May 16 1975 Perth
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…
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.
Paramahaṁsa: Yes, I have seen.
Prabhupāda: But he could not finish it. So this is his intelligence. Such a big man, Napoleon, that is his intelligence. And what to speak of others. Everyone knows that “I will have to die,” and when death will come, nobody knows. At any moment it may come. So he will not be able to enjoy what he is doing, but still, he is doing. And his real business is forgotten. His real business is to stop his birth and death process and go back to home, back to Godhead. That is his real business. He does not know the real… Therefore they are called mūḍhas. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ [Bg. 7.15]. So it is a civilization of the mūḍhas, fourth-class men.
Devotee (1): Should the devotees think that “Any moment, I can die”?
Prabhupāda: Yes. That is a fact. Why they will think? It is a fact. There is English proverb, “There is many dangers between the cups and the lips.” You are going to drink tea. The distance is: here is cup and here is lip. There may be many dangers. So suppose in drinking tea there is some choking within the throat, and coughing, you may die immediately. You are so much under the control of nature. Little mistake will cause your death, little mistake. And conditioned life means we commit mistake, we are illusioned, we cheat, and our knowledge is imperfect. This is conditioned life.
BG 14.7-TRANSLATION
The mode of passion is born of unlimited desires and longings, O son of Kuntī, and because of this one is bound to material fruitive activities.
PURPORT
The mode of passion is characterized by the attraction between man and woman. Woman has attraction for man, and man has attraction for woman. This is called the mode of passion. And, when the mode of passion is increased, one develops the hankering for material enjoyment. He wants to enjoy sense gratification. For sense gratification, a man in the mode of passion wants some honor in society, or in the nation, and he wants to have a happy family, with nice children, wife, and house. These are the products of the mode of passion. As long as one is hankering after these things, he has to work very hard. Therefore it is clearly stated here that he becomes associated with the fruits of his activities and thus becomes bound by such activities. In order to please his wife, children and society and to keep up his prestige, one has to work. Therefore, the whole material world is more or less in the mode of passion. Modern civilization is considered to be advanced in the standards of the mode of passion. Formerly, the advanced condition was considered to be in the mode of goodness. If there is no liberation for those in the mode of goodness, what of those who are entangled in the mode of passion?
►760714iv.nyConversations …So we get enough milk, enough food grains, enough fruits. So there is no economic problem. Our purpose is to save time from unnecessary necessities of life, from unnecessary necessities of life, to save time and utilize the time for developing Krsna consciousness. And so far the body is concerned, as much as it … is required take and maintain the body. That’s all.
70527rc.vrn Conversations … There will be more water for gardening, and it will be moist, and then produce fodder for the animals and food for you. And animal gives you milk. That is … .. Don’t bother about big, big buildings. It is not required. Useless waste of time. Produce. Make the whole field green. See that. Then whole economic question solved. Then you eat … is beneficial. Even the stool is beneficial. Therefore I am asking so much here and…, “Farm, farm, farm, farm…” That is not my program–Krsna’s program. Annad bhavanti bhutani. Produce greenness everywhere, everywhere. Vrndavana. It is not this motorcar civilization.
►760610r3.laConversations Prabhupada: All fresh vegetable, fresh milk, this is celestial. Who has got the opportunity in the city? Automatically.
Some Conclusions-Above at the very beginning above, Srila Prabhupada explains that even if you have the best or fastest of computers with all the gizmos and buttons and apps possible, you still have to die, and then what happens? That they do not know, but take birth again we will do, so what good is all this technology if you do not know where you are going after death? Formerly the advanced condition was mode of goodness, today it is passion and ignorance where nobody knows what to do or not to do. We have to take directions from the great Spiritual Masters, who know past present and future. Then our future is bright.
Hare Krsna
damaghosa das