Bhakti Vikas Swami
Everyone is intoxicated with the prospect that we are going to produce goods, and have more factories, and everyone’s standard of living will improve, and India will become a great superpower, and we’ll have lots of sense gratification. But this is karma bandhana, entanglement in material activities. They don’t see that by doing so they are bringing in all the problems that the Western world has already generated along with economic development.
Lecture on SB 3.6.32 – About the Four Varnas – Vyasa Puja 2008 – 5th Jan'08 – Tirupati
Bhakti Vikas Swami
When we are divorced from spiritual cultivation, from understanding that the purpose of life is God realization and not sense gratification, then we will think, “Why shouldn’t we do whatever we like as long as it doesn’t harm others?” But they don’t know that we are harming ourselves by such a mentality, because: na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum, our real self interest is to understand Krishna; and any activity performed without this in mind is apasvartha, or that which is not actually in our self interest.
Lecture on SB 3.6.32 – About the Four Varnas – Vyasa Puja 2008 – 5th Jan'08 – Tirupati
Bhakti Vikas Swami
The temples of modern India are the factories – they say so. No one is happy in the factories. No one feels peace of mind in the factories. "Factory," as Prabhupada states, is another name of hell. But modern India is very eagerly creating hell more and more. So this we should understand, and preach also. Generally now in our Krishna consciousness movement we don't discuss these things; somehow or other it has become unwanted to discuss these things. But Prabhupada discussed these things all the time.
Lecture on SB 3.6.32 – About the Four Varnas – Vyasa Puja 2008 – 5th Jan'08 – Tirupati
Bhakti Vikas Swami
Unless we organize society in a manner that is conducive for Krishna consciousness, we will be forced to become part of this modern society.
Lecture on SB 3.6.32 – About the Four Varnas – Vyasa Puja 2008 – 5th Jan'08 – Tirupati
Bhakti Vikas Swami
In the modern Krishna consciousness movement we don't hear much being said about Prabhupada's desire to have alternative societies; rather, we are very busy becoming part of the modern society, because we are dictated to by the economics of the modern society, in that we rely on the donations of people who are dedicated to the misguided concept of life, so we may be afraid to tell them clearly that this way of life is not good for you.
Lecture on SB 3.6.32 – About the Four Varnas – Vyasa Puja 2008 – 5th Jan'08 – Tirupati
Bhakti Vikas Swami
We may think, "Well, we don't really need to have our own way of life (devotee varnasrama communities). We can just go on as we are. Temples are there, people give donations, and people can become devotees living at home." That's true, but people becoming devotees living at home [means that] mostly their situation is not at all favorable for Krishna consciousness – working such long hours, associating with nondevotees, and then they have to send their children to the schools, where they are educated how to become a demon.
Lecture on SB 3.6.32 – About the Four Varnas – Vyasa Puja 2008 – 5th Jan'08 – Tirupati
Bhakti Vikas Swami
We are in the clutches of what is actually a demoniac society, and what they think is good is actually not at all good for human society. But unfortunately our society (ISKCON) has become compromised. Now we are promoting that we have to feed the school children so that they can get a better start in life, so they can study better. “Study better” means to study all those things which will take them away from Krishna.
Lecture on SB 3.6.32 – About the Four Varnas – Vyasa Puja 2008 – 5th Jan'08 – Tirupati
Bhakti Vikas Swami
Without making our own society (varnasrama society) and our own educational system and promoting the way of thinking of the rsis, and of Vyasadeva, then necessarily we become compromised with the modern society.
Lecture on SB 3.6.32 – About the Four Varnas – Vyasa Puja 2008 – 5th Jan'08 – Tirupati
Bhakti Vikas Swami
Prabhupada had such an ambitious plan to change the world, because harer nam harer nama harer nama eva kevalam: "Harinama is the only way for spiritual perfection in this age." But Prabhupada saw that people don't have time, nor the inclination. This modern society makes the people into demons. So this simple life is very conducive for spiritual advancement.
Lecture on "Living without Electricity" – Salem – 26th Nov'07
Bhakti Vikas Swami
Although people in the modern age can't imagine living without electricity, the whole human race up to the present time did so. Srila Prabhupada also often discussed how "They say that previously people were backward. But look at the kind of literature that Vyasadeva has given. This is not the work of a backward person!"
Lecture on "Living without Electricity" – Salem – 26th Nov'07
