HH Radhanath Swami

What does Real Civilization mean?

[IDT: 1999_99-055- What does real civilization means (Mumbai)-OT_dt_99_12_04]

Tags 1) Civilization 2) Technology 3) Millenium 4) Consciousness 5) Advancement

Lecture begins:

It’s a great pleasure to be with you this evening in this very beautiful park garden. We are
approaching the end of the millennium. And throughout the world people are discussing this
particular subject. As devotees of the lord, as the year 2000 approaches, but for that matter for
every new year, new month, new week, new day, new hours, new minute, new second, we
should be examining and re-examining how we are progressing as individuals and as a society
for real advancement in life. Srimad Bhagvatam explains that the basic propensities of the lower
species are that of eating, sleeping, mating and defending. And human life is specifically meant
for the process of self realization.

Advancement – The Kaliyuga Understanding

Real advancement of civilization is to be determined by how we are making progress towards

detaching ourselves to the illusions of this world and attaching ourselves to the absolute truth.
Unfortunately we are conditioned in this age of kali that advancement of civilization is progress
towards a better technology for the better security of sense enjoyment. We have in this city of
Bombay as well as cities throughout the world such immense technology and apparent
improvements in people’s lives. Srila Prabhupada, our beloved Guru Maharaj, he explains how
it is all just a great empty show, no substance. He gave the example of two goats. They are
fighting with each other and each one of them is trying to present himself as a great hero. Very
very big big goats and they are fighting and pretending to be such herculean warriors making
very, what they call it, macho type noises. All the she goats around are very much impressed.
So amongst the goats there is great show, an exhibition of strength, prowess & manliness. But if
a man comes and says, Hutt!, immediately the goats run away. Just to show, similarly Srila
Prabhupada explains that in the rainy seasons, clouds form in the sky with lightning and
thunder but no rain. No substance. SP explains husband and wife they fight, they say I’ll leave
you, I’ll kill you, I’ll do this , I’ll do that. And then the next day they forget all about it. Actually
with this civilization where there’s computers, airplanes, motorcars, big skyscrapers, it’s a big
show. But what is the substance of this civilization. Eating, sleeping, mating and defending, the
same qualities that animals and animalistic humans have been living-by in the 18th Century, 17th
Century, the 16th Century, the 15th Century. The animal species, they perform their basic
activities the same way generation after generation, millennium after millennium. For human
being, human being at the same time but with a whole different social presentation, SP
explained , dogs are having sex in the street, and we have so many nice discotheques, night
clubs, computerized dating facilities to find a partner, and then we go to nice cinema houses,
air-conditioned, we go to very expensive restaurants. What do we eat in the restaurants? The
tiger just tears apart some flesh with his teeth, and drinks the blood. May be they take same
meat, they cook it, add spices in it and they eat it and think we are more civilized. What is the
difference? And then we have beautiful apartments, beautiful beds and essentially the mentality
and activity is the same. What is the advancement? The hogs that are eating the garbage in the
street, the dogs are running on 4 legs, you are running on 4 wheels, the bird is flying with its
wings and we just make a big machine with wings. Is there any advancement in mentality? So
this is the unfortunate situation in this age of kali. In previous times people were considered
civilized and meant to make real progress in life according to spirituality that they were
developing. The knowledge, the detachment, the spiritual values, the morality and how much
they were fixing their mind and senses in loving service f the Lord. Krsna explains in Gita:

bhoktaram yajna-tapasam
sarva-loka-mahesvaram
suhrdam sarva-bhutanam
jnatva mam santim rcchati(BG 5.29)

That if we want to attain real peace then we must understand that Krsna is the proprietor of
everything and he is the enjoyer of every sacrifice. in other words everything is meant to be
utilized in his service. And to have faith that he is our friend, Such a person can achieve peace
who understands these principles.

Of the Great Empty Show

But today people want to accumulate more and more and more. And one who accumulates a
lot is considered a great hero, an idol, practically a worshippable deity in this age of kali. People
are no longer considered great by their simplicity, their honesty, their detachment, their
devotion. People are considered great by the majority of people by how much money they
make, by how good they sing. Well, driving here in the car, one of our devotees was telling that
there is some sort of a …unclear... in the computer systems of who the greatest person of the
century is, no, not the century but the millennium is. It shows the mentality of people. He told
me that the top person now is a person who sings nothing but songs about sex life. and the
older generation considers him completely obscene. The first television show he was ever on
they did not put the camera below his waste because of the obscene gestures that he made. Hare
Krsna. And he made lots of money, and women would scream and faint when they would see
him, and cry and become hysterical. Then he lost some of his fame and became a drug addict
and he was so depressed he became addicted to sedatives, sleeping pills, and when his wife
cheated on him he went to chase after her in his car and shooting her with his gun, and went to
her house, shot at her television and tried to kill her and was sent to jail several times. And
eventually, he was so miserable, so depressed, so addicted to these sedatives and drugs that he
died due to over dose and addiction. And the world considers him to be the man of the
millennium. And I believe in the top 15 is also Hitler. He mercilessly killed millions and
millions and millions of people, innocent women and children. Bhagavatam Explains that men
who are like dogs, hogs camels and asses they idolize and worship people who are like bigger
dogs, hogs, camels and asses. SP explains that there are different types of goons; one is the
simple thief who is pickpocket. Traditionally he is called ‘khira’. Khira means cucumber,
someone who steals cucumbers. Not a very big thief. Sometimes you see him steal some fruits
from the marketplace. Or they pickpocket you in the trains. They get arrested, when they are
caught. They are punished. And there is another thief called ‘hira’ means diamond Prabhupada
says. They steal diamonds. Now whether you are hira or khira you are a thief. But today those
thieves who are not just illiterate people from the ghettos who pick some pockets, or break in
your houses and rob you. But now there are thieves who have PhDs who are actually scientists,
who learn how to, by computer manipulations rob banks of tens of millions of dollars. Hare
Krsna. Have you heard of these people? These are very very scientific, geniuses, some of the
most brilliant minds in the world, that are used to rob banks .So someone may say “I only stole
an apple. Are you going to punish me? This man robbed the banks of tens and millions of
dollars.” But the law will say “you have stolen, you have got caught & you must be punished.
Big thief or little thief, you must be punished.” And the big man, he will say “That I robbed a
bank of ten million dollars. The computer genius, I am. This is advancement in civilization. You
should award me. You should not punish me.” This is happening, literally, and is very
symbolic. This is what is considered advancement in civilization. More technically advanced
scientific minds are stealing from Krsna. Of cheating the innocent people of the world. That is
considered advancement of civilization.

Conversation between Sukadeva Goswami and Maharaj Parikshit

But in Krsna consciousness, we understand from Bhagavad Gita and other literatures.
Duryodhana was very advanced personality. But he is condemned because he did not develop
the qualities of morality, virtue, knowledge, detachment and devotion. We see that the world in
an animal propensity is gliding down towards hellish conditions due to the prominence of
sinful activities. In the SB 5th canto, Sukadeva Goswami explains to Maharaj Parikshit a
description of the hellish planets. When Maharaj Parikshit heard this at the beginning of the 6th
Canto he was very much interested to know how a person who has committed sinful activities
could escape the reaction of having to suffer the karmic consequences. So SG, his spiritual
master wanted to test him. He told him that for every type of sinful activity there is a particular
atonement that one must perform to free one of the reaction of that sin. And if you do not atone
in this life then after death you have to suffer hellish consequences. Therefore a sane person will
atone for his sins in this very life.
For heavy sins there is heavy atonement. For light sins there is light atonement. And the Vedic
scriptures explain the various types of atonements. Maharaj Parikshit said that “this doesn’t
satisfy me because as long as the seed of material enjoyment remains within the heart, the
modes of material nature they force you once again to engage in sinful activities even after we
have performed the proper atonement. It seems to me like the philosophy of the elephant that
takes bath and gets himself nice and clean but as soon as he comes on the land with his trunk he
covers himself with dirt once again. Then he bathes himself and covers himself with dirt. No
progress”.

So Sukadeva Goswami continued to test Maharaj Parikshit. He said “What you are saying is
true. Atonement will not free one of suffering. It frees one from the reaction of a particular deed
but as long as that influence of the sinful desire is in the heart you’ll be forced to do it again
birth after birth after birth. So he explains that we should cultivate knowledge and discriminate
between what is good and what is evil.’ Maharaj Parikshit said “You can discriminate. You can
use your good intelligence to study the sastras, through gyan. But if that desire remains in your
heart, the lower instincts will take over your intelligence.” So Maharaj Parikshit rejected the
process of Karma Kand and Gyan Kand. He wanted to know what the solution for suffering is.
Sukadeva Goswami was very pleased. And he explained. that devotional service or Bhakti,
when it is offered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, that devotional service cleans
the heart of all tendencies of sinful activities. Through the process of constantly hearing and
chanting the Glories of the Lord in the association of the devotees one can experience the mercy
of Krsna. And one can attain the highest perfection of going back home, Back to Godhead. Then
he explained a story to illustrate the truth.

The Story of Ajamila

In a village called kanya kubja. There was a Brahmin whose name was Ajamila. His parents
were very very pious learned Brahmins. They raised him in a very satvik environment. He was
pious, moral, truthful, humble, learned in the scriptures. When he was young he was following
Brahmacharya. Later on he was married to a very respectable and beautiful daughter of a
Brahmin. One day his father asked him to go to the forest to bring him some paraphernalia to
performing yagya. As he was coming back home he happened to see a very low class man
associating with a low class women. The low class man was decorated with turmeric and he
was embracing and kissing this prostitute. As they were enjoying the sensual activities, they
were both singing and dancing completely intoxicated. Enjoying each other’s body. While this
was happening the woman’s dress was loosening and Ajamila happened to see this. His mind
became so terribly disturbed. He began to pray to the Lord to help him. He tried to fix his mind
on what he has learned about detachment from holy scriptures. But somehow or other the
thought of this prostitute plagued him, he was a victim of cupid, the most powerful force of
material energy. In order to fulfill his lower desires, he hired this woman to be a servant at his
house. And in her association, being so victimized by her lustful glances, Ajamila put all of his
attention, all of his money, all of his life in the dedication to satisfy this woman so that she
would allow him to enjoy her. He left his home, he left his wife, he left his parents because her
desires were so sinful he had to become sinful to satisfy her. He had ten children through her.
To support her material desires, his material desires and the children he had to gamble, cheat,
plunder, lie and do every kind of sinful activity.
When he was 88 years old, he was still plundering, cheating, lying and having sex life. now we
know from Vedic scriptures that when a man turns 50 years old he is supposed to be
vanaprastha. There should be no more sex life. Children should be grown up by that time and
one retires and dedicates his life along with his wife to spiritual affairs. But this Ajamila when
he was 88 years old he was still having children. His younger son was named Narayana.
Ajamila was very much attached to Narayana. He would call him Narayana to eat. He would
call him Narayana to play. He would call him Narayana to wake him up. Because of his
previous devotional service when he was young the Supreme Lord never forgot that service.

nehabhikrama-naso 'sti
pratyavayo na vidyate
sv-alpam apy asya dharmasya
trayate mahato bhayat (BG 2.40)

That any progress we make in the endeavor of Bhakti is never lost. It is eternal. So we may
forget Krsna, but Krsna, who is within our heart, will never ever forget anything that we have
ever sincerely done to please him. The Lord knows past, present and future. So from within his
heart, he arranged that he name his younger son ‘Narayana’, Knowing that when he would die
his greatest attachment in life would be to that son. He was laying on his deathbed and that
fateful moment, that will inevitably come to each and every one, came before him.

anta-kale ca mam eva

smaran muktva kalevaram
yah prayati sa mad-bhavam
yati nasty atra samsayah (BG 8.5)

Krsna says whatever you remember at the time of death, that you’ll attain without fail. If you
remember me you’ll attain me. As he was in the process of dying, Yamaraj the superintendent
of death for those who are sinful, sent his Yamadutas to collect him and bring him to the hellish
planets to suffer. Ajamila saw Yamadutas. They were horribly violent looking creatures, fierce,
twisted faces, deformed, very strong; they had ropes and weapons raised in their hands. They
tied his subtle bodies which is covering his soul and started ripping it right out from the heart
of his body. As he was being ripped out by these terrible men with gnashing teeth, looking at
him with anger, he was so much fearful. Meanwhile his little baby son Narayan was nearby
playing. He cried out helplessly in a loud voice “Narayana Narayana”. At that very moment 4
beautiful personalities appeared, the Vishnudutas, the servants of Lord Vishnu. They came
from Vaikunthas with weapons in their 4 arms. Each one looking practically identical to Lord
Vishnu Himself. The Yamadutas saw them. Vishnudutas said “You cannot take him.” They
then cut the ropes with their swords. The Yamadutas were very shocked. “Who are you? with
your beautiful lotus eyes, bluish complexion, golden crowns and wonderful ornaments. Please
tell us who you are? You appear to be residents of the Spiritual world. Can you tell us what is
your identity and why have you come here?” The Vishnudutas replied by identifying
themselves as the messengers of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They said “We
understand what are the principles of Dharma and this is not right. We cannot believe what we
are seeing. We are seeing you who are trying to punish a person who is completely sinless. You
are the representatives of Yamaraj. Yamaraj is supposed to be a great leader of the society. How
is it that he and you are punishing a faultless man? What a leader does common man will
follow? If a person helplessly lays his head on the lap of a person he is taking the shelter of and
then that person cuts his head off, that is not leadership. The whole society will be ruined. ” The
Yamadutas were bewildered by hearing this. The Vishnudutas asked them “You tell us what is
the definition of dharma and what is adharma?” Yamadutas explained that we have learned
from our master Yamaraj that Dharma is to follow the principles that are explained by the Lord
in the Holy Scriptures and negligence of the rules of the Scriptures is Adharma. If one performs
his dharma properly one will be rewarded and attain happiness. But if a person does sinful
activities, he must suffer. There is no escape. And then there is the mixture, some people do
some dharma and some adharma, they will find some happiness and some suffering in their
life. one who follows the essence of the scriptures in his life will attain the spiritual world and
go back to the abode of Lord Vishnu and those who engage in materialistic, karmic activities
and perform sins they come before our master Yamaraj where they are punished. It is he who
told us about this Ajamila. He was a very well behaved son of a Brahmin. Always charitable,
respecting his superiors, submissive to his spiritual master, free of false prestige always eager to
serve, very learned in scriptures, eager to perform sacrifices. However, due to association with a
low class woman he became a plunderer and a thief. He broke the heart of his chaste faithful
wife and rejected her. His parents were old and helpless. It was his duty to help them. He took
all their money, all their property and left them. This man committed so many illicit activities in
his life, gave so much pain to his family members, to the people in general. He is a great sinner.
And from his youth to his old age he did nothing but sins. He lived a life of selfishness and
sense enjoyment. We have record of his sins. Yamaraj has sent us to bring him to his abode
where he will be punished in hellish tortures.” The Vishnudutas replied” What you are saying
is wrong because in his life he spoke the name of his son ‘Narayana’ and at the time of death he
helplessly and loudly called out the name ‘Narayana’ without offense. He did not chant purely
but because he had no material motives in the sense that he was not trying to artificially. Ah ...
sinning and then erase the sin by chanting the holynames. He was simply crying out the names
of his son. So it was practically offense-less chanting. One who once chants the Holy names
offenselessly is freed of all sins in this life and all sins in all previous lives. Therefore this man is
without sin. He is a liberated soul and it will be a great offense by you to try and cause harm to
him. One who pleases the Supreme Personality of Godhead by chanting his names, his
attributes, his qualities and his pastimes is always protected by the Lord. “

The Yamadutas were helpless and confused. They went back to the abode of Yamaraj.
Meanwhile, Ajamila seeing this discussion realized what a foolish rascal he had been. Just by
those few moments’ association of Vishnudutas, his life was transformed. This is a very
important principle. Association is so important in every moment of our spiritual life. Whoever
we may be, however advanced we may think we are, through bad association we could lose all
our good qualities. And however sinful we are through good association we will be saved. The
purpose of this Krsna Consciousness movement is simply to provide association of the Lord
and his devotees. We associate with the Lord by associating with His devotees, by associating
with Bhagavad Gita, Shrimad Bhagavatam, by coming to wonderful satsang program like this
evening, by engaging our mind and senses in his service. There are so many alternatives that we
have in this age of kali. There may be, at the most, a thousand people here tonight. But how
many are watching television tonight. How many tens or hundreds of millions? How many are
going to cinemas and clubs. SP was shocked. He would tell us: he was in Paris and a man 80
years old, was going to these clubs just for such obscene purposes that we cannot even mention
to such a distinguished audience tonight. At that age he is still ‘punah punas carvita-
carvananam’ [SB 7.5.30] that which is already chewed and chewed and chewed. We cannot get
enough. We can never outgrow the desire for sinful desire unless we replace that materialistic
association with Krsna Consciousness. Birth after birth after birth we continue to chew what we
have already chewed. Ajamila, by the association of these great souls, understood that he had
wasted his life. The quality of a real devotee is that he repents and feels ashamed for the
materialistic and sinful things he has done or she has done in the past. And that shame always
keeps one in a humble state.

Tendency is that we become a little advanced and we think we are very great. But when we
remember what we were, what we did and how only causeless mercy has saved us, that keeps
us humble. Ajamila went to the Vishnudutas and offered his prostrated obeisances but the
Vishnudutas immediately disappeared because they wanted to invoke in his heart a feeling of
shame and separation. He condemned himself. How I mistreated my chaste faithful wife. I
destroyed her life. How I neglected my loving parents who gave me the best of everything of
this world. I tortured them, and how engaged in so much intoxication, so much illicit sex, how I
cheated like a thief so many innocent people. Countless sinful activities I performed. How
shameful! How ignorant! What a fool I am!

But somehow when I was young I engaged in the devotional service of Lord Krsna and the
Lord is so merciful he never forgot that. And by His kindness he arranged for me to name my
son Narayanan and chant his name when I was about to die. Ajamila then cut all the relations
with his children, with the prostitute and went to Ganga Dvaram, Haridwar, where the Ganges
is coming to the plain from the Himalayas. There he went to the temple of Lord Vishnu and
engaged himself in devotional service. Knowing intensely the dangers of this world and the
shame of wasting this human form of life, he absorbed his consciousness day and night in
remembering Krsna and serving the Lord by worshipping the deities, by hearing His glories
and by chanting His Holynames. By hearing through the Vishnudutas, glorification of the
Holynames, he understood that Holyname was his only shelter. He heard the Vishnudutas
explain that even chanting the holyname can just, unintentionally, without proper awareness, if
it is done offenselessly, the name of Lord is so immensely powerful that it attracts the mercy of
the Lord to purify us. And bring us to the state of ultimate liberation. So Ajamila spent the rest
of his life chanting the Holynames. And through this process when he was completely purified
those same 4 personalities appeared before him and guided him onto a golden airplane and
brought him back to Vaikuntha. When he boarded the airplane, he assumed his original
spiritual form that is saccidananda. And full of ecstatic love of God like a pure soul returned
back home Back to Godhead.

Meanwhile the Yamadutas approached Yamaraj. They asked “Please tell us, how many
supreme controllers are there in this universe. WE have always understood that you are the
Supreme Master and when you give us the order no one can disobey. If there are 2 Supreme
Masters then what will happen? if there is difference of opinion, then one will come to punish
and one will come to nullify and there would be neither reward nor punishment. Or there
would be reward and punishment for the same thing. Our whole universe will be chaotic. We
cannot function unless there is one Supreme Authority. We always conceive you to be that
supreme authority. How is it that any power was there to stop your order from being fulfilled?”
The Yamadutas were so depressed, so confused that they were on the verge of suicide. Yamaraj
then explained “I am not the Supreme controller, nor is Brahma, nor is Shiva nor is Varuna, nor
is Chandra, nor is any of the Devatas. Vishnu is the Supreme Lord of all living beings. Whatever
powers, whatever authority they have is given by him only. He is our master. He is the
controller of material nature. He is the controller of three modes of Material nature. And all the
devatäs are only functioning by the power given by Him. He is all beautiful, He is all merciful,
He is all powerful and He has impregnated all of his opulences in His name. And those
devotees who chant His holy names are always protected by him. Ajamila chanted the name of
the Lord and therefore he was delivered.” Yamaraj told to Yamadutas that you bring to me only
those who have never chanted the Holynames of the Lord sincerely. Bring to me those people
who have never bowed their heads to the deities of the Lord. Bring to me only those people
who have never served the Lord or His devotees. But those who chant the holynames do not
even look at them because the Lord carries a great club to protect His devotees. and if you even
glance in the direction of the devotees the Lord will destroy you.

Yamaraj started to glorify the transcendental process of chanting the Holynames. And then he
began to pray to the Lord with folded arms that “O Lord Vishnu, please forgive me and my
servants because we have offended your devotee Ajamila not knowing his Glory.”

It is important to understand then if one has authority over others, if that person, or those
persons engage in irresponsible or sinful activity then the leader is also karmically responsible.
So Yamaraj prayed to Lord Vishnu for forgiveness because he understood the power of
Chanting the Holy names.

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare

Harer nama harer nama harer namaiva

Understanding Real Advancement

The story of Ajamila took place in a previous Yuga. The holyname of the Lord is always very
powerful. However in this age of Kali, there is no other way, no other way, no other way.
Therefore the Supreme Lord descends in this age of Kaliyuga as Lord Sri Chaitanya
Mahaprabhu to give us this simple and sublime process.

So people are celebrating the new year, the new millennium. But those who know understand
that we are one millennium deeper into the age of kali. Kaliyuga progressively gets worse and
worse and worse in ignorance and illusion. And the evidence of that is how the people are
going to be celebrating the progress of kaliyuga. Most people in the world will take to
intoxications, eating of forbidden foods, wasting their lives just bombarding their senses with
sensationalistic type of sense gratification in the mode of passion and ignorance. In fact most
countries every year, just any new year, what to speak of new millennium, any new year see a
very high crime rate, death rate, auto accidents, killings, rapes etc. This is how people celebrate.
But those of you who are interested we are going to be having satsang and kirtan all night long
at Sri Sri RadhaGopinath Temple in order to counteract the effects of the progress of Kaliyuga.
So we are interested as everyday passes in our life of knowing for certain that we are
progressing to the goal of our life. we don’t want to be bewildered and confused by the
sensationalistic propaganda of what advancement of civilization is. It doesn’t mean taking off
your dhoti and wearing a suit and tie. It doesn’t mean taking off your sari and wearing short
skirt with nylon socks. It doesn’t mean giving up your bullock and driving a very fashionable
computerized motor car. It doesn’t mean throwing all of your books in the library and putting it
on computer disks. It doesn’t mean giving up your postage stamps and doing everything by
emails. This is not advancement of civilization. Its degradation of civilization because the
content or the substance what’s being discussed and what’s filling up people’s minds is simply
material illusion. Real advancement of civilization is sitting down with your little Tulsi Japa
beads and chanting:

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare

Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare!

Whether you are chanting under a tree or a river bank or whether you are chanting in your
motorized car or you are chanting in a jet airplane or whether you are chanting in a skyscraper
building, the externals are simply not important., What’s important is the substance of our
consciousness. The clouds rumble and there is lightening, but if no rains come its useless. But if
rain comes its beneficial. So we are all living in this city of Bombay. It’s a place where we cannot
avoid all of the phantasmagoria and the illusions. But we must never mistake, because we have
some more money or maya’s toys to play with, that we are making advancement. Whether we
have it or don’t have it. That is totally irrelevant. What important is our consciousness. Ajamila
thought he had everything, he had ten children, and he had lots of wealth. He had a wife who
he was completely intoxicated by. But the content is the consciousness. The substance of his life
was simply degraded by the modes of nature.

This is a beautiful garden and tonight it has become Vaikuntha because the content of the
consciousness of the people here who have come to here and chant the glories of the Lord. That
is the sublime process by which we could all achieve the real destination of life. So as the New
Year approaches, the new millennium approaches, we should be very much aware that
Kaliyuga is progressing in a major way. So we must progress in a major way by practicing the
Yuga Dharma whole heartedly.

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna …

Thank you very much.

Lecture Ends.

Quotes by Radhanath Swami Maharaj :

- Real advancement of civilization is sitting down with your little Tulsi Japa beads and chanting
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare , Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare!