Srila Prabhupada - Vedic Teachings

  "The materialistic man of the modern age will argue that life, or part of it, is never meant for discussion of theosophical or theological arguments. Life is meant for the maximum duration of existence for eating, drinking, sexual intercourse, making merry and enjoying life. The modern man wants to live forever by the advancement of material science, and there are many foolish theories for prolonging life to the maximum duration. But the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam affirms that life is not meant for so-called economic development or advancement of materialistic science for the hedonistic philosophy of eating, mating, drinking and merrymaking. Life is solely meant for tapasya, for purifying existence so that one may enter into eternal life just after the end of the human form of life. The materialists want to prolong life as much as possible because they have no information of the next life. They want to get the maximum comforts in this present life because they think conclusively that t

  "Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Has there ever been debates on the authenticity of modern science, or is this the first time modern science has been challenged in the world? Prabhupāda: India, Vedic civilization never cared for anything which is searched out by, what is called, imperfect human beings. They never cared for it. Because he knows the man who is searching after, he's imperfect. Whatever he'll do, that is imperfect. Therefore neglect it. That is Vedic civilization. Śruti-pramāṇa: whether it is evident from the śruti, from the Vedas. Otherwise, they reject it. Vipina: Prabhupāda, if spiritual life and Kṛṣṇa are stronger than māyā, then how is it that religion was ever overcome to the extent it is now? In Kali-yuga it's so much neglected, whereas in past ages we learn that it wasn't neglected. How is it that māyā got such a stronghold? Prabhupāda: There is a time. Just like young man and old man. Old man is dwindling, young man is growing. It is a question of tim

  „ Prabhupāda: But they unnecessarily spending money. So they have spent unnecessarily for the moon expedition. Money, if you do not know, you’ll spend it for unnecessary purpose. That is they are doing. So give them brain, and this money can be spent for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They have got money. Why they are trying to manufacture artificial intelligence? What is the purpose? Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They want to be able to imitate God. Prabhupāda: Then God is there. [laughs] You have to accept. If you want to imitate God, then God is there. That is our propaganda, not this. Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: If they say artificial intelligence, it means that there is a real intelligence. And if they’re trying to make artificial intelligence, someone must have made real intelligence. Prabhupāda: Real intelligence you see in the flower, how intelligently colorful it is made. Every nature study. Study this machine, how intelligent. And just the hand, coming up, this finger, because we have to capture some

  "Take for example  buddhi. Buddhi  means intelligence. And what is that intelligence? Real intelligence? Real intelligence is to know, to understand that "Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme, and I am part and parcel." It is stated here that intelligence means  sukhārtha-vivecana-samatyam.  Suppose one is very intelligence to drive a car. That is not... That is material intelligence for earning our bread. Real intelligence is  sukhārtha,  the finer sentiments to understand the finer activities of this nature. That is called  buddhi,  to understand how things are happening. Just like one is considered to be intelligent when he tries to understand not this physiological or anatomical construction of this body; he wants to see by intelligence what is the active principle of this body that is working. That is intelligence, not that... Just like a child. A child sees that a nice motorcar runs in the street, he thinks that the motorcar is running out of its own accord. That is not inte

  „You have got this human form of body, the best body. That is the instruction of all Vedic literature, simply stressing. But what is this material civilization? Simply working like cats and dogs. The same eating, sleeping, sex intercourse and defending. There are so many buildings in your city, Paris. Where is the culture to make the human life perfect? You have got very nice building. There is intelligence. So many nice buildings. People come to see the building. But that is not all. Simply if you utilize your intelligence... Certainly there is intelligence. But if you use your intelligence for the simply material activities, then you are not intelligent. You are a fool.   (Lecture on SB 2.1.6 -- Paris, June 14, 1974)   „Similarly, if you keep yourself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is no chance of coming māyā and attack you. No. That is not possible. But if you forget Kṛṣṇa, then māyā immediately will catch you. Just like side by side there is darkness and light. If you keep yours

  "Although Jaḍa Bharata was forced to carry the palanquin, he did not give up his sympathetic feelings toward the poor ants passing on the road. A devotee of the Lord does not forget his devotional service and other favorable activities, even when he is in a most distressful condition. Jaḍa Bharata was a qualified brāhmaṇa, highly elevated in spiritual knowledge, yet he was forced to carry the palanquin. He did not mind this, but while walking on the road, he could not forget his duty to avoid killing even an ant. A Vaiṣṇava is never envious or unnecessarily violent. There were many ants on the path, but Jaḍa Bharata took care by looking ahead three feet. When the ants were no longer in his way, he would place his foot on the ground. A Vaiṣṇava is always very kind at heart to all living entities. In His sāṅkhya-yoga, Lord Kapiladeva explains: suhṛdaḥ sarva-dehinām. Living entities assume different bodily forms. Those who are not Vaiṣṇavas consider only human society worthy of the