“Philosophy and science should be engaged to establish the glory of the Lord. Advanced people are eager to understand the Absolute Truth through the medium of science and therefore a great scientist should endeavor to prove the existence of the Lord on a scientific basis.”
Room Conversation
with Dr. Theodore Kneupper
His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
November 6, 1976, Vrndavana 
“For instance, today everybody is talking about corruption. What is it? It is nothing but a form of human greed (lobh).”
Wednesday, Sep 14, 2011, 19:02 IST | By Paras K Jha | Ahmedabad | Agency: DNA — Every morning when we read bad news in the paper we wonder what is happening to this world. Why is it happening? Well, there would be different answers to this, but an ex-IITian and now director of youth forum of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) Sundar Gopaldas explains these connecting science with spirituality. During his recent visit to Ahmedabad, Gopaldas spoke to DNA on how natural catastrophes have increased in the last 100 years and how spiritual values can help prevent them.
What is the reason for increase in natural catastrophes in the world?
Scientific study shows that there were very few natural disasters between 1900 and 1980 and in the last 30 years the number has increased at a rapid rate. With advancement in science and technology, disasters are also occurring at a much greater rate. We should think whether there is any link?
Today the world is facing several kind of problems – natural disasters, social, global crises, national issues etc. It shows that sinful activities of people on this earth have increased.
Why are people committing sins?
People are committing sins because their heart is polluted with six enemies. These are lust (kaam), greed (lobh), anger (krodh), envy (irsha), pride (garva) and illusion (moh).
We see the effects of these six enemies. For instance, today everybody is talking about corruption. What is it? It is nothing but a form of human greed (lobh). It’s greed that forces a person to be corrupt, to take more than he deserves. So till the time this lobh is there in people’s hearts, whoever is running the system or the government, there will always be corruption.
What is the way out?
A union of 1,700 concerned scientists of the world has warned that a great change in our stewardship of the earth and the life on it is required, if vast human misery is to be avoided and our global home on this planet is not to be irretrievably mutilated.
A new ethic is required – a new attitude towards discharging our responsibility for caring for ourselves and for the earth. We must recognise the earth’s limited capacity to provide for us. We must recognise its fragility. We must no longer allow it to be ravaged. This ethic must motivate a great movement, convincing reluctant leaders and reluctant governments and reluctant peoples themselves to effect the needed changes.
How can ethics be inculcated?
If we want to remove corruption from the people’s hearts, it cannot be done only by making laws and legislations but we have to work on education and training of people, especially children and youth, because they are future. We need to educate them about the science of spirituality, values and character.
This science is Bhagvad Gita and all other spiritual literature in the world. The only purpose of this spiritual science is to replace the hatred and exploiting mentality in the people with selfless service attitude and pure love. Evil is nothing but the absence of good. There is no source of darkness, it is only absence of light. We need to enlighten people’s hearts.
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