Modern Avancement of Civilization Means, “Exploit others and you become happy”

Prabhupada: This is philosophy. Not that “Because I am friend, I will do, and you will sleep and get dysentery.” No. You have to work. Everything is already arranged, but you must work. That is wanted. Otherwise, why Arjuna was induced to fight. Krsna has already arranged. And Arjuna also: “Yes.” Karisye vacanam tava [Bg. 18.73]. “Whatever you say...” This is Krsna consciousness. [break] ...politician, Balavanta? He’s not here.

So let him preach that “We shall, if you take our Krsna consciousness movement, there will be no unemployment.” He can at least give this manifesto to the..., “There will be no more unemployment.” People will be very nice, very glad to hear. Now this machine, this machine nonsense means unemployment. One machine will work for hundred men. So hundred men becomes unemployed, and one technician, he gets all the salaries. To work on the computer, com...

Devotee: Computer, yes.

Prabhupada: Machine. And he’s very expert. He’ll take three thousand dollars. And others will be unemployed. This is going on. And they are thinking: “Advancement of civilization.” Advancement of civilization means “Exploit others and you become happy.” This is advancement of civilization. “Others may die for such, out of starvation, and one man takes all the money and spends it for wine and women and motor car.” That’s all. This is advancement of civilization. Sarve sukhino bhavantu. This is Vedic civilization. “Let everyone be happy.” That is Vedic civilization. And the demonic civilization, they’re: “Let everyone suffer; I become happy. That’s all.” And Vaisnava is thinking, “For my salvation it is already guaranteed.” But he is thinking, “How these poor people will be saved?”

So, ce tato vimukha-cetasa maya-sukhaya bharam udvahato vimudhan [SB 7.9.43]. Prahlada Maharaja. This is Vaisnava’s position. Para-duhkha-duhkhi. He’s unhappy by seeing others unhappy. For himself, he has no unhappiness. Para-duhkha-duhkhi. Krpambudhir yas tam aham prapadye. This is Vaisnava philosophy. Vaisnava shall work hard, undergo all tribulation, for others. He has no problem.

A Vaisnava has no problem. Because he has taken shelter of Krsna, he has no problem. Kaunteya pratijanihi na me bhaktah pranasyati. Krsna also gives guarantee, “Anyone who has taken shelter of My..., he is saved. I will give him protection.” Krsna says, aham tvam moksayisyami sarva... Everything is there. For Vaisnava there is no suffering, personally. But he is very much anxious: “How these rascals will be happy?” That is his business. “These rascals are misled. They are going astray, unhappy. So how they should be happy?” So that is Vaisnava’s business.

So the Vaisnava, therefore, will have no politics. Politics means planning for one’s own happiness. That is politics. So in our society there should be no diplomacy, no politics. Everyone should be eager how to do good to others. That is Vaisnava. If he’s planning something, that “I shall be leader,” “I shall be doing something,” that is not Vaisnavism. That politics is not good.

Devotee: It seems that people are so attached to sense gratification, if we tell them we want to stop all these facilities for drinking, cinema, women, like that, they become angry.

Prabhupada: So that, that is natural. If you give good instruction to a rascal, he’ll be angry. Murkhayopadeso hi prakopayati na samayati (?). Murkha, a rascal, if you give him good instruction... But give him practical. “Come here. Sit down. Take prasadam. Chant Hare Krsna. And help me by doing this.”

In this way you have to... Just like a child. Child does not want to go to school, but some, by... Find out some means so that he’ll be induced. That is intelligence. He’ll be angry, naturally. He’s a rascal. He’ll be angry. That is not unnatural. Murkhayopadeso hi prakopayati na samayati (?). Just like a snake. You feed the snake with milk. It will increase the poison. That’s all. Practically attract. Practically attract. That is the Hare Krsna movement will practically attract the people.

If the world affairs are adjusted according to our Krsna conscious plan, there will be no difficulty for all the nations, all the countries. They will be happy. So we have to educate people gradually. And by our example, living example, we’ll have to attract. (pause)

Local people: (calling out in distance) Harilalji! Harilalji!

Prabhupada: Hare Krsna. Jaya. At least they are remembering Harilalji by seeing us. So much benefit was in that. Eh?