Prabhupāda: Somebody, somebody says so many things . . .
David Lawrence: Yes, that's right. Oh, yes, I mean if you take them, they all differ in their views. But one of the things, one of the themes that comes through, is the idea that . . .
Prabhupāda: Therefore the gentleman the other day was asking, "How is that you say electricity?" Oh, you were not present that time? Because we have translated there is no need of sun, there is no need of moon, there is no need of electricity in the spiritual world.
David Lawrence: Oh, yes. I was reading that yesterday.
Prabhupāda: So when he heard the word electricity, he became astonished.
Śyāmasundara: He thought the word did not exist at the time?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
David Lawrence: Yes, I must admit I was amazed at that reference, reading that yesterday.
Prabhupāda: That frog philosophy is going on. Dr. Frog. He's simply calculating the well, that's all. "How there can be Atlantic Ocean?" That is frog philosophy. You know frog philosophy? Yes?
David Lawrence: Yes.
Prabhupāda: You know? I don't think you know. Who can explain what is that frog philosophy?
Śyāmasundara: Frog philosophy is trying to imagine the size of the Atlantic Ocean, never having left my well.
David Lawrence: Oh, I see, yes. Completely beyond one's experience.
Prabhupāda: Yes. No, especially of the Mr. Frog, Dr. Frog. He has never seen what is Atlantic Ocean, and somebody informed him, "Oh, I have seen such a vast mass of water." "Oh, is it bigger than this well?"
David Lawrence: Yes, beyond his conception.
Prabhupāda: These people are like frogs rotting in the well, and what they can understand of the Vedic knowledge?
David Lawrence: Yes. One of the themes, really, that interested me was this yearning, certainly it was true amongst the Jews, to return to a rural background, you know, to a rural sort of setting. I wondered if you felt that much of the Vedas was in fact a firm belief, an affirmation if you like, that the most true form of life, the most pure form of life is one that's lived alongside nature, not against nature, as we seem to be doing in our urban setting.
Prabhupāda: What? I don't . . .
Śyāmasundara: In the Jewish tradition, they yearn for a life of living on farms and villages, small communities, with cows and agriculture.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Śyāmasundara: Is this also expressed in the Vedas?
Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.
David Lawrence: You feel that strongly.
Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. That is real life. Real life means you have to minimize your bodily activities so that you can save time and devote for spiritual understanding. That is real life. And the present civilization based on bodily concept of life is animal life. It is not civilized life. Civilized life means athāto brahma jijñāsā—when one is advanced so much so that he inquires about the spirit soul. But there is no such inquiry.
Like the cats and dogs, they cannot inquire what is spirit soul. So Vedic life means to become free as much as possible from the bodily disturbances. Therefore, the first education is to become brahmacārī, celibacy. You see? Now, at the present moment, they are trying to make the abortion as law. But these rascal cannot check their sex life. You see? Their philosophy is that you shall go on with sex life unrestrictedly, and when there is pregnancy, kill the child.