Modern Civilization of Mudhas

Modern civilization is about ahara(eating), nidra(sleeping) , bhaya(defense), maithuna(Sex) or sense gratification. In modern society nobody knows his original position and how to act properly. Because people are generally acting differently, they do not know what is proper- the modern population is so much ignorant about their life – it is a very awkward position. For sense gratification people are wasting so much energy. They are not aware of what is going to happen in the next life. There is a next life, but foolish people are ignorant. This life is preparation for the next life. That they do not know.

Unfortunately, modern civilization does not know what the Supreme Personality of Godhead is, what to speak of satisfying Him. They are simply busy with material activities. Therefore all of them are performing only bad karma and therefore suffering. They are blind men leading other blind men. And both are then suffering by bad karma. A person who does not know what is God, or one who does not try to understand what is God – he is an animal. Because animal does not know what is God.

Unfortunately, at the present moment people publicly say there is no God; others say that if there is a God, He is dead; and so on. They have built such a so-called advanced civilization, with so many skyscraper buildings, but they are forgetting that all of their advancement is dependent on God, on Kṛṣṇa. This is a very precarious condition for the human society. If you defy the laws of your state, you will be put into difficulty. Similarly, if you continue to defy the authority of the Supreme Lord, you will suffer. A godless civilization cannot be happy. That is a fact.

In present moment we technologically advanced but we have no fresh air to breathe, no clean water to drink and no good food to eat. All air, water and food are contaminated by different types of pollution. People sale adulterated food, water and milk to make money they are not bothered about anybody. Where we are going with this so called modern civilization. People simply cutting throats of other to get some profit or money.

What about modern education? Don’t we see how modern education simply become a business to make money? Do we learn in modern education what the aim of human life is? And answer is no, we just learn there how to develop the economic condition of their countries or of human society. So-called modern educators claim that the purpose of education is to solve the problems of life. But in actuality they are teaching their students how to increase sense gratification more and more, thereby creating more and more paths to degradation. Indeed, it seems that the more educated one becomes, the less he believes in God, in God’s law, in the next life, and in sinful and pious activities. Thus modern education is simply preparing men to become animals.

If there is no education to teach a human being what he is and whether or not he is this body, he remains no better than an ass. This life is preparation for the next life. That they do not know. The modern education and its universities are completely in darkness about this simple knowledge. What is the problem of our lives? That we do not know. Modern education never gives enlightenment about the real problem of life. Unfortunately, modern education is giving stress on the outward, external body or to the dress. They do not understand who is the person who is dressed or who has got this body. Modern education, they do not know even what is soul, what is this body, how the transmigration of the soul taking place. All blunt. There is no educational institution all over the world to understand this science. Although it is the most important science for the human being. The modern education, they think this body is everything. No. There is no education actually. The modern education means simply a craftsmanship. If you can prepare a nice motor car, this is craftsmanship. It is the blacksmith’s work. It is not knowledge. Knowledge is different. So therefore the modern education system is to create dogs. He will never be happy unless he gets a good master. So modern education there is no real knowledge. Real knowledge begins in the Bhagavad-gita.

Mudha(Sanskrit) : Foolish(English), Useless (Japanese)

Srila Prabhupada: How to become a good man is described in the Bhagavad-gita very elaborately.

daivi sampad vimoksaya

nibandhayasuri mata

So if you become qualified with the daivi sampad (transcendental qualities), then, vimoksaya-you will be liberated. And, nibandhayasuri – if you are qualified with the demoniac qualifications, then you will be more and more entangled. Unfortunately the modern civilization does not know what is liberation and what is entanglement. They are so much ignorant; they do not know. Suppose if I ask you what you mean by liberation, can you answer? [No answer.] And if I ask you what you mean by entanglement, can you answer? [Again no answer.] These words are there in the Vedic literature-liberation and entanglement-but, at the present moment, people do not even know what is liberation and what is entanglement. They are so ignorant and foolish, and still they are proud of their advancement in knowledge.

“In this material world there are different types of achievement, but of all of them the achievement of knowledge is considered to be the highest because one can cross the ocean of nescience only on the boat of knowledge. Otherwise the ocean is impassable.”—Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.24.75

Why does transcendental knowledge have this amazing effect? There are at least four reasons: One is that the source of transcendental knowledge is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krishna. Worldly “knowledge” is the product of people’s limited and faulty worldly minds. Second, through knowledge Krishna extends His mercy to us for our material and spiritual benefit. Worldly knowledge is for mundane aggrandizement, entertainment, titillation, and distraction, which do not ultimately benefit us. Third, actual knowledge discerns reality from illusion and makes us attached to reality and detached from illusion. Worldly knowledge delves only into illusion and increases our attachment to it. And fourth, the result of actual knowledge is pure devotional service, which frees the practitioners from material miseries and enables them to attain the highest love, love of God and His creation. Worldly knowledge cannot counteract the miseries of this world, which include birth, disease, old age, and death, and worldly knowledge cannot evoke real love.

The result of transcendental knowledge defies the imagination. The Bhagavad-gita explains that the fire of this knowledge burns up the reactions of our work and enables it to merge into transcendence (4.19, 23), it ends illusion (4.35), it is the most sublime and pure fruit of mysticism and the cause of liberation (4.38), one who achieves it achieves supreme spiritual peace (4.39), it’s like a weapon that slashes the doubts that arise from ignorance (4.42), and due to a lack of it, we suffer in a material body (5.14, Purport).

Prabhupada explains, “If one accepts a spiritual master, one can learn to distinguish between matter and spirit, and that becomes the steppingstone for further spiritual realization. A spiritual master, by various instructions, teaches his students to get free from the material concept of life.” (Bhagavad-gita 13.35, Purport)

“The purpose of education is to understand Krishna and His devotional service. If one does not do so, then education is false.” (Chaitanya-bhagavata, Antya 3.44, quoted in Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.29.50, Purport)

Or in Krishna’s words in the Bhagavad-gita (9.2), spiritual knowledge is “the king of education, the most secret of all secrets. It is the purest knowledge, and because it gives direct perception of the self by realization, it is the perfection of religion. It is everlasting, and it is joyfully performed.”

Hence, if want to be in real civilization we have to come out of so called the modern civilization and we have to accept Vedic knowledge. We have to come out of controller mentality (karta aham iti manyate) and become das (disciple, a follower) of Hari-guru-vaisnava. We have to bring Krsna, Supreme Personality of Godhead in the center of our lives and act in line with His desires, to please Him according to the directions of Sadhu-Guru-Sastras. Then our life will be perfect.

Hare Krsna!