some places there is no rainfall, but here we have got sufficient rainfall at the present moment. It is God's mercy. You cannot do it. Where there is shortage of rainfall, they cannot bring in rainfall by their scientific advancement of knowledge. That is not possible. You have to depend on God, on the mercy of God. What is this rainfall? This rainfall is an arrangement, taking water from the seas and spread all over the surface of the land. But you cannot do it. The sea water you can spread by pumping or by some other means, but that will not serve your purpose. The sea water must be distilled. It must be made into sweetness. Then such rainfall will give you some effect in producing agricultural production and so many things.

Nobody wants to die, but death comes and captures him, just like President Kennedy, within a second: "Leave this position." Forced. Submit. "Yes. What can I do?" No scientific advancement of knowledge. Of course, this is also another science, Kṛṣṇa science.
Lecture on BG 7.14 -- Hamburg, September 8, 1969:

The ultimate problem is, of course, death. Nobody wants to die. Even one is very old man, older than me, and his body is not working, he's invalid, he cannot walk even, lying on the bed—still, he wants to live. If some suffering old man, who has so many diseases, invalid person, if you say, "My dear father, grandfather, you are so much suffering. Let me shoot you." "Oh, no, no, no. Don't shoot me." He doesn't want to die. So death is a problem. Nobody wants to die, but death comes and captures him, just like President Kennedy, within a second: (snaps his finger) "Leave this position." Forced. Submit. "Yes. What can I do?" No scientific advancement of knowledge. Of course, this is also another science, Kṛṣṇa science. But we understand scientific knowledge, this material scientists, material science. They are also trying. The Russians sometimes say that "Time will come when science will solve the problems of death. Nobody will die." Let them think like that, but it is not possible.

Where God's kingdom, creation, how far it is, and how widespread it is—by your imagination you cannot determine. The so-called advancement of scientific knowledge is useless in the estimation of the total creation.
Lecture on BG 9.2 -- Melbourne, April 20, 1976:

There is another nature. You cannot deny it. Where God's kingdom, creation, how far it is, and how widespread it is—by your imagination you cannot determine. The so-called advancement of scientific knowledge is useless in the estimation of the total creation. This creation, material creation, is one-fourth exhibition of the total creation. And the three-fourth exhibition of the total creation is the spiritual world. So there are also... Like here we have got so many planets and each planet is full of living entities, as this planet is full of living entities, similarly, in other planets, upper, middle, down, there are millions, millions of different types of living entities. It is a false statement that "Only on this planet there is living entities; in other planets there are no living entities." That is nonsensical. There are living entities exactly like this. Maybe the climate, the situation, little different. Just like your climate, India climate... Even on this planet there are different climatic situations, European, American, Australian, Asian. So that is God's varieties of creation.

Because people are not devotees of God, therefore despite all education, all advancement of scientific knowledge, still they are dealing like cats and dogs. They are not peaceful. Simply by practicing Kṛṣṇa consciousness there can be peace, there can be prosperity, there can be happiness.
Lecture on BG 16.5 -- Calcutta, February 23, 1972:

Because people are not devotees of God, therefore despite all education, all advancement of scientific knowledge, still they are dealing like cats and dogs. They are not peaceful. The peace cannot be attained without Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Ahaṁ hi sarva-yajñānāṁ bhoktā ca prabhur eva ca. Simply by practicing Kṛṣṇa consciousness there can be peace, there can be prosperity, there can be happiness. Otherwise we shall be entangled. It is clearly mentioned here by Kṛṣṇa, daivī sampad vimokṣāya. And daivī sampat means, the example is Arjuna. He immediately takes up, Arjuna: mā śucaḥ. "You are, you are already developed with daivī, daivī sampat." Mā śucaḥ: "You haven't got to worry." Abhijāto 'si, "From the birth you are born devotee; therefore daivī sampat. You are born devotee." The Pāṇḍava, whole Pāṇḍava family, they are devotees. Therefore, simply if you become devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa, then you acquire all the daivī sampat, and then your life is successful.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Without scientific knowledge, he was sleeping very nice. But with advancement, advancement of scientific knowledge he has lost his sleep, insomnia.
Lecture on SB 3.26.2 -- Bombay, December 14, 1974:

So they might be very advanced in scientific knowledge but the ultimate aim is how to eat. That's all, nothing more. How to eat, how to sleep, that's all. Tranquilizer pills, in USA, a large selling line. That means how to sleep. This is the advancement, scientific advancement. There is no sleeping? Without scientific knowledge, he was sleeping very nice. But with advancement, advancement of scientific knowledge he has lost his sleep, insomnia. So they are taking the advancement of knowledge in this way, but the Vedic scripture says that, jñānaṁ niḥśreyasārthāya, to achieve the highest perfection. That we are discussing in so many ways. And what is that highest perfection? Highest perfection is there, mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā, nāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ saṁsiddhiṁ paramāṁ gataḥ. Highest perfection, saṁsiddhiṁ paramām. Param means the supreme, and saṁsiddhim means perfection.

mām upetya kaunteya
duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam
nāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ
saṁsiddhiṁ paramam gataḥ
(BG 8.15)

This is highest perfection, Kṛṣṇa says. All śāstra, it says like that, and the whole Vedic literature is meant for achieving the highest perfection of life. Vedic literature, you will get all kinds of knowledge.

Anyone who is accepting this body as self, they have been described in the śāstra no better than... Sa eva go-kharaḥ. Go means cows, and khara means asses. These are asses. They are taking so much credit, advancement of scientific knowledge, but so long they do not understand there is the soul - dehino 'smin yathā dehe - they are all asses, that's all, simply asses.
Lecture on SB 7.9.49 -- Vrndavana, April 4, 1976:

Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati: (BG 18.61) the Supreme Personality of Godhead who is staying in everyone's core of heart, hṛd-deśe. It is... There is no hide and seek. Hide and seek. It is clearly stated that "This Paramātmā, Viṣṇu, is staying, hṛd, hṛd-deśe, in the heart." Therefore heart is always palpitating. And the jīvātmā is also there and... Then when the jīvātmā leaves this body, that is called heart failure. That is heart failure. Heart is palpulating, but as soon as the jīvātmā goes, heart fails. And these materialist science, they cannot give any cause. They are giving, what is that, oxygen gas and every minute injecting to keep the palpitation of the heart, throbbing of the heart, continuous. But how they can do it? As soon as the living soul departs from the heart there is no more palpitating. It is simply a lump of matter. That requires intelligence, that this matter is never the living soul. Therefore anyone who is accepting this body as self, they have been described in the śāstra no better than... Sa eva go-kharaḥ (SB 10.84.13). Go means cows, and khara means asses. These are asses. They are taking so much credit, advancement of scientific knowledge, but so long they do not understand there is the soul-dehino 'smin yathā dehe (BG 2.13)—they are all asses, that's all, simply asses.

Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures

Birth, death, old age. What your scientific advancement of knowledge has done to stop old age?
Lecture on Brahma-samhita, Lecture -- Los Angeles, November 9, 1968:

Your problem is birth, death, old age and disease. What you have made for these four problems? What solution you have got? Your scientific advancement? Is there any solution of controlling birth? They have invented so many contraceptive methods. Still, in every minute, there is three human increasing. Where is your birth control? You cannot control. So birth... Similarly, death. So many medicines, so many scientific research, this thing, that thing, they have invented. And what you have done? You have stopped death? "No, sir." Then? Birth, death, old age. What your scientific advancement of knowledge has done to stop old age? Everyone is trying to keep his youth by cosmetic, pomade, lipstick, but nature will not allow him.

General Lectures

So modern technology, they have advanced undoubtedly, but there is no remedy for, I mean to say, to stop birth, death, old age and disease. This is real problem. But because these problems cannot be solved by the modern scientific advancement of knowledge, they have practically set aside.
Lecture to Technology Students (M.I.T.) -- Boston, May 5, 1968:

So modern technology, they have advanced undoubtedly, but there is no remedy for, I mean to say, to stop birth, death, old age and disease. This is real problem. But because these problems cannot be solved by the modern scientific advancement of knowledge, they have practically set aside or neglected because they cannot solve it. But there is a solution. There is a solution. That solution of this problem is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, that,

mām upetya kaunteya
duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam
nāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ
saṁsiddhiṁ paramāṁ gatāḥ
(BG 8.15)

"My dear Arjuna, if somebody comes to Me..." "Me" means here the Supreme Personality of Godhead is saying, Kṛṣṇa. "If somebody comes to Me, then he hasn't got to take birth again in this miserable material condition."

There are so many things that which does not depend on our so-called scientific advancement of knowledge. It depends completely something else. Supreme controller. So that is God.
Lecture Excerpt -- Montreal, July 20, 1968:

Guest: Is Kṛṣṇa consciousness the knowing or the awareness of the Absolute?

Prabhupāda: Certainly. Otherwise, why you are laboring so hard? To know yourself, know the Absolute. Three, five things. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to know perfectly well five things. What are those? God, living entity, and this material nature, the time factor, and the activities. God, the supreme controller. However you may declare there is no God, there is a supreme controller. That we have to admit. There are so many things that which does not depend on our so-called scientific advancement of knowledge. It depends completely something else. Supreme controller. So that is God. They may call it nature, but they do not know nature, what is nature.

You may be very much proud of your scientific advancement of knowledge, but here is the real science. If you can overcome birth, death, old age and disease, then you can say your science is triumphant.
Conway Hall Lecture -- London, September 15, 1969:

The Vedānta-sūtra instructs that every human being, not the animals but human being, you should not be bewildered. You should question, "Why I am suffering threefold miseries? Why... I do not want death. Why death overcomes me?" Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). An intelligent man should always keep before him four principles of material miseries: birth, death, old age, and disease. These are instructions of the Bhagavad-gītā. One who is making progress in knowledge, he must keep before him these four problems—birth, death, old age, and disease. You may be very much proud of your scientific advancement of knowledge, but here is the real science. If you can overcome birth, death, old age and disease, then you can say your science is triumphant.

There are scientific advancement of knowledge, you have got very effective medicines, but there is no science to stop disease or to stop death.
Lecture at Auckland University -- Auckland, April 17, 1972:

Death... Birth, death, old age and disease—these are the four problems of our life. Nobody wants to die, but death is sure. We must die. Nobody wants to take birth, but there is birth. Now there are so many contraceptive methods for checking birth. But still, the population of the whole world is increasing. So birth, death, old age. Nobody wants to become old, everyone wants to remain young and fresh, but old age overcomes. Similarly, disease. There are scientific advancement of knowledge, you have got very effective medicines, but there is no science to stop disease or to stop death. These are the actual problems. But the problems, these problems, are pertaining to the body. The soul is different from this body. This is our misunderstanding. I am soul; you are soul.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

If we are without spiritual consciousness we can never be happy. So people after advancement of scientific knowledge and economic development, they are not happy.
Temple Press Conference -- August 5, 1971, London:

Prabhupāda: Because we are spirit soul we cannot be happy in material atmosphere. Just like you take out the fish from the water, it cannot be happy on the land, similarly, if we are without spiritual consciousness we can never be happy. So people after advancement of scientific knowledge and economic development, they are not happy. They are becoming hippies. So the cause is that they're in search of spiritual life and this is the proper delivery, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or God consciousness.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Nobody likes to become old, but the old age is there. Why they set aside these big problems and he's proud of scientific advancement of knowledge? What kind of education this is?
Garden Conversation -- June 10, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Modern education, they cannot understand that this repetition of birth, death, old age and disease is a botheration. They do not understand that. Why they accept it? Accept it, they think there is no other way. But if there is a way to stop this, why do they not take it? Hm? What is the value of this education? They cannot distinguish between right and wrong. Nobody likes death, but death is there. Nobody likes to become old, but the old age is there. Why they set aside these big problems and he's proud of scientific advancement of knowledge? What kind of education this is? If they cannot distinguish between right and wrong, then what is the result of this education? Education means one must be able to distinguish between the right and wrong. But they cannot, or even they do know that death is not good, but why they are not trying how to stop death? Where is the advancement? They are very much proud of advancement of science. Where is the advancement? You cannot stop death. You cannot stop old age. You can manufacture advanced medicine, but why don't you stop disease? Take this pill, there will be no more disease. Where is that science? Hm?

Correspondence

1947 to 1965 Correspondence

You want to bring in material prosperity of India by scientific advancement of knowledge. And what is that scientific knowledge? Spiritualism is also advanced scientific knowledge. Material advancement of scientific knowledge cannot give even the desired material prosperity to the people in general without spiritual help.
Letter to Jawaharlal Nehru -- Bombay 4 August, 1958:

India may not waste her time in imitating the western way of life. You have admitted it that the position of India's culture is of very high order. But at the same time you want to bring in material prosperity of India by scientific advancement of knowledge. And what is that scientific Knowledge? Spiritualism is also advanced scientific knowledge. Material advancement of scientific knowledge cannot give even the desired material prosperity to the people in general without spiritual help. Swaraj of Mahatma Gandhi was adjusted in spiritualism more than materialism. Do you think that horseless carriage or telephonic or radio communication or any other such ephemeral facilities of life, can bring in material prosperity? No it cannot. Material prosperity means that the people must have sufficient to eat or to maintain the body and soul together in sound health for further development in spiritual consciousness

There are so many things to be learnt by the human being. Unfortunately, the present human society by the advancement of scientific knowledge, has manufactured lethal weapons to kill and destroy. They have no discovery for living and building peaceful and progressive life.
Letter to Sir -- Delhi 15 April, 1961:

The human form of life is the highest developed stage in the evolutionary process and thus a civilization based on spiritual culture is the right type of human civilization. The human being must know what he is, where from he has come what is the position after death; why we are suffering threefold miseries of life; what is the ultimate goal of life; what is this cosmic universe; what is matter and what is spirit; which of them is superior etc. There are so many things to be learnt by the human being. Unfortunately, the present human society by the advancement of scientific knowledge, has manufactured lethal weapons to kill and destroy. They have no discovery for living and building peaceful and progressive life. The world has no information for the great problems life.

1969 Correspondence

The Sankirtana Movement must be pushed on without any reference to archeological evidence or any such scientific advancement of knowledge. The argument that archeological evidence will lead many people to accept the philosophy of Lord Caitanya has no evidence.
Letter to Janardana -- Los Angeles 2 March, 1969:

We should train our disciples as well as ourselves in such a spirit that even if the whole world is against us, which is impossible to happen, the Sankirtana Movement must be pushed on without any reference to archeological evidence or any such scientific advancement of knowledge. Besides that, the argument that archeological evidence will lead many people to accept the philosophy of Lord Caitanya has no evidence. For example, the Christian religion principle is now established in archeological evidence, but still it is not that the whole people of the world are attracted by Christian religion. Even a great scientist, Professor Albert Einstein, was Jewish by religion, but because the Christian religion gives evidential proof of archeological discovery, still he did not become a Christian

Page Title:Scientific advancement of knowledge
Compiler:Labangalatika, Reda, Ingrid
Created:18 of Feb, 2010
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=7, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=15, Con=2, Let=3
No. of Quotes:27